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Yeah, I was expecting the same kind of argument from the author, not what he actually talked about (STEM workers have to commit to life-long learning, work long

by c0l0 2y ago

Yeah, I was expecting the same kind of argument from the author, not what he actually talked about (STEM workers have to commit to life-long learning, work long hours during crunch time, feel like on a treadmill because there's always the next release ahead, etc.) in the end. When I look at the people who finished their PhD in biotech while my wife was doing hers, the overwhelming majority of them seem to be working as project managers (not necessarily, but most likely) in the biotech industry these days - but not as scientists or even engineers, which they should be MUCH better suited for, given their decade-long training and supposed major interest in science. I hope (and so does she, ftr) she will be able to avoid that fate.

analog31 2y ago
There's a bunch of biotech in my locale. What I've noticed is the rapid proliferation of what I call the "biotech sweatshop." These are production labs with hundreds or thousands of workers, performing the manual steps for repetitive biological "protocols." Transferring liquids with pipettes, moving sample plates from one instrument to another, etc. Many of these businesses run protocols on a contract basis. A relative of mine got her undergrad biology degree, and has worked for a succession of these businesses. She changes jobs whenever it offers a small pay bump and guarantees daytime hours. There's a certain amount of mental involvement, because things go wrong, records have to be maintained and signed, and so forth. You can recognize these jobs from the postings: "Wanted, scientists for 3rd shift." True of any large factory operation, there's a hierarchy, and you move up the ladder as you gain experience, or job-hop. Above the production line scientists are people like QC scientists, project managers and lab managers. Another friend just moved up to a project manager job. She's a PhD scientist. At some point you're designing new protocols and interacting with clients. Understanding the regulatory system is needed at some level. My relative's boyfriend worked at a different place, taught himself Python, and demonstrated an analysis that saved a bunch of money. I don't know the details. They moved him up to the corporate office and he was able to leave the lab bench behind. Being "at the bench" beyond about age 30 is unusual. I'm one of the few, but not in biotech.

by c0l0 2y ago

analog31 2y ago

There's a bunch of biotech in my locale. What I've noticed is the rapid proliferation of what I call the "biotech sweatshop." These are production labs with hundreds or thousands of workers, performing the manual steps for repetitive biological "protocols." Transferring liquids with pipettes, moving sample plates from one instrument to another, etc. Many of these businesses run protocols on a contract basis. A relative of mine got her undergrad biology degree, and has worked for a succession of these businesses. She changes jobs whenever it offers a small pay bump and guarantees daytime hours. There's a certain amount of mental involvement, because things go wrong, records have to be maintained and signed, and so forth. You can recognize these jobs from the postings: "Wanted, scientists for 3rd shift." True of any large factory operation, there's a hierarchy, and you move up the ladder as you gain experience, or job-hop. Above the production line scientists are people like QC scientists, project managers and lab managers. Another friend just moved up to a project manager job. She's a PhD scientist. At some point you're designing new protocols and interacting with clients. Understanding the regulatory system is needed at some level. My relative's boyfriend worked at a different place, taught himself Python, and demonstrated an analysis that saved a bunch of money. I don't know the details. They moved him up to the corporate office and he was able to leave the lab bench behind. Being "at the bench" beyond about age 30 is unusual. I'm one of the few, but not in biotech.