Open Letter to Recruiters
Dear Biotech Recruiters:
Good morning! It's me, early-to-mid-career synthetic chemist with multiple first-author papers, Ph.D. / post-doc from a Top 10 program, and pharma job experience.
How's things?
I'm a bit worried that my emails and phone calls to you have gone unanswered since we'd last spoken. See, my (tiny) chemistry company could go bust at any moment, and I'd really like to have one of your jobs in my back pocket, y'know, just in case...
I'm not entirely sure who you're looking for, but I'm starting to think it's not me. I do apologize for having not been born 10 years earlier, when I could have taken full advantage of the '90s Biotech Boom.
Back then, doctoral degrees only took 4 years, and then you could jump out into a six-figure job designing drugs straightaway - no post-doc required! Project teams swelled up, thus you got listed on more patents and papers, and probably got all sorts of crazy performance incentives. (I won't even bring up stock options and signing bonuses, since they've mostly gone the way of the dodo). Those lucky folks are now eminently qualified, experienced, and well-connected. They're shoo-ins for any job you have listed.
Well, what about me? I'm young, hungry, internet-savvy and have pretty low salary expectations. I don't yet have a family, and I work tons of unpaid overtime.
I feel like I'm playing against a stacked deck, where everyone has Aces and Kings, but I'm stuck with Crazy Eights. Can I ever catch up?
Looking forward to your call,
-SAO
Good morning! It's me, early-to-mid-career synthetic chemist with multiple first-author papers, Ph.D. / post-doc from a Top 10 program, and pharma job experience.
How's things?
I'm a bit worried that my emails and phone calls to you have gone unanswered since we'd last spoken. See, my (tiny) chemistry company could go bust at any moment, and I'd really like to have one of your jobs in my back pocket, y'know, just in case...
I'm not entirely sure who you're looking for, but I'm starting to think it's not me. I do apologize for having not been born 10 years earlier, when I could have taken full advantage of the '90s Biotech Boom.
Back then, doctoral degrees only took 4 years, and then you could jump out into a six-figure job designing drugs straightaway - no post-doc required! Project teams swelled up, thus you got listed on more patents and papers, and probably got all sorts of crazy performance incentives. (I won't even bring up stock options and signing bonuses, since they've mostly gone the way of the dodo). Those lucky folks are now eminently qualified, experienced, and well-connected. They're shoo-ins for any job you have listed.
Well, what about me? I'm young, hungry, internet-savvy and have pretty low salary expectations. I don't yet have a family, and I work tons of unpaid overtime.
I feel like I'm playing against a stacked deck, where everyone has Aces and Kings, but I'm stuck with Crazy Eights. Can I ever catch up?
Looking forward to your call,
-SAO
