10 Mistakes to Avoid When Searching for a Biotechnology Job

1. Not Knowing Yourself. The biggest mistake you can make is to not know who you are and what you want in a job. You need to realistically evaluate your skills, your qualifications, your character qualities, your goals and your desires. You need to be able to pick a job that is a good fit for you, and to communicate to a hiring manager why you are a good fit for it. That requires self-knowledge.
   
   


2. Not Knowing the Industry or the Company. You may have skills and knowledge in biotechnology, but you also need to understand where the industry is going and what areas of new biotechnology applications are being developed. You have to be able to look into the future of the industry a little bit. It’s even more important to know about the company. You need to know what their mission is, and convince a hiring manager how you can contribute to that mission. You need to know the name of the hiring manager so that you can address your cover letter to that person. This kind of knowledge makes you stand out.
   
   


3. Looking for a Job, not a Career. Granted, sometimes you have to take any job you can get. Most of the time, however, you need to find the right job, so that you and the employer can stick together for a while. You need to look for a company and a position that is a good fit for you, and that you can make a career of.
   
   


4. Being Passive. Finding any job is hard work, and you cannot be passive about it. No one else is going to find the job for you.
   
   


5. Not Having a Professional Resume, Portfolio or Web Site. Whatever documents are best for presenting yourself to a biotechnology hiring manager, they must be professional looking and they must make you look professional.
   
   


6. Not Preparing for Interviews. Interviews are your chance to sell yourself to someone with the authority to hire you. Coming to an interview poorly prepared is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. Prepare yourself with information about the company and the job. Know what questions you want to ask. Practice interviewing with a friend who will critique you.
   
   


7. Not Being Honest. Inflated resumes and untrue answers to interview questions will ruin your chances of getting hired. Most companies do check references, and many do check facts.
   
   


8. Having a Bad Attitude. Your attitude needs to be confident, but not arrogant. The employer doesn’t owe you a job, and you are not the only applicant he has.
   
   


9. Not Following Up. Few people follow up after an inquiry or an interview, and that’s a mistake. A thank you note after an interview and a follow up phone call a couple of weeks later to ask where they are in their hiring process are good manners. Good manners make you stand out, and improve your chances of finding a biotechnology job.
   
   


10. Being annoying. Once again, good manners. Calling in two weeks is appropriate. Calling every day is annoying and disrespectful of the manager’s time.