BioSpace: Careers for Lab Professionals Who Wanna Get Off the Bench: Molecular, Cyto, Histo, Med Tech, etc.

BioSpace is a amazing site for biotech, clinical research, and medical news and jobs.  You can search positions, get the latest industry news, check out the forums, see company profiles, and more.  It’s really just giant.  Anyway, I am thrilled that they’ve published one of my articles about jobs for pharma professionals who want off the bench.  It’s also been featured on DeviceSpace (for clinical device and diagnostic news and jobs) and ClinicaSpace (clinical research).  If you’re interested in a career in laboratory revenue, laboratory revenue, medical device sales, biotech sales, clinical diagnostics sales, medical revenue, or any other health care sales, you should absolutely check these sites out.

(Here’s the article)

When we go off to college, sometimes we choose a career that just does not satisfy our needs.  Many times scientists with the BS, MS, or PhD in the lifesciences or other science areas find themselves to be unsatisfied with the career opportunity that they find themselves in a year or 2 after graduation.  What seemed fun and exciting is now boring and oppressive.  Often the love of science and the desire to continue learning is still there, but not the desire to continue in the present career path.  If you discover yourself in this job, here’s a list of possible jobs for you, complete with brief descriptions where needed.  These jobs in sales, service, and marketing exist in all areas of clinical sales:  pharma, medical diagnostics, molecular, cellular, pharmaceutical device, biotechnology, histology, pathology, hospital equipment, and pharma.  If I miss any potential careers, feel free to add Them in the comments below.  Okay?

POSSIBLE CAREERS FOR THESE WITH STRONG SCIENCE EDUCATION BUT NO LONGER WISH TO BE ON THE BENCH:

Sales

Inside Revenue Career opportunities – These are usually like call centers.  The key here is to be okay with the cold call and to have the optimistic attitude for success.  These positions can be fun and lucrative.  They usually have set hours and require no journey.

Outside Revenue Career opportunities – These are usually field-based positions.  They require someone with a lot of self-discipline and of course, that “sales personality.”   These positions can be extremely lucrative and have a lot of flexibility.  Depending on the size of the territory, the travel can be daunting.  You should consider going on a ride along if this is interesting to you - see this video getting into medical sales for more info….  While I’m at it, I have three posts that explain different types of medical sales– Part I, Part II, and Part III, as well as posts on pharma sales vs. medical device sales, and how clinical sales compares.

Business Development/Technology Transfer – Those career opportunities can range from someone who has a very strong technical understanding who investigates future products or acquisitions to someone who is a super salesman.  You got to clearly understand your personality and specifically the job you’re looking at.  These positions are all different.  Assume nothing – ask a lot of questions.

Technical Service

Applications Specialists – Usually the “applications” part means that you will help make sure that the assay or test is working.  Your company may provide a platform and your responsibility is to help the customer get their assays working on your instrumentation.  This can be very challenging, and a worthy field apps person has to be a great communicator.  Those can be high-travel positions.

Field Service Career opportunities – This career opportunity is usually responsible for setting up a new system that a customer purchased and troubleshooting when that system is not functioning correctly.  These can be high-travel career opportunities.  (click here for more info)

Field Technical Support – Same as above.

Customer Service – Maybe the company needs an extremely technical person to help the customer purchase the correct products.  This will usually be a phone-based position.  The hours will be set and include very little tour.

Technical Support – In-house – like the field-based career opportunity, but without the trip.  Communication skills for this career opportunity are really important.

Marketing

Marketing:  Strategic – (It’s important to note the difference between strategic and tactical.)  The strategic marketing person is responsible for figuring out where the company should invest for future products and what the specifications for these products should be.  This is an original-thought kind of person who understands the value of customer feedback and communication.

Marketing:  Tactical – This person usually supports the field sales force with bulletins, pricing, and product training.  Marketing job descriptions that do not clarify tactical vs. strategic are probably both.  Many scientists pursue the MBA to move into marketing.  Marketing jobs can have a lot of journey.  Be sure to ask about the requirements of every position.  Never assume everything in the interview process.

Some additional careers you might consider that use your technical background:
Science Librarian
Science Editor
Science Writer
Science Illustration
Quality Assurance

Teaching – You probably know as much about this as I do…BioJobBlog has a post on this, as well as other great info on alternative science careers.
Patent/IP work – Some scientists actually pursue a law degree to marry with the technology.  Every company will have one of those on staff or on retainer.

Can you think of any more?

If you’d like to be considered for sales, marketing, or technical support positions like these, submit your resume to PHC Consulting.

Article courtesy of  Peggy McKee - Owner / Senior Recruiter at the nationally
recognized clinical and clinical sales recruiting team of PHC Consulting.
© Copyright 2008 PHC Consulting | All rights reserved

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BioSpace: Careers for Lab Professionals Who Want to Get Off the Bench: Molecular, Cyto, Histo, Med Tech, etc.