Alternative Science Careers

Although my articles should provide valuable information, it is always a great thing to do your own homework and research. Some ways to get started are:

• Talk with people in the field. Conduct informational interviews with those people. Ask them questions about what to expect on the job, entry requirements, opportunities, how they got there, and any advice they may have.
• Research the field. The internet is a great place to start, such as this site, but also check out professional societies in that field, career centers, and books.
• Get informed about the field. Read trade magazines, journals, and newspapers in the field of interest. There are also many blogs and sites geared towards information about many fields.
• Take relevant classes if you are able. For example, take a class in licensing, business, etc. depending on the field of interest.

Learn all you can and pursue the career of your dreams! Good luck!

I came across a blog entitled “Alternative Careers- Genetic Counselor” from the Science Magazine Career blog so I decided to find out more information.

So what exactly is a genetic counselor?

A genetic counselor is a health professional with experience in medical genetics and counseling. Most enter the field from a variety of disciplines, including biology, genetics, nursing, psychology, public health, and social work.

Genetic counselors work as members of a health care team, providing information and support to families who have members with birth defects, genetic disorders, or those that may be at risk for inherited genetic conditions. Counselors identify families at risk, investigate the problem present in the family, interpret information about the disorder, analyze inheritance patterns and risks of recurrence, and review available options with the family. Genetic counselors also provide supportive counseling, serve as patient advocates, and refer patients to community or state support services. They serve as educators and resource professionals for other healthcare professionals and the general public. Many are involved in research activities related to medical genetics and genetic counseling.

I then interviewed a genetic counselor that specializes in cancer. Here are the questions and answers:

• What degree do you need to become a genetic counselor? How do you become a genetic counselor?
  

A master’s degree- graduation from an accredited Master’s program in Genetic Counseling is required.

• What does a typical day look like?

Triage of referrals, case preparation, seeing patients, documentation of visits, insurance issues, giving lectures to students, residents, fellows, attendings, nurses and the general population, research activities including publication of findings. 

• What do you most enjoy/not enjoy?  

I most enjoy meeting with the patients.  I least enjoy doing the dictations and dealing with insurance companies.

• What is the average starting salary?

Mean salary for genetic counselors with 1-4 years experience is $53,666 per NSGC Professional Status Survey 2008.

• Are their internships/shadowing programs out there?  

Yes, contact a local genetic counselor to inquire about a shadowing opportunity. (To locate this person, click on the website below, click on “Find a Counselor” under quick links on the left column, and then you can search by your zip code or institution.)

• Where can you find out more information if interested?

www.nsgc.org

The website listed above is for the National Society of Genetic Counselors and has a lot of very useful information on it, including possible employment opportunities. Another great website is the American Board of Genetic Counseling- www.abgc.net

This site has a general overview of what genetic counseling is plus it includes information about graduate programs that offer genetic counseling, coursework overview, and online programs.

Technorati Tags: Alternative Career, Genetic Counselor

There are some great training programs available in the pharmaceutical industry for those pursuing alternative options in starting a career (a lot of my knowledge will tend to cover pharma or biotech as that is what I am most familiar with. If you are interested in other areas, feel free to add to the post).

Some of the programs require an MBA (or pursuit of one), while others do not. Most are a 2-3 year rotation program so that you get a breadth of knowledge in a particular field. Here’s links to a few that I found if you would like to dive in deeper and find out more information.

• Johnson & Johnson offers 5 different training programs- finance, human resources, international recruitment, procurement, and company-focused leadership development programs. There are more details on the website along with how to apply to these, see link below.
  

http://careers.jnj.com/careers/global/graduate_target/leadership_development_programs/index.htm

• Merck offers unique rotational programs in Information Systems, Sales and Marketing, Manufacturing, and Human Resources. These assignments rotate every 8-12 months over a period of 2-3 years. Merck does not provide very much detail on their website. They mention that you need to visit them at a presentation or career fair held at your school to learn more about their leadership and development programs. Check with your school to see if they will host them or know who you should contact.

• Wyeth does not seem to have leadership development programs, but they do have MBA summer intership programs where they hire 1st-year MBA students and provide them the opportunity to work for 12 weeks in areas such as Marketing, Strategic Product Development, Marketing Analysis & Research, and Business Development. To find out more, click on the link below:
  

http://www.wyeth.com/careers/pharmaresearch/university/mba

• GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) offers an IT and procurement development program. See link below:
  

http://us.gsk.com/html/career/career-our-programs.html

I am sure there are more opportunities out there than just these listed. If you know of any, please feel free to share with your fellow students.

Technorati Tags: Leadership Development Training Programs

Here is a great resource for anyone looking for alternative career information -

Alternative Careers in Science

The main sections of this book are Science & Information, the Financial World, the Corporate World, Services, and Science in Government. Look in the table of contents by clicking here: “alternative careers in science” for more detailed information about what professions are covered.

The thing I like most about this book is that it explains what each position entails, gives common personality traits of a person in that field, typical work day, and some hints on how to enter that area. Of course, this is just a good place to begin your research. I’ll be posting more details on the site as we go along. Also, even if you look at the personality traits and you don’t match up 100%, I advise you to still pursue that pathway if you are interested and maybe try to shadow someone in that field or get an internship to see if it is a good fit.

Hope this gets some ideas rolling.

Technorati Tags: Alternative Careers in Science Resource

Are you a life sciences student or professional that loves the science, but doesn’t want to follow a traditional career? If so, this is the place for you. This site will cover alternative science career options for those obtaining or that already acquired a science degree, but first let me describe a bit about why this site is being started.

I got a BS in Biochemistry and Environmental Science from Juniata in 2001 and then wasn’t sure what to do. I ended up doing an internship in dairy nutrition and then became a research technician in a pharmacology lab. This then led to me entering a graduate program at Penn State University that offered both a PhD in Pharmacology and a MBA, of which I graduated last May. I love the science, but also really enjoyed the business classes. I knew that I did not want to do a postdoctoral fellowship or research career so I began exploring alternative pathways. I had heard of many options, but soon found out that it was harder than expected to find detailed information and network with those outside of academics or the research side of industry. And as I’m sure you all know- a key to finding a job is networking (I’ll cover that another day). Luckily for me, some of my predecessors had taken alternative careers so I had that network and am now working as an investment research analyst. However, most aren’t so lucky. I have been discussing with many students that want to pursue alternative science careers, especially as grant funding is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain. Most mentors only have connections within the academic setting and with scientists in industry, of who do not connect with the business side of the company. Many have spent hours and hours researching job opportunities to still be dismayed.

That’s what this site is all about- it is for YOU- a one-stop place where you can get all the information you need to find the perfect opportunities for you. I want to help you get to where you want to be.

So, please, ask questions, tell your friends, and let me know what you would like to see.

Some of the alternative science career opportunities that I’ll cover in more detail with first hand information from someone in that field include:

• Business Opportunities
• Writing Options
• Industry Jobs
• Government Jobs
• Academic Careers

Technorati Tags: Alternative science careers