Biotechnology career in Malaysia
Occasionally someone will call me to ask about the career options in Biotechnology. It's usually this time of the year as most undergrad students are finishing their final exam. I will ask them if they want to continue their studies to postgrad level. If yes, I will give some advices based on my own experience.
Basically, I think there are only three types of job in science: Lecture, Research or Sales. Those jobs that didn't fall into these categories are the minority. Meanwhile, some took off after realizing biotechnology is no longer what they want to do.
Lecturer is a profession that requires high academic qualification. "Are you going to become a lecturer?" is the most frequent question asked to a postgrad student. A master degree is not sufficient to get you into a local university with ranking. If you are not tired of writing proposal, teaching lecture, writing papers/publications and little time to conduct research, then welcome to the world of Academic.
Next, if you prefer spending your time in the lab and publishing your results. Don't forget the rule: if you don't publish, your research never exist. Option 1: Take up a research positions at university or institute. If you think you have gain enough research experience and you want higher salary, go to option 2: Join a private company research facility.
By now, you should have finally realized that there's no way a Biotechnologist can be rich. If you still have that dream, you might consider Sales as an option. A basic degree in science is required. Sales representative is the one who introduce and sell products to the researchers. Everything from chemical, kit, lab equipment and other services. They come to the lab on a regular basis so that we don't forget them. We hate sales person who don't reply us or being rude. So, service with a smile! This job pays off well if you are a good sales person and your products are selling.
There are some jobs related to management and consultant that requires background in Biotechnology. I'm not going into that. Whatever path you choose, remember LIKE WHAT YOU DO not do what you like!
Basically, I think there are only three types of job in science: Lecture, Research or Sales. Those jobs that didn't fall into these categories are the minority. Meanwhile, some took off after realizing biotechnology is no longer what they want to do.
Lecturer is a profession that requires high academic qualification. "Are you going to become a lecturer?" is the most frequent question asked to a postgrad student. A master degree is not sufficient to get you into a local university with ranking. If you are not tired of writing proposal, teaching lecture, writing papers/publications and little time to conduct research, then welcome to the world of Academic.
Next, if you prefer spending your time in the lab and publishing your results. Don't forget the rule: if you don't publish, your research never exist. Option 1: Take up a research positions at university or institute. If you think you have gain enough research experience and you want higher salary, go to option 2: Join a private company research facility.
By now, you should have finally realized that there's no way a Biotechnologist can be rich. If you still have that dream, you might consider Sales as an option. A basic degree in science is required. Sales representative is the one who introduce and sell products to the researchers. Everything from chemical, kit, lab equipment and other services. They come to the lab on a regular basis so that we don't forget them. We hate sales person who don't reply us or being rude. So, service with a smile! This job pays off well if you are a good sales person and your products are selling.
There are some jobs related to management and consultant that requires background in Biotechnology. I'm not going into that. Whatever path you choose, remember LIKE WHAT YOU DO not do what you like!
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2 comments:
Yup thats right. You should have given a talk to the final year students before they went off. I hope you have a good number of them reading your blog.
I think the new batch of graduates should also be exposed to more details on the career path of an academic. An important part of an academic career would be the post doc attachment stage which I think is one of the most important steps that will later define your career. Most young phd holders will be attached to a few labs during this time before finally settling down for a lectureship at any university.
It's a good thing you bought up the Post-doc issue. There are very few post-doc in Malaysia compared to overseas. The PhD holders don't have to go through post-doc program to become a lecturer. Recently, the government has started to offer better incentives for post-doc.
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