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Old 09-17-2010, 06:21 PM
 
Location: Seattle, WA
1,523 posts, read 1,859,485 times
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Does anyone work at or know people who work at any biotech company in and around Seattle? How easy is it to get in with a non-biology background and no experience in that sector? My background is in market research and my college degree is in Math/Econ. I also have an MBA from a terrible school.

Saw a biotech company in Fremont located in a kind of desolate building and was curious. I want to work in that kind of environment in the future, even if the job is in finance or math or writing.
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Old 09-17-2010, 10:14 PM
 
Location: US Empire, Pac NW
5,002 posts, read 12,356,425 times
Reputation: 4125
Quote:
Originally Posted by usernametaken View Post
Does anyone work at or know people who work at any biotech company in and around Seattle? How easy is it to get in with a non-biology background and no experience in that sector? My background is in market research and my college degree is in Math/Econ. I also have an MBA from a terrible school.

Saw a biotech company in Fremont located in a kind of desolate building and was curious. I want to work in that kind of environment in the future, even if the job is in finance or math or writing.
Do you have an affinity for math and science ,specifically molecular biology, or nanotechnology? Can you get a 3.8 minimum in those fields? Are you published in those fields? If so, go back to school and ask again when you have a PhD or at the very least a MS with experience.

Considering that all of those jobs are BIOTECH and require people with extensive knowledge in not only math, but biology, nanotech, and drug research, I think it very hard to get into that type of job. Remember these are the people that pioneered gene sequencing and protein strains to test new drugs. very advanced stuff. Only those with PhD or MS plus vast experience need apply.

To be perfectly blunt, you probably could only get a job as a receptionist with your educational background, currently. You couldn't even get the jobs reserved for managers because all their managers are expected to understand how to patent inventions, know the science, and criticize works constructively.
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Old 09-17-2010, 10:34 PM
 
Location: Duvall, WA
1,677 posts, read 6,851,603 times
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10 years ago I got offered a job at Genentech in the Bay Area. The job was for a technical writing position. I don't have a degree, and I have no background in biotech whatsoever. My background is in financial printing. I had almost 10 years of document experience at that point, though.

So, it is possible if you happen to have some sort of experience that they happen to be looking for. It would likely be an entry level position, though.

I turned down the job because I didn't want to work at a company that did animal experimentation. It freaked me out.

V. =)
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Old 09-18-2010, 09:12 AM
 
1,632 posts, read 6,842,175 times
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Biotech companies, particularly after they grow, hire lots of nontechnical types. They have a business to run, after all, and need various kinds of nonscientific skills for that.

But a lot of these types of folks probably lost their duplicative administrative jobs when the likes of ZymoGenetics, Icos, and Immunex were swallowed up by non-Seattle pharmaceutical giants this past decade. At least the labs and the highly technical jobs that come with them are staying here for the most part after the acquisitions.
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Old 10-06-2010, 08:30 PM
 
Location: Seattle, WA
1,523 posts, read 1,859,485 times
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Any recommendations for biotech companies to work for in the Seattle area?
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Old 10-07-2010, 11:40 AM
 
3,117 posts, read 4,584,910 times
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One of the job offers I was extended when I visited for interviews recently was with Dendreon, which is based in Seattle. They make the prostate cancer vaccine. They seemed to have a lot of openings across the board. It seemed like a really cool facility, very nice corporate culture, nice benefits/perks package, etc. They seem to pay on the low end of the scale, though.
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Old 10-21-2010, 05:47 AM
 
20 posts, read 35,510 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by usernametaken View Post
Does anyone work at or know people who work at any biotech company in and around Seattle? How easy is it to get in with a non-biology background and no experience in that sector? My background is in market research and my college degree is in Math/Econ. I also have an MBA from a terrible school.

Saw a biotech company in Fremont located in a kind of desolate building and was curious. I want to work in that kind of environment in the future, even if the job is in finance or math or writing.

My IT professor at UW Bothell is in Biotech field. His name is Alan Leong. You could probably check him out on the school's website.
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