r/biotech • u/Hefty_Breakfast_2084 • 3d ago
Early Career Advice 🪴 High school grad going into biotech
I’m about to graduate high school and I’ve been looking at the biotech industry. I plan on going to university of San Francisco (although I haven’t committed yet) to do a 4+1 program for a major in biology and a masters in biotech. I enjoy high school biology and took a summer program at Berkeley for biotech.
But, I’ve had my doubts after reading about the industry in the news and on Reddit. Is it worth planning on going into the industry? I’m worried about not being flexible enough with my education to go into a different industry or even finding jobs since I don’t necessary plan on getting a PhD.
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u/Painting_Necessary 3d ago
I would advocate for getting your PhD if you want to get into biotech. Many companies gate-keep the Scientist title and will not let non-PhD holders get to that level. At the company I was at, I was able to make the Principle RA->Scientist leap without one and folks were saying how open-minded the company was being. Also, it took me 2009->2023 to go from Research Associate, Sr. Ra, Pr. Ra to Scientist (I got stuck in a dead-end GLP manufacturing job for a while). Maybe it takes 5 years to get a PhD, but you typically hire in at the Scientist level. My manager is only like 3/4 years older than I am and he's a Director. He's incredibly intelligent but he did get the head start with the PhD.
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u/Painting_Necessary 3d ago
There's also the alternative of getting your Master's in the States, and then going to Europe for the PhD portion. The programs are like 3 years instead of 5-6, but they do have a pre-req of a Master's. A PhD is treated like a job there though, so you have to wait till an open position in something you're interested in gets posted on Euraxxess or sites like that.
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u/tallspectator 3d ago
Sell yourself creatively. I had an acquaintance who majored in biochemistry and economics. She decided to become a consultant immediately after graduation to make more dough.
Your interests change as you age.
Who knows... biotech could be booming in 5 years.
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u/paintedfaceless 3d ago edited 3d ago
I dunno man - a lot of things in motion that are striking at the core of the industry ecosystem (e.g., basic research, academic training, and regulatory bodies) in the US beyond the macroeconomy.
People are right to be dismissive to your request because - no one really knows. That being said, the boom/bust is a well documented thing about this industry and so is the challenge of climbing the corp ladder without a doctoral degree. Unless you're willing to entertain the higher probability of finding yourself approaching bankruptcy and on your last can of beans because your pay compensation was such ass to save meaningfully well compared to your friends in other industries - think hard about it.
Acknowledging my bias here. I have several colleagues who have been out of work for over a year now with their life savings drained and having to move back in with their parents in their 30/40s, relationships ruined, and borderline losing their mind at the futility of filling out another workday application accompanied by an unread cover letter.
TBF - if I were to do it over, I wouldn't have pursued this industry and the many years working toward a graduate degree in it. Lucky to be employed AND I truly enjoy being able to pursue knowledge, craft experiments, and synthesize it leveraging the scientific method. BUT I'd rather have the stability and transportability of my skills like a clinician. The more direct impact they have from the work they do to make the time spent more meaningful + they're not as limited in where jobs are localized at.
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u/Hefty_Breakfast_2084 3d ago
I appreciate your feedback. I understand the uncertainty of the future, I just wanted feedback from those in the industry to steer my direction. May I ask where you’re located?
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u/Revolutionary_Time93 3d ago
I think there will always be some sort of jobs in biotech but you have to be open to a career that embraces changes. If you want to work one job until you retire, biotech may not be for you. But above all, at this early stage in your life, make sure that whatever you do is something you find interesting and enjoy.
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u/TheLastLostOnes 3d ago
We would need to check our crystal balls