Landing Your Dream Job in the Dynamic Sectors of Biotech and Healthcare
The Insider's Guide on Approaching the Job Search in Today's Market
This is the beginning of a series of newsletter articles, where I meet with guests to tackle topics about product management and career advancement. To kick it off, I chatted with Dr. Alessandro Culotti, Sr. Product Manager at DNAnexus about finding a dream job in biotech and healthcare.
The current job market is hard. Our guest Alessandro secured his dream product role 3 months ago. He and I collaborated on this article to share some advice to help people who are looking for jobs today.
Understand the diversity of the field
Do I need a background in science to join a biotech or healthcare company?
It depends. Companies involved in certain areas of drug development such as Contract Research Organizations (CROs) may look for expertise in clinical research; companies that build healthcare-related software products may not require expertise in biology at all; companies that do drug discovery may look for candidates with greater knowledge of the regulatory landscape, and/or some experience of the various phases of drug development.
This curated list of areas within the biotechnology and healthcare sectors is by no means exhaustive, but rather serves to highlight the immense diversity and breadth within these fields:
Clinical diagnostics
Synthetic biology
Sequencing technology (e.g., Illumina)
Pharmaceuticals, drug discovery and development
CROs
Academic institutions conducting scientific research
Tech companies that develop software for lab purposes, such as Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS)
Clinical Research Companies
Research hospitals
Bioengineering
Bioinformatics
Big tech (e.g., Microsoft Genomics, Amazon Omics)
Spend the time to understand the different requirements across market segments. Depending on the segment and groups within a company, positions may favor strong expertise in product management principles, background in the sciences (such as biology and related fields), or knowledge of software development practices and technology.
Outline your career goals
Think of yourself as a product, and explore:
what are your competitive advantages (and weaknesses)?
what brings you joy and fulfillment?
where do you want to be in 3-5 years?
what's your roadmap for getting there?
how will you measure success?
As an example, Alessandro is passionate about working for a company where the product can have a positive outcome on human health. To him, this means that the products and services can help expedite discoveries in the healthcare field, or directly support the ability of clinicians to better diagnose and deliver treatment to patients.
To land these types of product roles, he conducted market research and gradually built industry knowledge by focusing on software development and tech. He leveraged his biology background to get his foot in the door, and better understand the world of multi-omics (genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics). He first worked in project and program management roles in the areas of translational data science and NIH-funded research initiatives, and transitioned into product management in the cloud computing and bioinformatics space.
Use your network
For some, it can feel quite uncomfortable to send "cold emails" on LinkedIn to people who work or have worked at the company they want to apply to, asking for advice and referrals. The good news is that this simple act can really help you get jobs. In fact, it has worked for Alessandro, multiple times.
Biotech can often feel like a small world, and the right connections can get your foot in the door and catapult your career.
In conclusion, it's not too late or too early to begin planning for your future in biotech and healthcare. Embrace the process, learn from each step, and keep pushing towards your goals! You are not alone.
What pain points have you experienced, and what strategies have you found effective? Leave a comment or reach out directly to me! I’m here if you need a helping hand applying these insights to your situation.