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Research in Industry

Conduct scientific research or lead a research program in an industrial laboratory

Access resources in the "Read About Careers" section of myIDP, including curated articles, lists of professional societies, etc.

Look for the corresponding myIDP category: Research in Industry

Build your knowledge of the industry sector and industry lingo by reading books and articles, and attending workshops and seminars featuring industry scientists (e.g. cBCD events, MassTERi eClub).
Follow trade magazines and e-newsletters (e.g. Endpoints News, MassBio news page, Boston Business Journal Biotech News, BioSpace news subscriptions and career resources, BioWorld, Biotechnology Industry Organization, etc.) to get a better sense of current industry news and trends.
Start to learn industry terminology and acronyms
Read within your scientific field and broadly. Make connections between your research and other areas.
Get additional advice on how you can prepare for this career from scientists who have recently transitioned into a new role, as well as from those who have made hiring decisions.

Attend scientific conferences. Large conferences tend to attract industry scientists; seek out their talks and posters and/or attend industry networking/social events and vendor fairs at the meeting.
Attend events with local industry scientists, such as those hosted by organizations like Biotech Tuesday, MassBio, MASS AWIS, WEST, M2D2, etc.
- Apply for Stay in MA funding to attend events of technology and business organizations in the region to further your professional development
Ask your research advisor and colleagues if they can connect you with someone they know in industry.
Attend a company site visit organized by the Industry Exploration (IndEx) program at UMass Chan.
Create a LinkedIn profile and use it strategically to expand your network.

Use these tips to create an effective profile that will attract the attention of recruiters.
Join the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences LinkedIn group and search for alumni connections by job titles, locations, and other keywords.
Once you've built your primary connections, search secondary connections for interesting new contacts.

Demonstrate success in your research; e.g. apply for a predoctoral or postdoctoral fellowship, attend and present your work at national conferences, etc.
Consider how you can build a record of working on projects in collaborative, cross-functional teams within your current research experience.
Take a leadership role by supervising others in the lab. Mentor a student in your research group, applying best practices in leadership and management (see HHMI leadership resources and the leadership skills section of our library collection).
Hone your presentation skills. Industry leaders value scientists who can quickly learn about a new research area, identify next strategic steps in that field, and pitch this in a brief oral presentation.

Use your network to find out about local shadowing or internship opportunities.
Search for in-depth training opportunities offered through research institutes and professional societies, such as the Keck Graduate Institute Summer Intensive Program in bioscience management for advanced graduate students & postdocs.

Check out job search tips for research positions in industry.
All transitions (even those that are positive, desired, and successful) involve some amount of stress. This article on "Understanding the Impact of Change" from the NIH OITE blog offers a practical approach for considering an upcoming transition and doing a brief self-assessment to navigate change effectively.

Have a suggestion? Know of a great local opportunity? Let us know.