Thank you for this very detailed and informative video. I start as a microbiology technician tomorrow and it pleased me to know you started off in that position and made it all the way up to a microbiologist, which is my dream career! Way to go!
Good luck I hope you enjoy it! I actually left that company as a microbiologist II after about 2 1/2 years. I'm currently an associate scientist QC Microbiology for a cell therapy pharmaceutical company. It's a fancy title, but the titles would be tech > associate scientist > scientist > senior scientist. Essentially the same kind of work at a much higher standard. Lots of opportunities out there with the experience you'll get!
Don't worry too much! No matter where or what level you start they must train you from the beginning. You will start by reading SOPs (standard operating procedures), test methods, and other facility documents. It is not until you have signed off on those and have been authorized by your supervisor after hands on training will you be expected to work independently. I'm actually starting a new job as a Micro II at a pharmaceutical company in a few weeks and the process will be the same! There's lots to learn, I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you for sharing your experience 😊. I recently got an offer for a Microbiology lab assistant job at the hospital and was not sure what to expect 🤔 . I was very fortunate to get this offer considering I only have a phlebotomy certificate. I'm still on the fence, to be honest though since I also got an offer for an Ortho Trauma Assistant.
From what I've learned, in a hospital you would be testing samples for patients such as from wounds. I'm not exactly sure what the process is, but you would use selective agar to grow the sample and you would be able to tell if it was staphylococcus areus if it grew on your MSA plate or E coli if it grew on your MACA plate. Then you would report back to the doctors. You may be in charge of growth promoting the media that comes in to release for use within the lab. I can't offer any insight into the Ortho role, but congrats on earning these opportunities! If I were to do it all again with a career path in mind. I would probably do a medical lab technician. I currently work at a gene and cell therapy company, a big step up from where I use to work :) Good luck, hope you are successful!
I’m a junior in college and love microbiology! I really want to work in a lab after graduation but have no idea how to get experience in a field that always requires experience to even work in it at an entry level. Any recommendations of what I should do?
First figure out what kind of microbiology you want to do. Do you want to do research and development, Quality assurance/Quality control, environmental monitoring, working outdoors or inside a lab. This will help you see where to get experience. Second try to get involved with as much research opportunities as possible while you're in college. You want to show you have experience doing basic micro techniques such as, media preparation, plate streaking, plate counting, gram staining, field sampling, and creating cultures outside of your degree academics. You can also do tutoring or become a teachers assistant in labs/science classes to illustrate your interest. Third after college decide if you want to get a masters or get a job. If you're trying to get into academics or research and development you may need to pursue higher education first. Those fields require a deeper understanding of the science rather than just walking through the procedure of your occupation. If you want to get a job look into lab technician roles or Microbiologist I roles. If you are unable to do so get a job in the field you desire. For example if you wanted to do QC micro (what I do) try to get a QA/QC role in production facility even if it is QC/QA on the production floor. I have a coworker that started out organizing samples and pulling them from production for the chemistry and micro lab. Eventually they were recommended to apply to the micro lab. During the transition they were learning how to use LIMs (Laboratory Information Management System) the facility was using. So they already had a working knowledge using this software to create samples, now they would use it to test samples. Consider looking for jobs that monitor the environment as well. There are organizations government or private that will monitor bodies of water, air, and more. Fourth if you still aren't in your desired field, just keep working and do your best in your current job. I graduated from college and did not get a lab job for 3 years. I didn't have any research experience or anything else aside from my biology degree. I worked in LEGO retail at the end of high school and throughout college for a total of 8 years. I finally got a lab tech role during my last year at LEGO. This was only because I was working hard trying to become a store manager and to do that I worked on metric based store performance data analysis. I saw an opportunity where my store could improve, but the company offered no solutions at the time. I created my own data collection and analysis that improved my stores performance in a way that was measurable. It was because of my accomplishments working retail was my resume considered even though I lacked significant science experience outside of college. I have another video talking about how I got out of my "dead end job" if you'd like to hear that story. I am really fortunate to love my current job and I am currently a Microbiologist II. Not all micro jobs are as enjoyable. Micro jobs in big pharma are super strict and have tight regulations not to mention the need to work in a highly sterilized environment! Anyways good luck! We have hired people straight out of college as lab techs and Micro 1s, I even got my friend a tech job even though he had an archeology degree lol!
Depending what the focus is it could be very different! I work in a contract manufacturing company and I do micro for quality control. You could be in chemistry, R&D, clinical, or hospital. Overall though a lab tech is expected to do the daily tasks that keep the lab running. Inventory, reagent/media prep, instrument cleaning, sample collection, data consolidation and general lab cleaning and maintenance. Hope you have a great experience!
Hello! I enjoyed this video a lot, very informative. One question: About how long can you expect to be a lab tech, before moving up to the next level (in your case it was the microbiologist 1)?
It really depends on the opportunities available. My department coincidentally had a high turn over that year, people 2+ years started moving on to different opportunities. I was promoted to micro ii within 2 years. 6 months as a tech, 8 months as micro 1, and currently a micro 2, expected to be micro 3 by the end of this year. I am in contract manufacturing company so you're exposed to a lot and get a lot of experience handling many things in the lab. If you work for name brand such as Pfizer, or Johnson n Johnson. The qualifications are much higher, but you specialize in a small range of work. What I'm saying is in a more structured name brand company expect slower movement but higher pay and harder to get into. In contract manufacturing expect more work, more range of work, but lots of opportunities to learn and move up/move on to other things. Hope this helps!
Hi! I really like your video. I am gonna have an interview for Microbiology Lab Technician next week. Do you have some tips/ advice for the interview? Thanks a lots
Do you mind telling me what company or industry the position is for? I might be able to give better advice if I know. Knowledge wise, know gram staining, gram negative vs positive, 4 quadrant plate streaking, basics of organism description (circular, raised, glossy etc.), media preparation, aceptic technique, lab equipment that you're familiar with operating, good documentation practices. You don't have to have experience doing all of these things, but at least have knowledge of the techniques and processes. Do you have any objective accomplishments related to the field. Perhaps a study you were a part of, research you conducted or contributed to. If not do you have accomplishments in a professional setting that shows problem solving, data analysis, leadership, ambition? I got my job because of metric based data analysis I was doing at my retail job that I did on my own. I barely had microbiology knowledge and I said that in the interview haha. Other than that it's generic interview tips. I suggest trying to remember times in college or work where you showed ambition, leadership, and achievement. You'll find that many of the questions they ask to gauge your personality can be substantially answered from just remembering how you conducted your self in a group project. My best advice is to tell a 'story' when you answer a question. If they ask "what's your greatest fear" walk them through your greatest accomplishment. Tell them what you were afraid of failing at on your road to that accomplishment, but were able to overcome. Before you know it you have given examples of problem solving, leadership, collaboration, and more! You have to realize that your interviewers will not ask the right questions. Don't be afraid to take control of the conversation. There are aspects of yourself that you're proud of and want to share it with the interviewer, but you won't be able to if you're just simply answering their questions directly. So answer their questions with life experience, not just with "yes or no" or a single sentence. At every opportunity share as much of yourself as possible that makes you a standout candidate. Anyways good luck! If you have any more info I'll try to add more.
It is skincare, cosmetics industry. I am interested in working as QA for food industry as well. I had an interview before for QA position, but I failed. It would be nice if you can give me some advice for both industry. Thanks
Awesome I work QC micro. If you understand the purpose the better you'll be able to highlight relevant strengths. The goal of QA/QC is to protect the consumer. One of the most important things is to fall within FDA guidelines and we try to adhere as closely to USP (United States Pharmacopoeia) basically it is testing standards that all related industries follow. With that in mind, what kind of candidates/employees do they need? In order for the FDA to trust the company that they are following regulations they do audits and documentation is crucial. To be successful your company has developed work instructions, standard operating procedures, and test methods that are in line with these regulations. They need people that can read, understand, and execute these documents as precisely as possible. The only way the FDA can trust is if these documents are followed AND it is documented that you followed them. GDP (good documentation practices) are crucial. If it's not documented it didn't happen. Thus attention to detail, integrity, knowledge, and adherence are just some qualities that you need. Hope this helps, let me know if there's anything else!
Hi I'm currently in yr 12 and want to make drugs and vaccines in a lab and test virus properties. What should I do should I do virology or pharmacology and would I need to become a lab tech first. I'm so confused and have my yr 12 careers interview tmr to pick my uni courses
Either degree will be great for entry level lab jobs. There are many different jobs related to the production of drugs and vaccines. Quality Control would be the easiest to get into as it is generally the same no matter what is being produced. Your job is to test the raw materials, the finished goods, and monitor the production environment to ensure the consumers safety. Manufacturing is another. Depending on the product/drug it may need more or less hands on attention. Generic drugs are machine manufactured with minimal human interaction. Where as other drugs are formulated by hand and would require more lab handling asceptic experience rather than machine control experience. Research and development is where you would help create new drugs and test the effectiveness of the drugs. The beginning levels simply repeat tests and report results to the lead scientists that establish the testing. Higher levels may come up with new formulations, test on animals, or conduct clinical trials. Quality control and manufacturing are relatively easier to get into. Research and development you will need to have a focus and in many cases requires a masters. So your bachelor's will get you into the field, pick which concentration interests you the most and it might guide you towards your masters choice. If not you can still get into quality or manufacturing to get experience and maybe find a focus from there.
Nothing too specialized, just basic understanding on how to organize and manipulate large data sets for your needs. In more established companies you will have a set template you just need to copy and paste. For an example of a scenario. Imagine you have 1000+ rows of data with columns titled date, test, and result. You will maybe asked to manipulate the data so it shows only data for September for test "A", find the average result, the standard deviation, and create a line graph trend to illustrate the data. If you can figure out how to do that, you have enough basic knowledge to learn how to get constructive results from a variety of scenario data sets. Honestly I learned it all from googling ways to obtain the result i wanted like ,"how to highlight all cells containg abc" or "how to extract text from 2 cells and combine it into one." Other tips and tricks I learned from asking my peers. When you're working don't be afraid to say you don't know something. A good working environment will help you learn the necessary skills. Also if you're just a lab tech you may never need to do data manipulation, but if you want to get ahead, get promoted and get more responsibility. You need to be ready to take on a side project or volunteer to do new things that are greater than your current role. I started as a lab tech, I am currently a QC microbiologist II with far more responsibilities and influence in the lab than I would have if I just stuck to doing lab tech activities.
$45k a year for this is not worth it, especially after getting a degree in Microbiology. I love that my degree is in microbiology but I have found other entry level jobs that don’t require degrees that pay better. Still, I don’t regret studying microbiology in college.
Unfortunately I didn't make the most of my college years and I was stuck doing retail for about 8 years. This was my first job in the field and I loved it and was incredibly grateful for opportunity after getting nothing else. The average is around 60k and lower and they're still relatively difficult to get into without a masters or being a good interviewee with research experience. I left that company as a QC microbiologist II around 60k and a lot of experience. It was a small company so I learned how to do validations for methods and production processes, various audits from contracts and the FDA, how to do remediation following audit observations and how to lead a group of 10. It also allowed me to collaborate with almost every department and interact with various levels of the company. All this under 3 years experience. I currently work at a cell therapy company for cancer treatment as a micro QC associate scientist making nearly double. I do significantly less work, but each thing I do has emphasized importance. Definitely wouldn't have gotten this job without prior experience. There are a few hires straight out of college and there is a visible learning curve for them getting thrown into such a large company right away. Practices that I thought were common sense were foreign to them. A lot of what we do is learned on the job. I don't think there are courses that would specifically prepare you for a quality field job, at least not mainstream paths. A lot of the other new hires had similar experiences as me. Working at small companies, some as contractors, putting in a lot of hard work for less than stellar compensation. Kind of a right of passage lol. I have co workers from my previous job that went to terumo, Sanofi, sofie, and pfizer after about 2 years. Anyways if you're able to land a great job at the start that's awesome. At the time I dreamed about a 45k salary. Don't neglect the potential development you can have at entry levels at smaller companies or even coming from a bigger company as a leader to a smaller one.
Hi, I'm currently doing my bsc in zoology. I would love to work in a lab someday but unfortunately, due to the pandemic I am unable to get anylab experience. Can you please suggest some post diploma courses I can do to increase my chances of employment in this field? (Any other tips are welcome as well, thank you!)
What kind of lab do you want to work in? If it's a med lab, like the ones that process blood samples or covid tests. There are specific certifications you need to work in a hospital lab and such, look into those. If you want to get into contract manufacturing, biopharamcutical or any kind of quality control read the United States Pharmacopia (USP). It is a collection of standards that includes microbiology testing and chemistry tests. The FDA is the body that enforces the standards within the USP. Read or get a brief summary of USP chapters 60, 61, 62 (identification and enumeration of organisms), 71 sterility tests, 1111 acceptance criteria, 1113 identification, 1115, 1117 lab best practices,1231 pharama use of water. If you really want to impress a hiring manager drop some of these chapters and explain briefly your knowledge about it. They will not expect an entry level candidate to even know what the USP is. Another step up is know USP 1223, validation of alternative methods, and 1227 validation of microbial recovery. Validation is the next step up from just performing tests. It's the process of proving your test method that is formed inline with the USP methods is adequate. This kind of study is what auditors will ask for. You can purchase access to these from USP-NF, but you can try finding free versions online that are older editions. Just type in USP60 into RUclips you'll get some videos. USP 60 just came out in 2019 and it's a big issue in the pharma industry. Good luck! Hope this helps.
So do you want to work in a lab? Do you want to do research, environmental monitoring, or QA (quality assurance, what I do) After answering those question you'll be able to figure out what kind of jobs to look for. Generally with your degree jobs you would be able to apply for would be, research, lab tech, and QA. Your degree gives you opportunities in entry level positions like an associate researcher, research assistant, or lab tech. Keep in mind that even if you get in, career progression relies heavily on higher education. I was promoted several times already, but that was due to necessity and performance. If I wanted to move to a new job I would need at least 5+ years of experience to attain an equivalent position or higher position elsewhere. I've received a resume of a candidate that was highly experienced having 10+ experience in their previous job (getting paid very well). We could only offer them a mid tier position because their degree was in sociology and not science. After achieving at least a bachelors in your desired field you'll have to decide if you want to go into management or higher educated position. For example in research you'll need a masters in your field to have the knowledge to make necessary decisions. In QA (what I'm familiar with), you can manage parts of the department with a basic knowledge of the science with heavier emphasis on supervising and management of a team. I'm at the position now where I am assisting in the supervision of the my micro lab. One of my weaknesses is the lack of microbiology knowledge to make crucial decisions and changes necessary. I understand our procedures and tests, but the next step for me is to understand the underlying science and initiate appropriate improvements/changes to our tests and procedures. Little bit of rant, but hopefully it gives you a perspective of entry level positions and what career progression looks like.
Hello! I also do not have any research experience in undergrad and already graduated with a bachelors in Biology. How did you go about getting research experience to be able to get the initial interviews?
So I was in the same position and didn't get an interview for 3 years (but I also didn't try that hard). Watch my video about "dead end job to career" if you want to hear that story. ruclips.net/video/TdszmRnvjxE/видео.html The best thing for you to do is apply to every entry level lab job. Actually put work into each application and learn about the company you're applying for. Do your best to tailor your resume to the job description. It will be discouraging when you don't get replies, but keep trying! There's always a chance if you try. Apply directly to company websites , avoid 3rd party like indeed when possible. Applying directly improves the chances your resume will actually be viewed rather than filtered. While doing this I suggest you at least get a part time job in anything. If it's related that's awesome, like a lab assistant at a college or science professors assistant. If not any job is fine like retail, cashier, food service etc. The idea is to get some kind of work experience. I like to say working in a service related industry like retail really builds character and allows you to experience many of the obstacles you will face in any job. That experience will help you confidentially answer general questions in interviews. It's also not enough to have that job. You must do your best. Aim for the next level and become a supervisor or senior level employee. You also should think outside the box and work on projects that make objective change at your company. Any recordable achievements you can put on your resume and make you appealing to recruiters. That's what I did at LEGO retail and was likely the only reason I ever got my resume considered. I know it's hard, I was there. I worked retail for 8 years, 3 years of it after college. Put in the work even at a service job and you will get results. Don't give up, keep applying, and don't be afraid to go above and beyond. I recently got promoted to microbiologist II and I've been with the company for about 1 year and 3 months. Good luck!
@@LooseArrowBoy Thank you so much for your advice! I tried emailing my undergrad professors about lab positions but unfortunately due to COVID they aren't looking into having new people come in. I am currently attending pharmacy school but I am extremely unhappy and I've realized its not the path for me. That being said, I don't want to drop out yet without having my foot in another career yet. I am currently also working as a pharmacy technician but only for 4 hours a week due to me attending pharmacy school. I don't know what do do because I want to leave pharmacy school ASAP to avoid paying more in tuition but I am finding it difficult to enter the microbiology field. When you say to tailor my resume what do you mean? I have included how I am detail oriented, flexible, and can work as part of a team in my skills but otherwise all I have experience in is pharm tech and a fast food job I had before. Also I applied for so many jobs already through third party websites do you think it would be bad if I went to the company websites and applied on there too as well?
@@ilietomyheart nope I would definitely apply to both third party and directly to their website. I don't see any harm in that. When I say tailor your resume, you can look up a companies "mission" "goals" "values". This will give you a general idea of what the companies priorities are and the kind of people they're looking for. The jobs you apply for might fall underneath the umbrella of a microbiologist or lab job, but the purpose can be very different. An environmental scientist is different from a QA microbiologist. Similar type of work, but emphasis on different things. For example an environmental scientist should show interest in going out side and gathering samples. A QA microbiologist should show appititude in reviewing paper work and paying close attention to detail in order to protect consumers. It's things like that you can alter your resume to make it more appealing. In resumes some people like to highlight specific attributes or achievements, you can decide what is best for each position you apply for.
@@LooseArrowBoy Thank you so much for all your help!! You're so kind! One last question sorry! Would you suggest contacting the labs directly to alert them you submitted an application online? I know for retail jobs its something people suggest but I am nervous about doing that with labs in case they're busy or I wouldn't know who exactly is in charge of their hiring department.
@@ilietomyheart yeah it really depends on the size of the lab. In retail, especially smaller stores, the manager is in charge of the entire hiring process. In my company we have a separate HR department that first filters the resumes and then hands them to my manager. My manager then looks through them and selects about 5. Then HR contacts the applicant. I would say it wouldn't hurt you, but it will rarely help you. You will find the general number for the company, but you will have to ask around and be diverted several times before you find the HR person in charge of that position. Even at that point they may entertain your call, but will likely just say "we will contact you if you're the right fit"
Thank you for this very detailed and informative video. I start as a microbiology technician tomorrow and it pleased me to know you started off in that position and made it all the way up to a microbiologist, which is my dream career! Way to go!
Good luck I hope you enjoy it!
I actually left that company as a microbiologist II after about 2 1/2 years.
I'm currently an associate scientist QC Microbiology for a cell therapy pharmaceutical company. It's a fancy title, but the titles would be tech > associate scientist > scientist > senior scientist.
Essentially the same kind of work at a much higher standard.
Lots of opportunities out there with the experience you'll get!
🥰🥰 I've been working as a lab technician for 2wks and love it.
Thank you so much for this video! I'm currently trying to expand my role in Lab Technicians
I really liked this video, it’s so informative, I start in a couple of days and I was nervous. Your video made me feel better 🙌🏼😊
Don't worry too much!
No matter where or what level you start they must train you from the beginning. You will start by reading SOPs (standard operating procedures), test methods, and other facility documents. It is not until you have signed off on those and have been authorized by your supervisor after hands on training will you be expected to work independently.
I'm actually starting a new job as a Micro II at a pharmaceutical company in a few weeks and the process will be the same!
There's lots to learn, I hope you enjoy it!
@@LooseArrowBoy okay, I see what you are saying. Good luck on your first day ☺️
Thank you for this video, super helpful.
I had done my masters in Microbiology. I have no experience. I want become a microbiologist. What can I do?
really good video!
I just landed a job as micro lab tech. I just got lucky is all.
great video, can't wait to see what's next!
Thank you for sharing your experience 😊.
I recently got an offer for a Microbiology lab assistant job at the hospital and was not sure what to expect 🤔 . I was very fortunate to get this offer considering I only have a phlebotomy certificate. I'm still on the fence, to be honest though since I also got an offer for an Ortho Trauma Assistant.
From what I've learned, in a hospital you would be testing samples for patients such as from wounds.
I'm not exactly sure what the process is, but you would use selective agar to grow the sample and you would be able to tell if it was staphylococcus areus if it grew on your MSA plate or E coli if it grew on your MACA plate. Then you would report back to the doctors.
You may be in charge of growth promoting the media that comes in to release for use within the lab.
I can't offer any insight into the Ortho role, but congrats on earning these opportunities!
If I were to do it all again with a career path in mind. I would probably do a medical lab technician.
I currently work at a gene and cell therapy company, a big step up from where I use to work :)
Good luck, hope you are successful!
Good video, I learned a lot!
Call me up if you want to make media 😉
I’m a junior in college and love microbiology! I really want to work in a lab after graduation but have no idea how to get experience in a field that always requires experience to even work in it at an entry level. Any recommendations of what I should do?
First figure out what kind of microbiology you want to do. Do you want to do research and development, Quality assurance/Quality control, environmental monitoring, working outdoors or inside a lab. This will help you see where to get experience.
Second try to get involved with as much research opportunities as possible while you're in college. You want to show you have experience doing basic micro techniques such as, media preparation, plate streaking, plate counting, gram staining, field sampling, and creating cultures outside of your degree academics. You can also do tutoring or become a teachers assistant in labs/science classes to illustrate your interest.
Third after college decide if you want to get a masters or get a job. If you're trying to get into academics or research and development you may need to pursue higher education first. Those fields require a deeper understanding of the science rather than just walking through the procedure of your occupation. If you want to get a job look into lab technician roles or Microbiologist I roles. If you are unable to do so get a job in the field you desire. For example if you wanted to do QC micro (what I do) try to get a QA/QC role in production facility even if it is QC/QA on the production floor. I have a coworker that started out organizing samples and pulling them from production for the chemistry and micro lab. Eventually they were recommended to apply to the micro lab. During the transition they were learning how to use LIMs (Laboratory Information Management System) the facility was using. So they already had a working knowledge using this software to create samples, now they would use it to test samples. Consider looking for jobs that monitor the environment as well. There are organizations government or private that will monitor bodies of water, air, and more.
Fourth if you still aren't in your desired field, just keep working and do your best in your current job. I graduated from college and did not get a lab job for 3 years. I didn't have any research experience or anything else aside from my biology degree. I worked in LEGO retail at the end of high school and throughout college for a total of 8 years. I finally got a lab tech role during my last year at LEGO. This was only because I was working hard trying to become a store manager and to do that I worked on metric based store performance data analysis. I saw an opportunity where my store could improve, but the company offered no solutions at the time. I created my own data collection and analysis that improved my stores performance in a way that was measurable. It was because of my accomplishments working retail was my resume considered even though I lacked significant science experience outside of college. I have another video talking about how I got out of my "dead end job" if you'd like to hear that story.
I am really fortunate to love my current job and I am currently a Microbiologist II. Not all micro jobs are as enjoyable. Micro jobs in big pharma are super strict and have tight regulations not to mention the need to work in a highly sterilized environment! Anyways good luck! We have hired people straight out of college as lab techs and Micro 1s, I even got my friend a tech job even though he had an archeology degree lol!
Just landed a micro lab tech job and trying to get an idea of things before my first day :)
Depending what the focus is it could be very different!
I work in a contract manufacturing company and I do micro for quality control.
You could be in chemistry, R&D, clinical, or hospital.
Overall though a lab tech is expected to do the daily tasks that keep the lab running. Inventory, reagent/media prep, instrument cleaning, sample collection, data consolidation and general lab cleaning and maintenance.
Hope you have a great experience!
Thank you so much sir.
Thanks for sharing
Hello! I enjoyed this video a lot, very informative. One question: About how long can you expect to be a lab tech, before moving up to the next level (in your case it was the microbiologist 1)?
It really depends on the opportunities available. My department coincidentally had a high turn over that year, people 2+ years started moving on to different opportunities.
I was promoted to micro ii within 2 years.
6 months as a tech, 8 months as micro 1, and currently a micro 2, expected to be micro 3 by the end of this year.
I am in contract manufacturing company so you're exposed to a lot and get a lot of experience handling many things in the lab.
If you work for name brand such as Pfizer, or Johnson n Johnson. The qualifications are much higher, but you specialize in a small range of work.
What I'm saying is in a more structured name brand company expect slower movement but higher pay and harder to get into.
In contract manufacturing expect more work, more range of work, but lots of opportunities to learn and move up/move on to other things.
Hope this helps!
@@LooseArrowBoy Thank you for the quick response! This helps a lot! Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Cheers
Is it possible for me to get a job after a very long gap that I had to take because of an injury?
Hi! I really like your video. I am gonna have an interview for Microbiology Lab Technician next week. Do you have some tips/ advice for the interview? Thanks a lots
Do you mind telling me what company or industry the position is for? I might be able to give better advice if I know.
Knowledge wise, know gram staining, gram negative vs positive, 4 quadrant plate streaking, basics of organism description (circular, raised, glossy etc.), media preparation, aceptic technique, lab equipment that you're familiar with operating, good documentation practices. You don't have to have experience doing all of these things, but at least have knowledge of the techniques and processes.
Do you have any objective accomplishments related to the field. Perhaps a study you were a part of, research you conducted or contributed to. If not do you have accomplishments in a professional setting that shows problem solving, data analysis, leadership, ambition? I got my job because of metric based data analysis I was doing at my retail job that I did on my own. I barely had microbiology knowledge and I said that in the interview haha.
Other than that it's generic interview tips. I suggest trying to remember times in college or work where you showed ambition, leadership, and achievement. You'll find that many of the questions they ask to gauge your personality can be substantially answered from just remembering how you conducted your self in a group project. My best advice is to tell a 'story' when you answer a question. If they ask "what's your greatest fear" walk them through your greatest accomplishment. Tell them what you were afraid of failing at on your road to that accomplishment, but were able to overcome. Before you know it you have given examples of problem solving, leadership, collaboration, and more! You have to realize that your interviewers will not ask the right questions. Don't be afraid to take control of the conversation. There are aspects of yourself that you're proud of and want to share it with the interviewer, but you won't be able to if you're just simply answering their questions directly. So answer their questions with life experience, not just with "yes or no" or a single sentence. At every opportunity share as much of yourself as possible that makes you a standout candidate.
Anyways good luck! If you have any more info I'll try to add more.
It is skincare, cosmetics industry. I am interested in working as QA for food industry as well. I had an interview before for QA position, but I failed. It would be nice if you can give me some advice for both industry. Thanks
Awesome I work QC micro.
If you understand the purpose the better you'll be able to highlight relevant strengths.
The goal of QA/QC is to protect the consumer. One of the most important things is to fall within FDA guidelines and we try to adhere as closely to USP (United States Pharmacopoeia) basically it is testing standards that all related industries follow.
With that in mind, what kind of candidates/employees do they need? In order for the FDA to trust the company that they are following regulations they do audits and documentation is crucial. To be successful your company has developed work instructions, standard operating procedures, and test methods that are in line with these regulations.
They need people that can read, understand, and execute these documents as precisely as possible. The only way the FDA can trust is if these documents are followed AND it is documented that you followed them. GDP (good documentation practices) are crucial. If it's not documented it didn't happen.
Thus attention to detail, integrity, knowledge, and adherence are just some qualities that you need.
Hope this helps, let me know if there's anything else!
Thank you so much for your advice 😀
Hi I'm currently in yr 12 and want to make drugs and vaccines in a lab and test virus properties. What should I do should I do virology or pharmacology and would I need to become a lab tech first. I'm so confused and have my yr 12 careers interview tmr to pick my uni courses
Either degree will be great for entry level lab jobs.
There are many different jobs related to the production of drugs and vaccines.
Quality Control would be the easiest to get into as it is generally the same no matter what is being produced. Your job is to test the raw materials, the finished goods, and monitor the production environment to ensure the consumers safety.
Manufacturing is another. Depending on the product/drug it may need more or less hands on attention. Generic drugs are machine manufactured with minimal human interaction. Where as other drugs are formulated by hand and would require more lab handling asceptic experience rather than machine control experience.
Research and development is where you would help create new drugs and test the effectiveness of the drugs. The beginning levels simply repeat tests and report results to the lead scientists that establish the testing. Higher levels may come up with new formulations, test on animals, or conduct clinical trials.
Quality control and manufacturing are relatively easier to get into.
Research and development you will need to have a focus and in many cases requires a masters.
So your bachelor's will get you into the field, pick which concentration interests you the most and it might guide you towards your masters choice. If not you can still get into quality or manufacturing to get experience and maybe find a focus from there.
Hii, I wonder what excel skills do I need to have as a lab tech?? Thank uuu
Nothing too specialized, just basic understanding on how to organize and manipulate large data sets for your needs.
In more established companies you will have a set template you just need to copy and paste.
For an example of a scenario. Imagine you have 1000+ rows of data with columns titled date, test, and result. You will maybe asked to manipulate the data so it shows only data for September for test "A", find the average result, the standard deviation, and create a line graph trend to illustrate the data.
If you can figure out how to do that, you have enough basic knowledge to learn how to get constructive results from a variety of scenario data sets.
Honestly I learned it all from googling ways to obtain the result i wanted like ,"how to highlight all cells containg abc" or "how to extract text from 2 cells and combine it into one." Other tips and tricks I learned from asking my peers.
When you're working don't be afraid to say you don't know something. A good working environment will help you learn the necessary skills.
Also if you're just a lab tech you may never need to do data manipulation, but if you want to get ahead, get promoted and get more responsibility. You need to be ready to take on a side project or volunteer to do new things that are greater than your current role.
I started as a lab tech, I am currently a QC microbiologist II with far more responsibilities and influence in the lab than I would have if I just stuck to doing lab tech activities.
$45k a year for this is not worth it, especially after getting a degree in Microbiology. I love that my degree is in microbiology but I have found other entry level jobs that don’t require degrees that pay better. Still, I don’t regret studying microbiology in college.
Unfortunately I didn't make the most of my college years and I was stuck doing retail for about 8 years.
This was my first job in the field and I loved it and was incredibly grateful for opportunity after getting nothing else.
The average is around 60k and lower and they're still relatively difficult to get into without a masters or being a good interviewee with research experience.
I left that company as a QC microbiologist II around 60k and a lot of experience. It was a small company so I learned how to do validations for methods and production processes, various audits from contracts and the FDA, how to do remediation following audit observations and how to lead a group of 10. It also allowed me to collaborate with almost every department and interact with various levels of the company. All this under 3 years experience.
I currently work at a cell therapy company for cancer treatment as a micro QC associate scientist making nearly double. I do significantly less work, but each thing I do has emphasized importance. Definitely wouldn't have gotten this job without prior experience.
There are a few hires straight out of college and there is a visible learning curve for them getting thrown into such a large company right away. Practices that I thought were common sense were foreign to them. A lot of what we do is learned on the job. I don't think there are courses that would specifically prepare you for a quality field job, at least not mainstream paths. A lot of the other new hires had similar experiences as me. Working at small companies, some as contractors, putting in a lot of hard work for less than stellar compensation. Kind of a right of passage lol.
I have co workers from my previous job that went to terumo, Sanofi, sofie, and pfizer after about 2 years.
Anyways if you're able to land a great job at the start that's awesome. At the time I dreamed about a 45k salary. Don't neglect the potential development you can have at entry levels at smaller companies or even coming from a bigger company as a leader to a smaller one.
Hi, I'm currently doing my bsc in zoology. I would love to work in a lab someday but unfortunately, due to the pandemic I am unable to get anylab experience. Can you please suggest some post diploma courses I can do to increase my chances of employment in this field?
(Any other tips are welcome as well, thank you!)
What kind of lab do you want to work in?
If it's a med lab, like the ones that process blood samples or covid tests. There are specific certifications you need to work in a hospital lab and such, look into those.
If you want to get into contract manufacturing, biopharamcutical or any kind of quality control read the United States Pharmacopia (USP). It is a collection of standards that includes microbiology testing and chemistry tests.
The FDA is the body that enforces the standards within the USP.
Read or get a brief summary of USP chapters 60, 61, 62 (identification and enumeration of organisms), 71 sterility tests, 1111 acceptance criteria, 1113 identification, 1115, 1117 lab best practices,1231 pharama use of water.
If you really want to impress a hiring manager drop some of these chapters and explain briefly your knowledge about it. They will not expect an entry level candidate to even know what the USP is.
Another step up is know USP 1223, validation of alternative methods, and 1227 validation of microbial recovery. Validation is the next step up from just performing tests. It's the process of proving your test method that is formed inline with the USP methods is adequate. This kind of study is what auditors will ask for.
You can purchase access to these from USP-NF, but you can try finding free versions online that are older editions. Just type in USP60 into RUclips you'll get some videos. USP 60 just came out in 2019 and it's a big issue in the pharma industry.
Good luck! Hope this helps.
Hi i currently have an AS degree in biotech, what sort of jobs do you think are applicable or interesting for me? Thanks
So do you want to work in a lab?
Do you want to do research, environmental monitoring, or QA (quality assurance, what I do)
After answering those question you'll be able to figure out what kind of jobs to look for.
Generally with your degree jobs you would be able to apply for would be, research, lab tech, and QA.
Your degree gives you opportunities in entry level positions like an associate researcher, research assistant, or lab tech. Keep in mind that even if you get in, career progression relies heavily on higher education.
I was promoted several times already, but that was due to necessity and performance. If I wanted to move to a new job I would need at least 5+ years of experience to attain an equivalent position or higher position elsewhere. I've received a resume of a candidate that was highly experienced having 10+ experience in their previous job (getting paid very well). We could only offer them a mid tier position because their degree was in sociology and not science.
After achieving at least a bachelors in your desired field you'll have to decide if you want to go into management or higher educated position. For example in research you'll need a masters in your field to have the knowledge to make necessary decisions. In QA (what I'm familiar with), you can manage parts of the department with a basic knowledge of the science with heavier emphasis on supervising and management of a team.
I'm at the position now where I am assisting in the supervision of the my micro lab. One of my weaknesses is the lack of microbiology knowledge to make crucial decisions and changes necessary. I understand our procedures and tests, but the next step for me is to understand the underlying science and initiate appropriate improvements/changes to our tests and procedures.
Little bit of rant, but hopefully it gives you a perspective of entry level positions and what career progression looks like.
Hello! I also do not have any research experience in undergrad and already graduated with a bachelors in Biology. How did you go about getting research experience to be able to get the initial interviews?
So I was in the same position and didn't get an interview for 3 years (but I also didn't try that hard). Watch my video about "dead end job to career" if you want to hear that story. ruclips.net/video/TdszmRnvjxE/видео.html
The best thing for you to do is apply to every entry level lab job. Actually put work into each application and learn about the company you're applying for. Do your best to tailor your resume to the job description. It will be discouraging when you don't get replies, but keep trying! There's always a chance if you try. Apply directly to company websites , avoid 3rd party like indeed when possible. Applying directly improves the chances your resume will actually be viewed rather than filtered.
While doing this I suggest you at least get a part time job in anything. If it's related that's awesome, like a lab assistant at a college or science professors assistant. If not any job is fine like retail, cashier, food service etc.
The idea is to get some kind of work experience. I like to say working in a service related industry like retail really builds character and allows you to experience many of the obstacles you will face in any job. That experience will help you confidentially answer general questions in interviews.
It's also not enough to have that job. You must do your best. Aim for the next level and become a supervisor or senior level employee. You also should think outside the box and work on projects that make objective change at your company. Any recordable achievements you can put on your resume and make you appealing to recruiters.
That's what I did at LEGO retail and was likely the only reason I ever got my resume considered.
I know it's hard, I was there. I worked retail for 8 years, 3 years of it after college. Put in the work even at a service job and you will get results. Don't give up, keep applying, and don't be afraid to go above and beyond. I recently got promoted to microbiologist II and I've been with the company for about 1 year and 3 months.
Good luck!
@@LooseArrowBoy Thank you so much for your advice! I tried emailing my undergrad professors about lab positions but unfortunately due to COVID they aren't looking into having new people come in. I am currently attending pharmacy school but I am extremely unhappy and I've realized its not the path for me. That being said, I don't want to drop out yet without having my foot in another career yet. I am currently also working as a pharmacy technician but only for 4 hours a week due to me attending pharmacy school. I don't know what do do because I want to leave pharmacy school ASAP to avoid paying more in tuition but I am finding it difficult to enter the microbiology field. When you say to tailor my resume what do you mean? I have included how I am detail oriented, flexible, and can work as part of a team in my skills but otherwise all I have experience in is pharm tech and a fast food job I had before. Also I applied for so many jobs already through third party websites do you think it would be bad if I went to the company websites and applied on there too as well?
@@ilietomyheart nope I would definitely apply to both third party and directly to their website. I don't see any harm in that.
When I say tailor your resume, you can look up a companies "mission" "goals" "values". This will give you a general idea of what the companies priorities are and the kind of people they're looking for.
The jobs you apply for might fall underneath the umbrella of a microbiologist or lab job, but the purpose can be very different. An environmental scientist is different from a QA microbiologist. Similar type of work, but emphasis on different things. For example an environmental scientist should show interest in going out side and gathering samples. A QA microbiologist should show appititude in reviewing paper work and paying close attention to detail in order to protect consumers.
It's things like that you can alter your resume to make it more appealing. In resumes some people like to highlight specific attributes or achievements, you can decide what is best for each position you apply for.
@@LooseArrowBoy Thank you so much for all your help!! You're so kind! One last question sorry! Would you suggest contacting the labs directly to alert them you submitted an application online? I know for retail jobs its something people suggest but I am nervous about doing that with labs in case they're busy or I wouldn't know who exactly is in charge of their hiring department.
@@ilietomyheart yeah it really depends on the size of the lab.
In retail, especially smaller stores, the manager is in charge of the entire hiring process.
In my company we have a separate HR department that first filters the resumes and then hands them to my manager. My manager then looks through them and selects about 5. Then HR contacts the applicant.
I would say it wouldn't hurt you, but it will rarely help you. You will find the general number for the company, but you will have to ask around and be diverted several times before you find the HR person in charge of that position. Even at that point they may entertain your call, but will likely just say "we will contact you if you're the right fit"
Hi is it okay to get a course of laboratory technology?
Busy Day!