What is Biotech?
At its simplest, biotechnology is technology based on biology. Biotechnology harnesses cellular and biomolecular processes to develop technologies and products that help improve our lives and the health of our planet. We have used the biological processes of microorganisms for more than 6,000 years to make useful food products, such as bread and cheese, and to preserve dairy products. Modern biotechnology provides breakthrough products and technologies to combat debilitating and rare diseases, reduce our environmental footprint, feed the hungry, use less and cleaner energy, and have safer, cleaner and more efficient industrial manufacturing processes.
Different focus areas in the biotechnology industry include:
- Creating sustainable biofuels and energy sources
- Improving the food and agriculture sectors through developing crops with enhanced nutrition profiles, better yield and less toxins
- Using genetic engineering and CRISPR
- Analyzing and compiling data using bioinformatics
- Creating and programming platforms to model and simulate biological and chemical processes
What is Pharma?
The pharmaceutical industry focuses on studying disease origins and creating new therapeutics such as drugs and vaccines. There are different types of pharma companies depending on which stage of drug development they focus on. Some companies only focus on drug discovery by exploring new drug targets and understanding a certain biochemical process that can elucidate the mechanism behind the disease. The companies may be a mix of academic- and industry-style research and may partner with nearby hospitals to receive patient samples. Other companies work on the later stages of drug development such as refining and manufacturing the drug or testing the drug in clinical research trials. The larger pharma companies can work on all of the stages of drug discovery and development.
Common Career Areas within Biotech
Different Careers within Biotech and Pharma
- Research Scientist (PhD) or Associate Scientist (BS/MS)
- Consultant
- Clinical Trial Administer
- Clinical Trial Manager
- Data Analyst (BS) or Statistician (MS/PhD)
- Software Engineer
- Product Development Scientist
- Project Manager
- Regulatory Affairs Specialist
- Sales Representative
- Process Engineer
- Manufacturing Engineer
- Quality Assurance Engineer
- Patent Lawyer
- Human Resources/Recruiting Manager
More Resources to Learn About the Biotech and Pharma Industries
How to Get Started in Biotech and Pharma in College
Depending on the type of career you’re looking for in biotech there are many different ways to build up your skill set and experience at UT and while you are completing your undergraduate degree. The list below shows some ways you can get started!
How to Build Up Your Research and Laboratory Skills
Whether you want to go into a research/lab-based career or not, building up hard skills by learning laboratory techniques is very valuable for working at a biotech or pharma company. This is because practicing research helps you learn scientific concepts, the process of a research project and make connections in the research space. Below are some recommendations for gaining research experiences during your undergrad.
- Biotech Certificate at ACC
- iGEM Undergraduate Research Team
- Freshman Research Initiative or Accelerated Research Initiative (for sophomores, juniors and transfer students)
- Join a faculty lab
- Do a summer research program at UT or another university
How to Network in the Biotech and Pharmaceutical Industries
A big part of career planning is talking to professionals in the field that you’re interested in and surrounding yourself with peers that are moving in the same direction as you. This can be helpful as you can ask the professionals and peers about their experiences and learn more about the industry. Sometimes meeting and talking with these people can also help you learn about new opportunities or tips for breaking into the industry that you may not have known otherwise.
- Networking events with Central Texas Life Science Industry Organization
- Attend research symposiums (FURS, GCURS, URF)
- Attend Career Workshops or view previously recorded career events
- Network with professors
- Attend panel discussions
- Attend research presentations by UT faculty
- Attend employer sponsored events
How to Gain Useful Soft Skills
Companies love to see well-rounded candidates that have useful interpersonal and professional skills. Some key skills that employers look for are collaboration/teamwork, time-management, communication, planning and organization. These skills are equally valuable as the scientific or technical skills that can be learned by training at the company and should be displayed on your resume. We recommend practicing these skills in the following ways. Do not feel pressured to do these activities if you are not interested in them! Find ways to get involved on campus that reflect your own hobbies and interests:
- Teaching: become a Sanger Learning Center tutor or a teaching/learning assistant
- Mentorship: mentor other students as a FRI mentor, FIG mentor, honors cohort mentor or resident assistant
- Leadership: join a club on campus and contribute to a cause https://utexas.campuslabs.com/engage/organizations?categories=4878
- Community involvement: volunteer, do DEI-related work or become mental health ambassador
How to Gain Certifications and Hard Skills
While soft skills are important for how you will function within a team at the company, hard skills and certifications are important for making yourself a marketable and valuable asset for various roles. Having hard skills on your resume such as laboratory techniques, data analysis and coding skills are very attractive to employers. Many biotech and pharma companies look highly upon having coding skills. Many research projects involve simulations, modeling and data visualization that is done through code. Even if you don’t want to code as your primary role, coding can be a useful tool and a valuable skill.
- Learn how to code in Python or R - Khan Academy, Free Code Camp, Coursera, UT Elements of Computing Certificate
- Learn data science - Data Camp, IBM Cognitive class, UT Coursera Grow with Google Data Analytics Certificate, UT LinkedIn Learning
- Learn project management - UT Coursera Grow with Google Project Management Certificate, UT LinkedIn Learning
Preparing Your Resume
The resume is your gateway into applying to internships and jobs in the industry. Some key sections that distinguish a biotech/research resume from a normal one are having a skills section with laboratory skills at the top of your resume and having a publications section if you have any publications. Other than those two sections it is also important to have an experience section and it is also common to have a section for campus involvement. Check out the resume resources on our CNS Career Services website.
Preparing for Interviews
After submitting an application for a position at a company, the next step is to do an interview with the employer. Each company will do their interviews differently but there are usually many similarities in the process that each company uses. Usually the first interview will be a behavioral interview. These interviews assess character, interest and background experience and will usually be conducted by a lab manager or HR representative. After completing this round, the next round will usually be a technical interview. These interviews can be conducted by a scientist or engineer and may delve deeper into your previous experiences and ask theoretical problem-solving questions that show the interviewer how you think.
Behavioral Interview Prep
When doing behavioral interviews, employers are really just looking for someone that shows interest in the company, demonstrates professionalism and seems like the type of person that would be easy to work with. During the interview, make sure to smile, talk slowly and keep eye contact. If you’re asked a difficult question, you can take a moment to think about your answer before you start speaking or rephrase the question back to them to give yourself time to process the question. The best way to prepare for these kinds of questions is to practice them ahead of time. Also try to make a plan for how you will use the experiences and activities on your resume to answer these questions. For more information on how to prepare for a behavioral interview click here.
Sample Behavioral Questions
- Tell me about a time when you worked in a team
- Tell me about a time when you encountered a problem and how you handled it
- Describe a time you had conflict within a team or with higher management and how you handled it
- What characteristics do you value in a team member?
- Tell me about a time when you helped someone
- What are your current career plans and interests?
- Describe why you think diversity, equity and inclusion are important
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Why are you interested in working for us?
Technical Interview Prep
To prepare for these technical interviews try to look up possible questions and make sure to warm up your brain for problem-solving. Think about some cool concepts you’ve recently learned in your classes and review the ones that seem relevant to the company’s research. Also, if you don’t know the answer to the question just think out loud and try to break the problem down. A lot of times the interviewers just want to hear your thought process and see how you think.
Sample Technical Questions
- Tell me about a research project you’ve done recently
- Tell me about your favorite science class
- What is a buffer? How do you make one?
- Do you have experience using mass spectrometry, HPLC or UV-vis? Describe one of them
- Describe the different properties and characteristics of a bowl of water (molecular interactions, characteristics of the molecule itself)
Check out these biotech-related behavioral and technical questions with sample answers.
Finding Jobs and Internships at Biotech and Pharmaceutical Companies
It can be daunting to enter the workforce for the first time whether you are looking for your first internship or job but there are many resources, platforms and events that make this process more streamlined and simple. Listed below are some of the resources that we recommend for getting started as well as some tips and information on specific keywords and companies to check out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When does the recruiting cycle start for biotech?
A: In regards to all recruiting, starting earlier is always better! Biotech companies will typically start posting job and internship opportunities later in the fall (October-November) all the way up until the beginning of the spring (Jan-Feb). However the earlier you start the sooner you can get the ball rolling and start putting your profile and information on the radars of various companies. The recruiting timeline also depends on the type of position you are looking for. Typically the tech and business jobs start earlier in the fall in comparison to engineering and research.
Q: How does recruiting for smaller biotech companies compare to recruiting for big pharma and biotech companies?
A: If you’re looking to stay local or within Texas in general, you’ll find options for small to mid size biotech companies however if you’re more interested in bigger companies, these are focused in the Northeast and California. Another thing to consider is your financial situation. The larger companies typically have better starting salaries for entry-level positions and for internships, specifically, they may pay for relocation and part of your housing. Another benefit of larger companies is that they will provide you with a larger network and opportunities to move within the company even if you change career paths. However, some people that prefer a smaller, close-knit group may do better in a small-mid size company. Smaller companies can help you to form very close relationships and be more involved throughout the research/business whereas in larger companies you will be more focused in your specific department or team.
Q: How does grad school factor into getting a job in biotech?
- A: There are many careers available in biotech with and without higher degrees. By gaining many years of industry experience, it is possible to get promoted to higher positions. The years of experience in industry will typically be somewhat equivalent to the number of years in school spent earning a higher degree. For example, a bachelor’s degree with 5 years of experience and a master’s degree with 2 years of experience could both qualify for a senior position. For a career specifically in the research and development side of the industry, there is a stronger emphasis on higher education. Some companies do require a PhD or master’s in order to reach a certain level of scientist or management and having a higher level of education typically translates into a higher base salary. However, there are certainly careers in biotech that do not emphasize higher education as much as others and gaining many years of industry experience can replace high degrees. Some people also work in industry for a few years before going to grad school to save up money, gain more experience or try to have their company pay for their grad school.
Q: What is the difference between doing research in industry versus academia?
A: There are many different kinds of companies in industry with various work cultures and the culture of each lab in academia also varies. However, in general, industry is more goal-oriented, collaborative, and multi-faceted than academia. In academic research, a lot of projects/theses are exploratory works and the researcher will devote many years to one big publication. In industry, each project will have a specific purpose and deadline in mind for how it will benefit the company and when it will be completed by. In both settings, the work can involve multiple projects happening simultaneously. For academia these projects will usually be worked on in smaller groups of a PI, postdoc and graduate student with maybe an undergraduate assistant. In industry, these projects may involve working across departments to include chemists, engineers, scientists and management. There are also differences in how salary/funding is determined in both settings and the work style may vary.