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Are you interested in a BA with a major in biology, but not sure what the possibilities are? Would you like to apply your Environmental Studies Concentration to your career? Looking for a research assistant or lab tech job? Want some time away from academia before graduate school, but still want to work in a biology-related field?
The good news is that you are qualified for many jobs in biological fields with a Bachelor's degree. However, these positions are not frequently advertised in newspaper want-ads or other more traditional avenues. So where do you look? Professional societies, university job postings, non-profit organizations, national laboratories, industry, and other job posting sites are all promising avenues to explore.
Not really sure where to start or just want more information on biological careers? Compiled here are some ideas on how to begin your search.
Professional Societies
Professional societies offer the opportunity to network with professionals in your field. Many have their own web pages with job postings. In addition to posting jobs, professional societies' web pages give information for undergraduates on how to prepare for a career in biology-related fields. Below are some examples; however, this is far from a comprehensive list. Ask your professors which societies they belong to for more ideas.
By becoming a student member of a professional society, you gain all the benefits of membership at a reduced student price (around $15-$20 compared to the $40-$60 regular membership). These benefits include reduced registration costs for attending and presenting at annual society meetings, reduced journal subscription costs, and newsletter subscriptions. Student members gain access to society job listings as well.
The American Society of Microbiology provides links with information about career opportunities, graduate school information, fellowships and grants, student membership and more. However, their job listings are for use by members only.
Ecological Society of America (ESA)
The ESA is a nonprofit organization of scientists founded in 1915 to promote ecological science and public awareness about the importance of ecological science, as well as "ensure the appropriate use of ecological science in environmental decision making by enhancing communication between the ecological community and policy-makers." This web page provides information for undergraduates interested in ecology, advice on what courses to take, internships, graduate school and more. It also lists jobs for people with Bachelor's, Master's, and Ph. D's.
Society for Conservation Biology (SCB)
The SCB is "an international professional organization of over 8000 individuals dedicated to promoting the scientific study of the phenomena that affect the maintenance, loss, and restoration of biological diversity." The site offers job listings for people with Bachelor's, Master's, and Ph. D's, as well as education resources for Conservation Biology and academic programs in Conservation Biology.
University Job Postings
If you are interested in a Laboratory Technician or Research Assistant position, the job postings of the university or college you want to work for are the most promising places to look, though professional societies and industry will advertise these positions as well.
Once you've decided where you might like to work, visit that university's website and look for the Job Opportunities or Employment Opportunities page. If it is not immediately obvious on the university's main page, often the quickest way to locate it is by accessing the site index. In addition to checking the job listings, it is a good idea to research the professors working at the institution and to contact them directly (telephone, email, letter) about the possibility of working with them.
Below are a few examples of job listing sites from universities. Though you may not want to work specifically at one of the listed schools, you can access them to compare job responsibilities and pay scales. While there are a number of Lab Tech and Research Assistant positions advertised, note that these are not the only types of jobs available to graduates at universities.
Iowa State University -- General information about jobs offered at Iowa State. Check department web pages for specific jobs that may interest you.
The University of Iowa Department of Biological Sciences -- This site lists available professional and research positions at the University of Iowa. For questions about job benefits or more information, contact Human Resources.
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities -- On the "Current Job Openings" page look under "Graduate Assistantships." For more options in the biological sciences, see the College of Biological Sciences web page. For more information about benefits, see Human Resources.
The University of California, Berkeley -- has general information about available jobs at the university. For more detail go to "Employment Opportunities" and then "Academic Positions," from which you can access a complete listing of job opportunities.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) -- This is MIT's job search page for "external candidates." This page features search options as well as "fast search"--a list of jobs posted in the last 7 days.
The University of Chicago -- This is the "UChicago Jobs OnLine Employment Site," from which you can search job postings and learn more about working for the university.
Non-Profit Organizations
Many non-profits offer year-long or shorter internships or positions for recent graduates. These can give you great experience using your biology degree in a non-academic setting. Ask professors, alumni, and friends about other possible non-profits you might be interested in working with.
Student Conservation Association -- Offers short to long-term positions with national parks, non-profit organizations, and private preserves for undergraduates and graduates. Some positions carry education awards upon completion to be used for further study or loan repayment.
The Nature Conservancy -- From this site you can browse nature-related careers from all over the country.
Alaska State Parks Volunteer Program -- Paid 6 week, 6 month, or longer volunteer and internship positions in Alaska.
Also note that with a national non-profit, such as The Nature Conservancy or Audubon Society, it is a good idea to contact the specific local chapters you would like to work with to inquire about job opportunities. Positions may be filled locally and therefore never even be listed on the national job databases.
The Nature Conservancy International and State Offices web page links
The Audubon Society State Offices and Local Chapters web page links
National Laboratories
Lawrence Livermore National Lab -- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is a world-renowned research and development center. The mission of the Laboratory is to serve as a national resource of scientific, technical, and engineering capability with a special focus on global security, global ecology and bioscience. LLNL is operated by the University of California under a contract with the US Department of Energy. This site lists job postings by easy-to-search categories and also features job postings that LLNL is especially looking to fill.
Los Alamos National Lab -- Los Alamos Lab, located approximately 35 miles northwest of Santa Fe, occupies 43 square miles of land in Northern New Mexico. Owned by the Department of Energy, Los Alamos has been managed by the University of California since 1943, when the Laboratory was born as part of the Manhattan Project to create the first atomic weapons during World War II. National security remains the central part of Los Alamos' mission, but the lab also offers the opportunity to work on issues related to the environment and infrastructure as well.
Oak Ridge National Lab -- "ORNL is a multiprogram science and technology laboratory managed for the U.S. Department of Energy by UT-Battelle, LLC. Scientists and engineers at ORNL conduct basic and applied research and development to create scientific knowledge and technological solutions that strengthen the nation's leadership in key areas of science; increase the availability of clean, abundant energy; restore and protect the environment; and contribute to national security."
Sandia National Lab -- Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the U.S. Department of Energy.
Brookhaven National Lab -- Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) research facility located in Long Island, New York. Since 1947 BNL has focused on scientific research in physics, medicine, biology, chemistry, and environmental science.
Industry
Industry offers not only research and lab tech positions, but opportunities in sales and marketing as well.
BioCareer Center -- Searchable database of jobs in the biotech industry.
BioMedScientist Jobs.com -- The Scientist and BioMed Central have joined forces to make BioMedScientist Jobs one of the leading international recruitment websites for Life Science and Medical professionals. You can browse jobs by discipline, location, employer, and sector, as well as search for featured employers and explore other career-related links.
Bio Online Career Center -- Browse an extensive database of jobs offered by top companies in the life sciences industries. Job opportunities are in many fields, including research, and for many education levels. Visit the Bio Online Home Page for current information on the life sciences industry.
BiotechFind.com -- A Directory of international links covering the fields of biotechnologies and including a Biotechnology Career Center.
Haystack Group, Inc. -- This is a retained executive search consultancy providing exhaustive executive search and search research services to firms working within four specific industries: Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, and Health Care Information Technology.
National Institutes of Health -- Full-time job opportunities as well as intern and summer positions.
Roche Bioscience -- Roche Bioscience (Palo Alto, California) is a research-based, business-oriented enterprise "dedicated to discovering and developing new medicines that improve the lives of people affected by serious illness."
Other Job Postings
Center for Environmental Citizenship -- Lists a wide variety of environmental jobs and internships, mostly in the non-profit sector.
Environmental Careers Organization -- Lists long term, paid internships for undergraduates and recent graduates (within 6 months).
Lab Support -- Specializes in placing technicians and scientists into laboratories. Part-time jobs are also available.
The Job Seeker -- This site will list current environmental postings at no cost to you. Most jobs require only a Bachelor's; some are for higher education levels. A subscription to a longer listing is available through the site as well.
Nature -- Nature Magazine's searchable database for all types of science jobs around the world for all education levels.
National Science Foundation -- Subscribe to their Custom News Service which will enable you to obtain electronic copies of their vacancy announcements.
Sciencejobs.com -- Free site for job seekers listing industry, academic, and government bioscience and chemistry employment opportunities from the scientific publishers Cell, ChemWeb.com, BioMedNet, and New Scientist.
Looking for other environmental opportunities? Check out the CDO's Environmental Jobs page.
What else do biologists do? Want more information about what kinds of jobs are out there for biologists? Here are some good places to start gaining more information.
- Talk to your professors -- after all they have careers in biology!
- Talk to alumni who work in biological fields. It may be especially helpful to talk to alumni who do not have careers in academia. They can give you an idea of what biologists do outside of academics. A Career Counselor in the CDO can help put you in touch with alumni.
- Talk to a Career Counselor. They can help you focus your career and job searching goals as well as give you ideas on where to look and who to talk to about the type of job you want.
- The CDO library has numerous resources to help you explore careers in biology. Check out the sections in the library marked "Careers in Health Professions," "Careers in Science," and/or "Environmental Careers." They contain resources such as Nontraditional Careers in Science, Job Opportunities in Health and Science, 100 Jobs in the Environment, Alternative Careers in Science, and Jump Start Your Career in Bioscience.
In addition to print resources, you may want to investigate professional societies' web pages or these other web-resources:
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