Entry-level Positions for Aspiring Associate Scientists EMD Serono
Seeking entry-level pharmaceutical positions after undergraduate study requires targeting specific job titles like "research associate," "research technician," or "associate scientist," rather than aiming for more senior "scientist" roles. The interviewee stresses the importance of identifying the specific scientific area of interest—such as medicinal, analytical, or computational chemistry—and researching the day-to-day realities of such positions by networking with professionals on LinkedIn or within university communities to avoid applying for jobs "just to be in a lab."
Entry-Level Jobs, Networking, Career Exploration, Job Search Strategies, Research Associate Positions
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Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
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Traits
Matthew Bleich
Associate Scientist
EMD Serono
Hamilton College 2018
UCLA Anderson Full-Time MBA
Humanities, Chemistry, Philosophy
Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical
Research and Development (R&D)
Took Out Loans
Video Highlights
1. Look for entry-level job titles such as "research associate," "research technician," or "associate scientist." These titles typically represent entry-level positions in the pharmaceutical industry.
2. Don't just apply to any lab job; find a role that aligns with your scientific interests (e.g., medicinal chemistry, analytical chemistry, computational chemistry).
3. Network with professionals on LinkedIn or within your university community to learn about the day-to-day realities of different roles and find a position that suits your interests and goals.
Transcript
What entry-level positions are there in this field that an undergraduate college student might consider?
That's a great question because no one told me the answer to it. I was originally searching for the wrong kind of jobs, like straight-out-of-undergrad positions in pharma.
You should really be looking for research associate, research technician, or associate scientist jobs. Those generally cover what companies are looking for when they talk about entry-level roles.
Moving on to a scientist position, that's usually for someone with a fresh PhD or five to 10 years of experience. So, you really want to look for those specific job titles.
You should also be looking for jobs that you actually want to do. You shouldn't apply for a job just to be in a lab; you don't want to do a full college degree and then just be a glass washer. You want to be someone on a research team.
Understand that there are different types of roles. Even though there might be 20 associate scientist openings at a company, each one is doing something different. Understand what type of science you want to do.
In my case, I wanted to do medicinal chemistry. But if you are more analytically minded, you might consider analytical chemistry, or even computational chemistry.
There are many positions you may not know about, so the best way to really understand what people do day-to-day is to ask people with those titles. Look on LinkedIn or within your university's community and find people who have worked in similar positions to understand what their day-to-day looks like.
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