Here’s this weeks job listing. I encourage you to look at the specialized  job sites listed at the end of the list provided below. Recruiters are telling me there are a lot of jobs posted for which companies want to fill prior to the end of year.

I’ve included the jobs I received since Oct. 19, 2009 through Nov. 8 in the downloadable Word file here. Jobs That Crossed My Desk Through Nov. 8,2009

Much success to you in your search and remember to take care of yourself–eat properly, get regular exercise and network. Remember we are blessed with professional organizations in the Bay Area that care about the life science workforce. See list of upcoming meetings–many are free  or only charge a modest fee to members of the Bio2Device Group.

Audrey

See CBE and QED@QB3 meetings in San Francisco and Berkeley on Thursday, Nov. 5th and Friday, Nov. 6th  added to downloadable list. MeetingLisNov309

Audrey

I find that I’m responding with some of the same basic underlying recommendations to those either interested in transitioning functionally within the industry or moving from outside to inside our industry. I thought perhaps this thinking might be useful to those of you in transition or considering it.

Connection Between Past and Future Career Path and Gaps

I first look for the “connection” between a former career path and anticipated one and then suggest building on it and filling in gaps that need to be overcome for a successful  transition. In considering the content for this blog, I thought about those I’ve coached who came with the energy and desire, intelligence and capability necessary to make a successful transition but needed some additional industry experience, skill training and/or improved presentation of their experience and functional skills. I refer to overcoming these deficiencies as filling “gaps” in one’s background.

If you have had biology, molecular biology, genomics, biomedical engineering or other similar industry related coursework in the last 5 years, you won’t need to take courses in the newer technology. But if your science is older than that you most likely will need to take some courses. You will need to understand the technology and products at some level for positions in all areas of a company. In addition, drug development and/or medical device development courses are needed for those with no knowledge of these processes which serve as the backbone of any life science business. All work revolves around the progress and meeting milestones of the product/technology through development and successful launch. Other gaps will likely occur in understanding the regulatory, legal, reimbursement and payment environment that is so different than in other industries. Specialization in these areas in turn offers potential new career opportunities in our industry not available in others.

In order to overcome these gaps, I often recommend considering the broad variety of courses in the various industry sectors offered at the UCSC Extension in Santa Clara to provide excellent opportunities to rapidly obtain the knowledge and skills as well as “work products” for one’s personal portfolio to show a hiring manager in support of your readiness to hit the ground running (I teach part time at UCSC Ext. so I know their curriculum the best but the UCB Extension where I previously taught and some other specialized programs designed to advance specific skills in the workplace can also fulfill that function. But always be sure to check out credentials of instructors and get some references from former students to ensure you will be getting the applied skill training that you need and want. Working professionals with a preexisting undergrad education don’t necessarily need an advanced degree or even a certificate, but may only need a selection of courses to overcome lack of direct experience in a field. Unless the job requires an MBA, pharmacy, MD, or Ph.D. degree, one can usually obtain sufficient knowledge to do the work of position of interest. Today it isn’t so much about a specific degree you already have, but what you can do with the knowledge you have and your attitude and discipline about continuing to grow your skills and knowledge with some minor adjustments to overcome gaps.

Presentation of Qualifications

One needs to make the connection as to how one’s training and experience will fulfill a need for hiring manager.  What is your “differentiation” that makes you the better candidate for an opening? The resumes from those in high tech often don’t resonate with hiring managers in biotech/bioscience. Be sure you don’t use industry specific jargon from your previous industry which will leave bioscience staff confused. I must admit I was unfamiliar with the semiconductor industry—my first question was what is a semiconductor with reference to scientific or engineering knowledge relevant to our industry. Even the “Dot Comers” with life science undergraduate preparation worried hiring managers because they used terms like “riding the wave” and “paradigm shifting” business models which suggested they wouldn’t be capable of staying the course with companies with long product life cycles of 5-10 years or more. Don’t get me wrong, the life science industry is all about innovation and life-long learning to keep up to date. But it is an industry where there is a high investment in staff learning to work in a highly regulated industry and, therefore, there is rightful concern that potential staff might not make the commitment of their time and talents to the company’s products to justify the investment in them. Hiring managers openly expressed fears that those from outside the industry with more frenetic cycles might get bored after 6 months and be looking for the next opportunity—impatient to ride the next wave.

Also many who did well very quickly right out of school in the dot.com and software industries found it hard to accept that they might need to take a step background in title and/or pay grade to enter a new career path in bioscience. Not everyone has the temperament to work in our industry and one needs to recognize that up front. Marketers in other industries are shocked to learn that a drug company representative can only talk about product claims and benefits supported by scientific and clinical research reviewed and approved by the FDA in labeling that drives the content of promotion. It takes more careful consideration of promotional product positioning, strategy, messaging and tactics to ensure that they conform with industry regulations.  Creativity without this understanding is not useful.
Need to Network

As a first step, I usually suggest the individual start attending local life science industry meetings and network, network to find the sector and function that matches their interests and potential passion but then learn to network on a regular basis to stay “networked”.  It’s critical to talk to folks working in the trenches—the worker bees– to get the inside view of a function and company. These networks of contacts will prove to be important to get your resume in front of a hiring manager but also invaluable after the transition as well.

The Bio2Device Group which meets each week on Tuesday at low or no cost is a great place to go where one can not only hear outstanding expert speakers from diverse sectors and work interests but network with attendees extensively. The membership of over 1,000 includes a broad distribution of professionals with functions in all the sectors of the industry. There are many other excellent professional organizations focused on a specific career listed on my website under resources of which most meet each month with programs of interest and reasonable costs. See my Audrey’s Picks of Life Science Meetings posted on my blog as complimentary service for my students and others–as fulfillment of my personal commitment to help build and maintain a vibrant workforce in the Bay Area. Also check the Bio2DeviceGroup.com list of Bay Area events, BayBio.com’s community calendar, etc. You are fortunate to live in a cluster of activity that will support your career efforts and success.
In summary, I recommend anyone interested in working in life science, network, and attend industry lectures or take some pertinent courses to fill in gaps in background, and develop resumes that position your background to provide solutions to a company’s critical needs.

I’ve provided list of jobs and tips from past three weeks ending in Nov. 1, 2009 in downloadable Word file here Jobs That Crossed My Desk Through Nov. 1,2009

Audrey

For those of you interested in business development of your product/technology/company, specifically, acquiring functional knowledge and skills needed for doing “due diligence” on potential partners or outlicensing or inlicensing deals, learning about the functions necessary for successful dealmaking, partnering and alliance management or developing a business plan for your new startup, I’ve provided some detailed information about my upcoming course Bioscience Business Development: Building Value at UCSC Extension Dec. 3-4, 2009.

This two-day intensive course is a great value to working professionals where our goal is to provide the equivalent of ”5 years of experience” to participants in applied skill knowledge and resources in life science industry business development. Remember the focus is to serve you and working professionals in our industry–across all sectors. This is not a typical  academic, intellectual experience– although you will be intellectually stimulated–our goal is to provide insights that you can’t get through MBA programs that don’t cover the day-to-day challenges in our industry’s jobs and how to overcome them. Unlike the short passive-learning courses with an out-of-town instructor the information of which you may remember only 10 percent, you will have the opportunity to develop a business plan or in depth opportunity assessment to add to your career portfolio with ongoing guidance. And as a result of this project over several months with access to industry databases and other resources, you will better internalize what you learn and be ready to apply it at the workplace.

Topic: “Bioscience Business Development: Building Value” 2-Day Intensive Course

Instructors: Audrey S. Erbes, Ph.D., Principal, Erbes & Associates and www.audreysnetwork.comand and Gilbert R. Mintz, Ph.D., President of GRM Associates

Expert Guest Speakers:

§      Ginger Dreger, J.D., M.S., Goodwin Procter

§         Harold (Hal) Etterman, MBA, Business Strategist

§         Carolyn Feamster, MBA, VP, Business Strategy & Analysis

§         Tom Gutshall, Chairman & Co-Founder of Cepheid

§         Michael G. McCully, M.S., Director, Recombinant Capital

Please see www.ucsc-extension.edu/biobizdev for complete biographies

Date and Time: Thursday and Friday, Dec. 3-4, 2009, 8:30 am – 5 pm

Location: UCSC Extension located at 2505 Augustine Drive, Santa Clara, (easily accessible at intersection of  highway 101 and Great America/Bowers from all over the Bay Area)

Fee: $770; $693 through Nov. 19

Registration: Register online at www.UCSC-extension.edu or call (800) 660-UNE

Topic Description

UCSC Extension in Silicon Valley presents a two-day intensive course that brings the breadth of the Bay Area’s biobusiness development expertise to our Santa Clara state-of-the-art classroom. Whether financing start-up activities, trying to keep pace with the current burn rate, or moving a product into the marketplace, bioscience companies, both large and small, have a critical need for business development at every stage of their evolution. Learn the key roles that business development and licensing play in the commercialization of a new product and the development of a successful bioscience company.
For more information, see www.ucsc-extension.edu/biosciences.

I’d appreciate your posting my upcoming UCSC Extension course in your newsletters and elsewhere. I’ve also provided a downloadable flyer that you could post at your office or forward to others. Professionals in our field need this type of learning experience to “sharpen their skills,” especially in these challenging times for the economy, our industry and local life science companies. Out-of-towners can easily add this course to their business trip to Bay Area as well. 19001-009BiosciBiz12_09wbios

Thank you for your support of these classes.

Audrey

Happy Halloween!

I’ve included the listing of upcoming meetings this week as well as the longer view in this email fyi. I’m hoping you take some time to enjoy the holiday spirit this weekend and get some relaxation prior to the heavy schedule of meetings leading up to the holidays. I’ve included an ecard for you to help get in the mood.

Audrey Erbes (audreyerbes@aol.com) has sent you a Jacquie Lawson electronic greeting card. Please copy the following into the Address or Location bar of your Internet browser. http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=1950404155814&source=jl999

Upcoming events this week include:

• Saturday, Oct. 31st–US-Taiwan Biomedical Engineering Forum’s “Engineering Challenges in Biomedical Applications”
• Mondays, Nov. 2nd through Dec. 14th–UCSC Ext. Course–”Design Control for Product Development” with Tom Shoup, Ph.D.
• Tuesday, Nov. 3rd–Bio2Device Group “7 Steps to a Successfual Life Science Startup” with Naeem Zafar, CEO of 3 Silicon Valley startups and Faculty Member at UC Berkeley Haas Business School
• Thursday, Nov. 5th – LES luncheon and “University Technology Transfer – A Comparison of U.S. and European Approaches” with Teri Willey, Chief Executive of Cambridge Enterprise Limited The commercialisation office of the University of Cambridge Katharine Ku, Director of the Office of Technology Licensing (OTL)Stanford University
• Thursday, Nov. 5th – Triple Ring Technologies evening–”The Early History of MRI” with Waldo Hinshaw, Principal Scientist, Triple Ring Thursday, Nov. 5th – NCC ACRP “Careers in Biotechnology 2009″ and holiday party with Toby Freedman, Ph.D.
• Friday, Nov. 6th – FountainBlue Funding Road Show –”Perfecting your Pitch to Investors” with Bill Joos
• Saturdays, Nov. 7th & 14th – UCSC Ext. Course –”Regulation of Biomedical Products Advertising, Promotion and Labeling” with Joyce Chiarenza
• Saturdays, Nov. 7th, 21st and Dec. 5th – UCSC Ext. Course — “Clinical Project Management” with Liz Wool, BSN, CCRA, CMT
• Saturdays, Nov. 7th, 14th and 21st — UCB Ext. Course –”Career Opportunities in Biotechnology and Drug Discovery” with Toby Freedman, Ph.D., author of Career Opportunities in Biotechnology and Drug Development”

Full downloadable list of events through early Dec. 2009 MeetingListOct3009

Be good to yourself and others–”What goes around comes around.”

Audrey

Now some good news from recruiters about an upturn in job requisitions…even the pumpkins are smiling-quotes from two life science industry recruiters  mention in detail the  change in openings that they are seeing:

• “I’m seeing strong trends in hiring, albeit at the moment more for clinical, regulatory, QA and manufacturing/supply chain positions vs CEO.  But it has to start somewhere.”
• “End of Year Hiring in Medical Device in Full Swing: “Hiring continues to pick up in most segments and we’ve noticed a marked increase in the capital equipment requests recently (imaging, robotics, DME) with a sudden rush to hire several positions before year end. While salaries continue to remain fairly flat, I’ve had clients release positions that had been on “Hold” for several months with a goal of filling spots before year end.”

Here’s the most recent week’s listings and those for past three weeks for you to review in a downloadable Word document.  Jobs That Crossed My Desk Through Oct.25,2009

Hope this news helps to make your day a little brighter…time to get back to work on your search.

Audrey

What’s different about our system today in the U.S. vs. the past delivery of health care services and other systems in Western Europe is that health insurance companies which are major conglomerates and publicly-traded companies expect ever increasing growth in profits each year for their services without delivering any innovation.  Service delivery companies, e.g, water and electric companies, aren’t typically expected to deliver the profit growth currently expected by investors in health care services. As a citizenry, we haven’t minded rewarding those product companies which have taken high investment risk to develop new innovative products in health care with handsome returns. Today companies recognize that there is no reward for developing me-too products–e.g., they risk not receiving FDA approval and payer reimbursement if there’s no improvement vs. available products. For example, almost 75% of drugs prescribed today in the U.S. are for low-priced generics. Why should anyone pay a substantially higher price for a new brand which doesn’t show a major difference vs. the $4 per month generic drug? But the insurance companies aren’t delivering any innovation, in fact, they have become a frightening gatekeeper barring access to important life-saving products for our citizens. Yet they expect to share in similar rewards to that of innovative product companies.

I want to be clear that there is a problem with compensation for top management as well in for-profit health care in general. Europeans and the Japanese can’t understand why a top manager is entitled to such an extremely different compensation for doing their job than lower level staff. Executives of health care delivery/managed care companies have come under scrutiny for excessive payment for their work but this is part of a questionable increasing divide between compensation for the top management and their staff across all industries. Note the great distain shown recently for the banking industry for outrageous pay even in the face of mediocre or poor performance. Innovative product companies are also guilty of this change in compensation under guise of compensation contracts.

For those of us in the life science industry long term, we have also seen unwarranted changes in the multiples in pay and bonuses for C level executives vs. the “worker bee” professionals in innovative product companies. That’s another issue for another day but one that eventually needs to be addressed as costs of health care products come under greater surveillance by lawmakers and the public.

Audrey

New jobs  as well as those collected since Sept. 20th are included in downloadable document Jobs That Crossed My Desk Through Oct.112009

Don’t overlook the upcoming Biotech Bay Career Fair in the Bay Area on Tuesday, Oct. 13th. You’ll need to preregister. See details at end of list under other helps.

Audrey