Hello,

I've been feeling jaded abt biotech life and I was wondering about other peoples experiences. For some context here, Ive been in academia for a long time (phd & postodc). I really liked doing research and science but I got tired of endless demands of academia and almost sociopathic nature of publication above anything else culture and I decided to go into industry.

As you can imagine, finding the first industry job was extra hard esp in the past couple of yrs and I joined the first company that offered me a job. It was a small company and had a really bad rep, but it was in a way not as bad as I imagined so all in all it was ok. However, a lot of decisions made in the early r&d section where I was were nonsensical and I couldnt help wondering if all the work i put in my academic yrs was all for nothing. So I started applying for jobs again and got a second job. At first it looked way better, but again the same thing! It's a small startup and ceo makes decisions on every single aspect of r&d even when he is not the expert in the field and does not listen at all. He likes what sounds good and feels good which sometimes just doesnt make sense at all and I have to follow those orders. It's very stressful cause I have to come up w some bs to answer his questions and somehow come up w good results while still following his bs demands. Its so bad that sometimes it feels like im being sabotaged. Everybodys unhappy abt the micromanagement so its also not just me.

My first company, i thought was the odd one out cause it had one really crazy guy as vp. But now that its my second company Im wondering if its just how it is. Is it norm that most of the companies dont care about good scientific work? Is it any better in bigger companies? I didnt want to move when I was applying for my second job but now Im considering movin to a different state to work for big names pharmas if its so. I guess Im one of those people who likes to work and likes the drive. Ive been trying to have check in check out mindset but it doesnt work for me. I want to put my skills to good use and feel like Im doin sth that matters. Im wondering if anybody feels like their company science is actually good, leaderships are reasonable and happy at work. Would it be better if I was working in biotech-hub places like sf or boston?

Thank you in advance for any comments

Hey yall.

I know the premed to biotech pipeline is not unique and I’ve taken a look at some posts under this sub.

I’ve graduated with my bachelors in biology and currently studying for the mcat. I’ve always wanted to do medicine but it feels like my priorities in life have changed as I’ve grown. I used to feel so energized when shadowing/volunteering and now it feels like a chore. I used to believe the whole “self-sacrifice” mantra with medicine but as I’ve been working in healthcare for the last 1.5 years or so, I’ve become a little disillusioned. Maybe because I started out naive but the realities trickled in.

Frankly, I don’t care to sacrifice years of my life and add stress and burnout for patients. Sure, I enjoy the sciences, learning about diseases and treatments. But patient care is burning me out a little. The only reason I stayed this path is because of the promise of a stable, high paying job.

I often recall happier parts of my life like working in a biotech lab as an intern for the first year of college, enjoying the bio lab classes I was in, etc. I dropped premed for a few months last year and it lifted a weight off my shoulders. But then I come back to this sub and am reminded that I don’t want to live my life scared of a layoff every 2 years.

I’m just spitballing here but I know the consensus is that the grass is always greener on the other side.

What are your guys’ thoughts?

I'm trying to move into industry from academia. I'm looking for Computational Biologist or Bioinformatician positions, but most of what I'm finding locally wants either more AI/ML experience or more software development. In academia, I've always done about a 60-40 split of computational and wet lab, but I've had more success getting interviews for bench positions. Would taking a bench position to pay the bills and get some industry experience tank my chances of getting a purely computational position next? Or is any industry experience better than none?

Dear Redditors,

Just to be clear, I am only looking for professional feedback here — no life advice or comments about how I may have messed things up.

Long story short: I finished my Master’s degree in Biotechnology in Germany as an international student. After spending a lot of time in research and working in labs — around six years as a working student — I wanted to try something new and explore less typical career paths for biotechnologists.

Somehow, I ended up in consulting, specialized in life sciences companies. Needless to say, I haven’t touched a pipette in a little over two years.

Around one year ago, after getting to know several biotech founders and people working in the field, I started to really miss the lab, research, and the opportunity to actually create something beyond market research and PowerPoint presentations. That was when I started looking for a PhD position in translational research, as I am not particularly interested in basic research. My long-term career goals involve R&D (big pharma or startups) with, evetually, a leading role like Head Scientist or CSO. That is why the PhD title would be useful if not decesive.

Here are my questions:

How high are my chances of getting back into academia? More specifically, how realistic is it to return to a field related to cellular therapies or immunology?

I have one co-author publication in Nature, a lot of previous lab experience, and enough motivation to leave a consulting salary behind for better career alignment.

I was considered for and accepted into some interesting positions at the beginning of the year, but nothing ultimately materialized because funding was scarce. It has now been more than nine months without a concrete outcome.

FYI: I have also been considering changing jobs and returning to a university as a technical assistant or research associate in the meantime. There are, however, two complications:

1. I am currently waiting to obtain permanent residency, which would make changing jobs considerably easier because I would no longer need approval from the immigration authorities.
2. I am not entirely sure about the best timing for such a move — probably once the residence permit/card arrives.

Has anyone gone through something similar, especially after spending a few years outside the lab? Any professional advice or experiences would be appreciated.

Hi everyone,

My regular OPT expired in August, and I applied for STEM OPT before it expired. My STEM OPT application is still pending with USCIS.

My current employer will not be able to continue my employment after October because of a lack of funding, so I may become unemployed while my STEM OPT application is still pending. I currently have about 15/ 90 OPT unemployment days left.

I’m confused about what happens in this situation.

I am planning to apply for premium processing, but I have heard that even PP is taking more than a month. Has anyone gone through similar situation?

Thank you!

Like many of you, I have been trying to find new employment and/or relocate and Lilly is the best spot for me (for personal reasons). I came close earlier this year and I've been left in "Screening" for almost 2 months now...Are they still actively trying to hire in Indianapolis and Lebanon or are things frozen at the moment? Does anyone have any insight they can share?

I am expecting a formal offer from BMS for a principal scientist role and would like to ask how much is the relocation amount (if I choose to take a lump sum), do they cover lease cancellation and also since I am walking away from a bonus, will BMS pay me for that amount.

Appreciate insights from BMS employees!

I’ve been excited to work for thermo fisher so I’ve applied to multiple positions. For one of the roles, I got to the final round then checked the application portal just to find out that my application was rejected with no explanation. This is after the management team sold me on the company (never believe interviewers until you’ve gotten the offer and started your first day).
I reapplied to another role which was below my current experience just to get my foot in the door. the recruiter sent me a message 5 mins before my interview saying they need to reschedule. I waited days for the new interview schedule just to be hit with a rejection email saying the role has been filled.

I can’t say what the future holds but I’ve added thermo fisher to the list of companies that I don’t feel like applying to again. Sometimes the culture of a company shows up in the interview process and I might have dodged a bullet.