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What experiments have you done? Western Blots? Tissue Culture? Basically, just put down what techniques you've learnt. It's a brief part of your CV, so keep it short: If the technique is relevant to your potential new job, they will know what it is, so don't go into detail. Here's mine: Technical Expertise: Molecular genetics: Genomic DNA isolation, bisulphite sequencing, PCR, mRNA isolation, qRT-PCR, mRNA expression arrays, cloning, caesium chloride purification, gene overexpression and knockdown, lentiviral transduction Immunology: Western blotting, immunoprecipitation Tissue culture: Mammalian adherent cell culture, SRB growth assays Statistical techniques: Array analysis in R and Excel
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Sep 11, 2012 22:49
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One of my pet peeves from PFE has followed me to my new employer: 100% Statistical Certainty. I just had someone, during a deviation review board meeting, demand that I prove with 100% confidence that not a single vial was contaminated. I had just shown him the results of a study with 95% confidence that less than 1% of vials had this contaminant, which isn't even a quality issue in the first place. (It's an aesthetic issue, and only in Japan at that.) He then got angry at me when I commented on the inevitable 0% yield his approach would require. It's been quite a while since I'd heard some of the phrases he used to describe me! Angry, bitter Irish manufacturing execs are amazing. I think the only thing I liked, bad-math-wise, more than demanding 100% statistical certainty with destructive testing, is when I watched someone try to use the Ideal Gas Law to refute part of a presentation being given by the head engineer of our steam system. Steam: pretty much the least ideal gas in existence.
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Sep 12, 2012 19:59
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Scientastic posted:What experiments have you done? Western Blots? Tissue Culture? Basically, just put down what techniques you've learnt. It's a brief part of your CV, so keep it short: If the technique is relevant to your potential new job, they will know what it is, so don't go into detail. Here's mine:
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Sep 13, 2012 10:37
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Yo Aagar, how are your kids? You have twins right?
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Sep 13, 2012 17:37
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Vladimir Putin posted:Yo Aagar, how are your kids? You have twins right? Don't want to derail with Twin Chat - sent you a PM.
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Sep 13, 2012 20:12
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I had a meeting earlier this week with an upper manager. Might as well be quality head - though I think technically there's one person above him. He more or less runs the place anyway. He started out with an intro chat, welcome the new guy to the company, blah blah. Near the end of the meeting, he wants my input on something. "So, we have a goal here. We've been working on it for many years, and maybe you have some input. How would you make our company more like Pfizer? We'd like to emulate them."  I felt bad, but I actually burst out laughing. "Well, you'll have to fail a lot more Ph3 trials first, and then get rid of this "open and honest" thing you try to do. Pfizer changed a lot since the 90s. Are you sure this is the direction you want to go?" He wants to set up another meeting to find out why I don't think they should emulate Pfizer. I... I am very confused. I'm pretty sure we've made it past the Pony Express days, and even if we had, they'd still have heard of PFE's issues by now. Why would you want to emulate that company? My god.
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Oct 4, 2012 17:36
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Sundae posted:He wants to set up another meeting to find out why I don't think they should emulate Pfizer. I... I am very confused. I'm pretty sure we've made it past the Pony Express days, and even if we had, they'd still have heard of PFE's issues by now. Why would you want to emulate that company? My god. drat, the fact that he's asking for direct input on these issues is pretty awesome though. Maybe the problems you were waist deep in simply weren't that well known or successfully played down outside of the company.
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Oct 4, 2012 18:18
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Sundae posted:Why would you want to emulate that company? My god. Biggest company = best
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Oct 6, 2012 18:24
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I just read an in depth study about what a clusterfuck Exubera was. I laugh at Pfizer and it's management now. The entire industry should be aware of what a laughing stock the management process is.
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Oct 7, 2012 00:25
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For my first "real" job post-grad I start tomorrow as a service engineer for an optical instrument manufacturer and I'm ridiculously excited and nervous 
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Oct 7, 2012 17:20
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majestic12 posted:For my first "real" job post-grad I start tomorrow as a service engineer for an optical instrument manufacturer and I'm ridiculously excited and nervous You'll either love it or hate it (I happen to love it). Congrats!
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Oct 7, 2012 19:20
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majestic12 posted:For my first "real" job post-grad I start tomorrow as a service engineer for an optical instrument manufacturer and I'm ridiculously excited and nervous Congrats! Man, I remember you looking for a job last year when we had just graduated. There's no way I would have lasted this long. I would have been like 'gently caress science' and have gone to teach English abroad.
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Oct 7, 2012 19:48
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majestic12 posted:For my first "real" job post-grad I start tomorrow as a service engineer for an optical instrument manufacturer and I'm ridiculously excited and nervous Let us know how everything goes! A good success like this is inspiring to those still looking for something better. Congrats!
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Oct 7, 2012 20:05
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majestic12 posted:For my first "real" job post-grad I start tomorrow as a service engineer for an optical instrument manufacturer and I'm ridiculously excited and nervous Most of the service engineers I know lead miserable lives. They work out of their houses (which are usually on the lake), have a company car and spending account, and get to visit different places every day. Most lab drones I know are much happier. They come to the same place every day to run the same tests on the same products. Their salary tops out at about 40K, but who cares because SCIENCE. The most exciting my job ever gets is when an outside FSE or instrument qualification employee comes and we beg him to explain stuff cause my company sucks at retaining manuals. The FSEs usually wear nice company provided polos and khakis where we are usually wearing the usual chemist t-shirts and jeans covered in holes from various acids and god knows what else gets spilled from the bench. We will never get raises or bonuses because QC is a loss department than doesn't generate money. Occasionally, they'll take us out to lunch cause they're scouting for new talent. But we usually don't take those because we're chained to the bench and the Quality Supervisor will beat us. TL;DR: You got a good deal. Be happy.
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Oct 7, 2012 22:16
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zilong posted:Congrats! Man, I remember you looking for a job last year when we had just graduated. There's no way I would have lasted this long. I would have been like 'gently caress science' and have gone to teach English abroad. oh really  Yeah it's so weird how this worked out. I went to Pittcon in March and talked to a bunch of reps, including this company because I knew the guy from when he did an install in the lab I worked in before. I interviewed for the exact same position at a different company in May and didn't get it, then in July I got an email from my dude asking if I was still interested. I actually thought I had hosed up the technical interview but I guess they were happy.
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Oct 8, 2012 00:49
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majestic12 posted:For my first "real" job post-grad I start tomorrow as a service engineer for an optical instrument manufacturer and I'm ridiculously excited and nervous Awesome!  Congratulations, dude.
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Oct 8, 2012 03:05
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I'm having some difficulty finding a laboratory assistant job lately. I'm currently working in retail and going to community college in order to transfer for a chemistry degree, but I want to start early and get some experience in my field. I've taken some lab courses already. What's something that would typically look good on a resume? What's the expected pay? Is there any special conduct required for this type of work? Unfortunately with all of the rejection I feel like i'm in over my head for such an entry level position.
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Oct 9, 2012 11:20
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for sale posted:I'm having some difficulty finding a laboratory assistant job lately. I'm currently working in retail and going to community college in order to transfer for a chemistry degree, but I want to start early and get some experience in my field. I've taken some lab courses already. What's something that would typically look good on a resume? What's the expected pay? Is there any special conduct required for this type of work? Unfortunately with all of the rejection I feel like i'm in over my head for such an entry level position. Most of the jobs I've seen require at least a four year degree. What do the rest of you think?
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Oct 10, 2012 03:01
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If you are still in college, work study positions are pretty much the only option you have and they are pretty limited (and in a lot of cases non-existent) in quantity if you are going to a community college. Otherwise if you are looking at academic or industry labs, Solkanar is right. Even your basic lab monkey will still need a 4 year degree.
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Oct 10, 2012 03:54
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Solkanar512 posted:Most of the jobs I've seen require at least a four year degree. What do the rest of you think? I have seen jobs that require less than a 4 year degree, but they tend to be stuff like cleaning mouse cages or autoclaving flasks. Even then an AA is prefered.
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Oct 10, 2012 07:35
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You are receiving this broadcast as a dream...We are transmitting from the year one nine... nine nine ...You are receiving this broadcast in order t
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Solkanar512 posted:Most of the jobs I've seen require at least a four year degree. What do the rest of you think? 4 year degree, if not MS, plus multiple years experience for entry level work. Oh, and training? Nope, better know how to do everyone on day one.
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Oct 10, 2012 20:17
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Okay, maybe i'm shooting too high right now. Thanks for the information, I guess i'll look into serving for the time being
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Oct 10, 2012 21:15
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for sale posted:Okay, maybe i'm shooting too high right now. Thanks for the information, I guess i'll look into serving for the time being Don't be a stranger!
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Oct 11, 2012 04:46
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for sale posted:Okay, maybe i'm shooting too high right now. Thanks for the information, I guess i'll look into serving for the time being One potential backdoor way is to get hired as a line inspector or QA technician weighing finished goods all day then plugging it into a spreadsheet, then buddy up with your bosses nudging them until you can get into the lab. However this process takes more time than it does to get a 4 year degree. We have 2 guys with an associates in the lab right now, they both are working there because they have 6+ years quality monkey experience and one just got totally lucky and just got hired on the spot. To be honest, performance speaking, they kind of suck. They don't understand even the simplest methods. The basic concepts of chemistry (molarity, solubility, intrinsic vs extrinsic properties, various others) are lost on them and I've explained them more times than I can count. More advanced concepts (analytical method validation, uncertainty, chromatography) and I just feel like I'm talking to a brick wall. Don't get me started on training them on HPLC analyses. Just feel like tearing my hair out. You don't want to be those guys. It will not help your career in the way you think it will. If you're going to enroll in a 4 year chemistry program just look for a RA position at your university which mimicks what you want to do in industry. At a decent university you should get one that pays more than waiting tables. If your parents are rich and paying for the degree, consider an unpaid internship in industry if you can even get one. that will be better than any academic experience. You might be able to get a paid internship, but I wouldn't count on it unless you have serious connections.
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Oct 11, 2012 05:03
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Solkanar512 posted:Don't be a stranger! Definitely not, you guys are really helpful and informative. I'm going to look into work study programs or an RA program while I work on a BA in a university. In the man time i'll keep making shots in the dark with lab bitch jobs. Thanks again. for sale fucked around with this message at 08:48 on Oct 11, 2012 |
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Oct 11, 2012 08:42
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When are you transferring? Is it soon? Look for professors at your prospective university with topics that you think are interesting. Contact them and tell them you're going to transfer to suchandsuch school next year and you'd like to volunteer in their lab. University labs feed on the souls of cheap labor and undergrads are the cheapest and therefore most delicious souls. If your university has a medical school attached look for professors doing research under the medical school as well, since they will also accept volunteers.
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Oct 12, 2012 02:03
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If there's anyone interested in instrumentation service an entry level, onsite position has opened up with PerkinElmer in the Boston MA area. Send me a PM and I can provide the relevant information.
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Oct 16, 2012 15:38
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seacat posted:Most of the service engineers I know lead miserable lives. They work out of their houses (which are usually on the lake), have a company car and spending account, and get to visit different places every day. That's me, the guy with all the holes in his work clothes I need a new job
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Oct 19, 2012 07:54
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tofes posted:That's me, the guy with all the holes in his work clothes Look, if you're working quality and you're having a poo poo day, you're doing it wrong. I have three words for you, learn them well: Unscheduled Internal Audit. Did that rear end in a top hat in manufacturing take your parking spot? Unscheduled Internal Audit. How about that jerkoff in Research who threw you under the bus in that big meeting earlier this week? Unscheduled Internal Audit. Trust me, it's fun.
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Oct 19, 2012 15:01
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Solkanar512 posted:Look, if you're working quality and you're having a poo poo day, you're doing it wrong. I have three words for you, learn them well: I work in a small, 5 employees, drinking and waste water lab. The pay is lovely and the hours are lovely and and the benefits are non existant but it was the only thing I could find coming out of college (even then it took over a year). TouchyMcFeely posted:If there's anyone interested in instrumentation service an entry level, onsite position has opened up with PerkinElmer in the Boston MA area. For these kinds of positions are you on call 24/7?
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Oct 20, 2012 20:22
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tofes posted:For these kinds of positions are you on call 24/7? Only in rare occasions at specific places. Generally the on site people run a regular 8-5 at the facility. There may be times where staying late or showing up early is helpful but it isn't mandatory.
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Oct 20, 2012 21:14
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TouchyMcFeely posted:If there's anyone interested in instrumentation service an entry level, onsite position has opened up with PerkinElmer in the Boston MA area.  PE buddy! They are a super sweet company to work for. Do it people, do it!
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Oct 21, 2012 17:57
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To keep the thread alive can anyone comment on the possible max-out rates for a BS Chem lab drone in your specific area? For example, in Fort Worth, TX, drones max out at around 45,000-50,000$ salaried and that may be lower depending who you work for. Microbiologists get paid less. I may very soon become the option of being Quality Lab Supervisor (OOH) and in five years become Quality Manager and eventually Quality Director. From what I see all of that is basically meetings and paperwork and answering e-mails at your desk. The drones get plastic desks, the supervisors/managers get veneers and I think the directors get real oak. What do you top out actually doing tests in the science field (adjusted for location and COL of course?) I'm not mad at all about my pay, just wondering if there's any future in this besides answering phone calls, going to meetings, and doing paperwork. That poo poo makes me want to drink pyridine mixed with metal shavings. But Sallie Mae is a-knockin. Should I adjust my goals?
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Oct 21, 2012 21:15
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PFE in CT paid their B.S scientists $50-60K, typically about $55K. However, they pretty much don't hire less than a M.Eng/M.S anymore, if they're hiring at all. Lilly in Indiana is paying $55K-65K, plus an 8-10% bonus for R&D entry-level chemists, $55-70K + bonus for quality people with a B.S. The vast, vast majority of the people in quality are B.S only, it looks like. They've been on a huge hiring binge lately; probably 75-100 people came in this year? That's a lot for them, apparently. As for where people fall in the spectrum, I couldn't tell you. I try my hardest to stay away from the quality guys since their job is to make my life miserable. As for not doing paperwork, well... I wouldn't know. My current job has literally never had me doing anything scientific away from a desk / meeting. I haven't been in a lab or done anything 'hands on' since I left PFE last year.
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Oct 21, 2012 21:28
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In the SF bay area I don't know the absolute max, but I would guess it is somewhere around 90-100k. I am making the assumption that chemists are paid similarly to biologists. I only have experience in research, I don't know if manufacturing or QC is higher or lower. For a large company I previously worked at, my boss actually showed me the pay range for each position level, and for an entry level BS it was something like 45k-74k, for the mid level BS position (~5-10 years experience) it was like 55-85k, and for a senior position it was like 60-95k or something. Numbers might not be exact, but they are close enough. I am pretty sure this pay scale covered both Chemistry and Biology related positions of the same rank. I imagine the range is less based on negotiating ability and more based on years experience, where if someone had 20 years experience but they ended up a lower level position for whatever reason(previous experience was not super relevant, weaker resume etc), they were closer to the top of the scale. However, not ever company has the same payscale. Many startups and small companies are 20% lower or more, and it seems straight out of college it starts off really low, but the pay rapidly goes up until 5ish years experience. I actually make 266% more than I started out making straight out of college, though to be fair I am pretty sure that place was exceptionally low.
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Oct 22, 2012 04:49
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A BS chem drone at my company makes ~35K for the first year, then ~40K the next year.
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Oct 22, 2012 06:05
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Appachai posted:A BS chem drone at my company makes ~35K for the first year, then ~40K the next year. I think our lab techs make a little more (like in the 40-50K range) base salary, but they can get overtime which can bump up the base salary by another 10K pretty easily, considering how much we hand out. Minimum overtime is 4 hours, so if you're only asked to stay over for an hour, you still get paid for 4. If you manage to get a scientist position as a BS you're in the 50-60K range, but no overtime. I've never heard of a BS chemist being hired (seems is MS minimum), but we hire a decent number of chemical engineers.
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Oct 23, 2012 20:57
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If I worked full time I'd get paid about 34k (not salaried)
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Oct 28, 2012 08:54
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I got a post-doc position! Once visas go through, I will be moving to Florida to move up the academic ladder.
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Oct 31, 2012 12:52
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Should I congratulate you on the post-doc, or offer condolences that you're going to be living in Florida?
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Oct 31, 2012 17:53
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