Alternative Careers in Science
Leaving the Ivory Tower
- 2nd Edition - August 26, 2005
- Imprint: Academic Press
- Editor: Cynthia Robbins-Roth
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 5 8 9 3 7 6 - 3
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 0 8 - 0 4 5 4 9 8 - 6
Many science students find themselves in the midst of graduate school or sitting at a lab bench, and realize that they hate lab work! Even worse is realizing that they may love… Read more
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Request a sales quoteMany science students find themselves in the midst of graduate school or sitting at a lab bench, and realize that they hate lab work! Even worse is realizing that they may love science, but science (at least academic science) is not providing many job opportunities these days. What's a poor researcher to do !?
This book gives first-hand descriptions of the evolution of a band of hardy scientists out of the lab and into just about every career you can imagine. Researchers from every branch of science found their way into finance, public relations, consulting, business development, journalism, and more - and thrived there! Each author tells their personal story, including descriptions of their career path, a typical day, where to find information on their job, opportunities to career growth, and more. This is a must-read for every science major, and everyone who is looking for a way to break out of their career rut.
This book gives first-hand descriptions of the evolution of a band of hardy scientists out of the lab and into just about every career you can imagine. Researchers from every branch of science found their way into finance, public relations, consulting, business development, journalism, and more - and thrived there! Each author tells their personal story, including descriptions of their career path, a typical day, where to find information on their job, opportunities to career growth, and more. This is a must-read for every science major, and everyone who is looking for a way to break out of their career rut.
* An insider's look at the wide range of job opportunities for scientists yearning to leave the lab
* First-person stories from researchers who successfully made the leap from science into finance, journalism, law, public policy, and more.
* Tips on how to track down and get that job in a new industry
* Typical day scenarios for each career track
* List of resources (websites, associations, etc.) to help you in your search
* Completely revised, this latest edition includes six entirely new chapters
* First-person stories from researchers who successfully made the leap from science into finance, journalism, law, public policy, and more.
* Tips on how to track down and get that job in a new industry
* Typical day scenarios for each career track
* List of resources (websites, associations, etc.) to help you in your search
* Completely revised, this latest edition includes six entirely new chapters
Graduate students and professionals in all disciplines of the life sciences
- CONTRIBUTORS
- PREFACE
- Chapter 1: A SCIENTIST GONE BAD: How I Went from the Bench to the Board Room
- Publisher Summary
- SO HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
- HEADING OUT OF THE LAB
- COMMUNICATION SKILLS BECOME IMPORTANT
- ONCE MORE INTO THE FRAY—GOING INDEPENDENT
- PUBLISHING GETS ADDED TO THE MIX
- ALTERNATIVE CAREERS
- Section 1: Science and Information
- Chapter 2: TECHNICAL WRITING: Making Sense Out of Manuals
- Publisher Summary
- WHAT IS A TECHNICAL WRITER?
- WHY TECH WRITING IS A GREAT MOVE
- COMMON PERSONALITY TRAITS OF TECH WRITERS
- A TYPICAL DAY AT WORK
- COMPARISONS WITH THE ACADEMIC WORLD
- HOW TO BECOME A TECH WRITER
- WHERE TO FIND TECH WRITING JOBS
- WHERE CAN YOU GO AFTER TECH WRITING?
- RESOURCES
- Chapter 3: SCIENCE WRITING: Communicating with the Masses
- Publisher Summary
- SHOULD YOU BECOME A SCIENCE WRITER?
- A CHALLENGING FIELD
- WHO NEEDS SCIENCE WRITERS?
- HOW DO I BECOME A SCIENCE WRITER?
- WHAT IS A TYPICAL WORK DAY LIKE?
- IT IS SCIENCE, BUT IS IT NEWS?
- HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN DNA IN THREE SENTENCES?
- DO SCIENTISTS LIKE REPORTERS?
- WILL ANYONE READ WHAT YOU WRITE?
- THE LOGISTICS
- WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION?
- SOME INSPIRATION
- Chapter 4: CREATING A PUBLISHING EMPIRE: How I Gave up Academia and Became an Entrepreneurial Editor
- Publisher Summary
- HOW IT ALL STARTED
- ON OUR OWN
- SO HOW DO YOU GET THIS JOB?
- WHAT DOES PUBLISHING PAY?
- WHAT IS NEXT IN MY CAREER PATH?
- Chapter 5: BUSINESS INFORMATION SERVICES: Providing the Data for Industry
- Publisher Summary
- HOW MY PATH CHANGED DIRECTION
- ENTREPRENEURSHIP
- WHERE THE TIME GOES
- WHERE BIOABILITY IS GOING
- CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
- Chapter 2: TECHNICAL WRITING: Making Sense Out of Manuals
- Section 2: The Financial World
- Chapter 6: BECOMING A VENTURE CAPITALIST
- Publisher Summary
- STARTING IN THE LAB
- GETTING A TASTE FOR BUSINESS AND FINANCE
- EVOLVING INTO A BANKER
- DAILY TRANSACTIONS
- FINALLY, VENTURE CAPITAL CALLS
- WHAT THE JOB IS LIKE
- Chapter 7: INVESTMENT BANKING: Dreams and Reality
- Publisher Summary
- THE PLAN
- THE MENTORS
- THE FIRST BREAK
- THE SKILL SET REQUIRED BY AN ANALYST
- A TYPICAL DAY AS AN ANALYST
- WHERE I HOPE TO GOFROM HERE
- Chapter 8: HOW I BECAME AN ANALYST: Science-Based Investment Advising
- Publisher Summary
- THE EARLY YEARS
- BEGINNING A CAREER
- THE BUSINESS OF SCIENCE
- THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME
- WHAT DOES A BIOTECHNOLOGY ANALYST DO?
- POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES
- HOW TO BECOME AN ANALYST
- MY CAREER SINCE SBC WARBURG DILLON READ: MOVING TO THE BUY-SIDE
- Chapter 6: BECOMING A VENTURE CAPITALIST
- Section 3: The Corporate World
- Chapter 9: ENTREPRENEUR AND COMPANY FOUNDER: Starting Your Own Company and Surviving
- Publisher Summary
- HOW DID I GET HERE?
- A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CEO
- A TYPICAL WORK WEEK
- WHAT IT TAKES TO RUN THE SHOW
- THE PROS AND CONS OF BEING THE BOSS
- HOW CAN YOU GET THIS JOB?
- THE CURRENT SITUATION
- Chapter 10: BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Making Deals with Science
- Publisher Summary
- MY EVOLUTION
- WHAT IS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT?
- SOME OF THE CHALLENGES
- WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
- HOW DO YOU GET HERE?
- Chapter 11: THE GROWTH OF A MANAGER: From Pure Research to Policy Administration
- Publisher Summary
- WHAT IS ORGANIZATION MANAGEMENT?
- HOW DID THIS HAPPEN TO ME?
- WHAT DOES A POLICY ADMINISTRATOR DO ALL DAY?
- COMPARING THE WORK
- WHAT’S NEXT?
- UPDATE: 7 YEARS LATER
- Chapter 12: REGULATORY AFFAIRS: Keeping Product Development on Track
- Publisher Summary
- WHAT IS REGULATORY AFFAIRS?
- REGULATORY AFFAIRS IN A BIOPHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY
- WHAT JOBS ARE AVAILABLE IN REGULATORY AFFAIRS?
- HOW DO YOU GET INTO REGULATORY AFFAIRS?
- Chapter 13: PATENT LAW CAREERS: Protecting the Intellectual Property of Science
- Publisher Summary
- PATENTS AND PRACTITIONERS
- MY (CONVOLUTED) CAREER PATH
- A TYPICAL DAY
- ATTORNEY VERSUS AGENT
- JOB RESOURCES
- Chapter 14: ENTERING BIOMEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC CONSULTING
- Publisher Summary
- LEAVING THE COMFORT ZONE OF ACADEMIA
- WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO
- A FOCUS ON BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
- WOULD YOU MAKE A GOOD BIOMEDICAL CONSULTANT?
- ADVICE ON BECOMING A BIOMEDICAL CONSULTANT
- Chapter 15: SALES AND MARKETING: So You Want to Sell?
- Publisher Summary
- HOW DID I GET HERE?
- WHAT DO I DO?
- HOW MUCH DO I MAKE?
- HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR THIS SORT OF CAREER?
- CAREER MOBILITY
- WHAT ABOUT TRAVEL?
- WHAT COMPANIES HAVE SALESPEOPLE?
- WHAT SKILLS ARE NECESSARY?
- WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE?
- WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF THE JOB?
- HOW OFTEN DO I HAVE A HAIR-ON-FIRE DAY?
- WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING FOR 7 YEARS
- Chapter 16: FROM DOING RESEARCH TO MOVING RESEARCH: My Life in Tech Transfer
- Publisher Summary
- OFF TO THE CORPORATE WORLD
- THE NEXT STEP: FINANCIAL CONSULTING
- BACK TO ACADEMIA BUT NOT TO THE LAB!
- THE LIFE OF A LICENSING OFFICER
- DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER: THE BUSINESS OF IP
- Chapter 9: ENTREPRENEUR AND COMPANY FOUNDER: Starting Your Own Company and Surviving
- Section 4: Providing Services to Companies
- Chapter 17: CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS: Helping Companies Sell Their Stories
- Publisher Summary
- MAKING THE MOVE
- HOW DO I BREAK INTO THE PROFESSION IF I DON’T HAVE THESE SKILLS?
- YOU HAVE THE JOB! NOW WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT?
- WHERE DO I GO TO FIND OUT ABOUT PR?
- HOW DO I PREPARE FOR A JOB INTERVIEW?
- THE PERSONALITY PROFILE
- DIFFICULTIES AND PLEASURES
- WHERE CAN I FIND A PR JOB?
- Chapter 18: EXECUTIVE SEARCH: The Hunt for Exceptional Talent
- Publisher Summary
- BECOMING A RECRUITER
- RESPONSIBILITIES AND ATTRIBUTES
- A TYPICAL DAY
- DAILY FRUSTRATION LEVEL
- COMPENSATION, EXPERIENCE, AND ADVANCEMENT
- THE REWARDS OF BEING IN THE EXECUTIVE SEARCH BUSINESS
- WHY THIS INDUSTRY?
- HOW TO ENTER THIS INDUSTRY
- PERSONAL COMMENTS
- Chapter 19: CONSULTANT TO THE STARS: Advising CEOs for Fun and Profit
- Publisher Summary
- MY PATH INTO FINANCE
- BECOMING A CONSULTANT
- IT’S ALL ABOUT REPUTATION
- Chapter 20: BIOMEDICAL CONSULTANT: Specializing in Technology Assessment, Strategic Planning, and Grant Writing
- Publisher Summary
- HOW I GOT THERE
- MOVE TO INDUSTRY
- BECOMING A CONSULTANT OVERNIGHT
- WHAT DOES CONSULTING PAY?
- PROS AND CONS OF THE JOB
- SKILLS FOR SUCCESS
- MENTORING
- BLURRING THE BOUNDARIES
- WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES, ANOTHER OPENS
- Chapter 17: CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS: Helping Companies Sell Their Stories
- Section 5: Science Careers in Government
- Chapter 21: SCIENCE AND PUBLIC POLICY: Translating Between Two Worlds
- Publisher Summary
- THE NEED FOR SCIENCE IN POLITICS
- MAKING THE SHIFT
- MY OWN PATH: TURNING A CONGRESSIONAL FELLOWSHIP INTO A CAREER
- GETTING STARTED: WHAT SKILLS DO YOU NEED AND WHERE DO YOU GET THEM?
- POINTS OF ENTRY INTO A SCIENCE POLICY CAREER
- WHERE DOES A CAREER IN SCIENCE POLICY LEAD?
- EARNING POTENTIAL
- CONCLUSIONS
- ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION
- Chapter 22: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISOR: Building a Biotech Industry for an Entire Country
- Publisher Summary
- A JOB I COULD NOT HAVE PREDICTED
- HOW I GOT HERE
- OFF TO NEW ZEALAND
- WHALES LEAD ME INTO A POST-DOC
- INTO GOVERNMENT SERVICE
- I ENTER THE ENTREPRENEURIAL WORLD
- LURED BACK TO GOVERNMENT
- WHAT DOES AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISOR DO?
- WHERE TO FROM HERE?
- WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO DO THIS JOB: HAVE YOU KISSED THE BLARNEY STONE?
- A DAY IN THE LIFE…
- HOW DID SCIENCE TRAINING HELP?
- Chapter 23: GOVERNMENT AGENCIES: Directing Science in the Military
- Publisher Summary
- HOW I GOT HERE
- A TYPICAL DAY
- WHERE CAN YOU GO FROM PROGRAM MANAGER?
- WHAT OPPORTUNITIES EXIST IN THE MILITARY?
- SKILLS NEEDED TO SUCCEED AS PROGRAM MANAGER
- THE PROS AND CONS
- HOW TO GET THIS JOB
- Chapter 21: SCIENCE AND PUBLIC POLICY: Translating Between Two Worlds
- APPENDIX: INFORMATION RESOURCES ABOUT ALTERNATIVE CAREERS FOR SCIENTISTS
- INDEX
- Edition: 2
- Published: August 26, 2005
- No. of pages (Paperback): 320
- Imprint: Academic Press
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN: 9780125893763
- eBook ISBN: 9780080454986
CR
Cynthia Robbins-Roth
Cynthia Robbins-Roth, Ph.D., left academia to pursue a science career in the then-emerging biotechnology industry. Her career detoured through business development before her entrepreneurial spirit compelled her to start up her own biotechnology consulting and publishing business, BioVenture. Because of her scientific insight, irreverent manner, and ebullient nature, Dr. Robbins-Roth is a popular speaker on alternative careers for scientists, as well as a recognized biotech industry expert.
Affiliations and expertise
Bioventure Consultants, San Mateo, CA, U.S.A.Read Alternative Careers in Science on ScienceDirect