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i've been unemployed ever since i graduated. in fact, i was better off IN SCHOOL than when i got out of school. LOL. updated my blog on my job search, and a brief review of what's happened. most of this is random blabbering, so skip to the BOLD sentence at the bottom for the important question.
brief timeline:
-graduated in may 2010 (BS biochemistry, tons of undergraduate experience)
-had ACL reconstruction surgery in september
-took a semester of grad courses fall 2010 (paying out of pocket) before realizing it'd be better not to pay out of pocket
-jan 2011 started volunteering in a lab again
-march 2011 started studying for MCAT
-july took MCAT after serious family emergency, voided
-september retook MCAT after studying a bit more
currently:
-finishing up med school applications (yes i know its super late, but i can't afford doing nothing for another year)
-privately tutoring a few students, making a good $100-150 a week doing about 8-9 hrs of work
-still seeking full time employment...
in the very near future:
-going to start studying for GREs, going to apply to an MS program (hopefully i can finish this up fairly quickly, like in less than a year, i racked up a decent amount of graduate credits in undergrad that i should be able to transfer)
-hopefully start interviewing for med schools
what i've specifically done in the past 2-3 weeks:
-talked to my PI yesterday...while he had nothing but glowing remarks about my work he straight up said, "you're extremely skilled, i just don't have the funding to hire you. i can barely keep the lab afloat." LOL, fine w/e. at least he's helping me out with my application, and i'm hoping he uses his status in academia to leverage me an admittance to a nice school. not going to burn this bridge.
-interviewed for a lab technician position over the phone. was supposed to get a second phone interview that apparently never came...
-applied for another lab technician position (haven't heard anything from here)
-realized how bad the economy sucks...
-realized that phoenix az is not the place to be if i'm interested in science... actually, more than that, i realized having a BS just isn't enough in this field or really any field for that matter (only a few of my friends who did EE have jobs right now).
-i have not yet made multiple versions of my resume. i have a wide variety of experience, from teaching to sales to research. i'm definitely going to fine tune my resume more, and have like 4 different versions where i focus on random stuff.
-when i apply to non-science positions i'm definitely NOT going to reveal my BS degree...i'm sure that turns off some people. whoever told you a college degree will help you get a job lied.
for those who have recently got a job, what the hell did you do, and how would you do things differently?
 
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Baltimore, USA22258 Posts
On September 28 2011 16:38 yourwhiteshadow wrote:
for those who have recently got a job, what the hell did you do, and how would you do things differently?
Remember that beggers can't be choosers, and that you should speak far more about any potential work experience than your academics. You seem to focus on the latter but the former is far more important nowadays.
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First of all, a PhD in biochemistry is NOT the way to go. The job market for a biology PhD is very bleak.... unless you REALLY want to do this. MS is somewhat similar, as far as I know.
You said you are in Arizona, right? In that case I agree: it's not the best place possible. If you want to do a master degree, apply elsewhere. Harvard, UPenn, and JHU are obviously good choices; UCSF and UCLA are probably very good, too; but you need to be careful if the MS you apply to actually has funding.
I don't know why you think a BS does not help you when you apply for a non-science job. Just by the virtue of being able to complete your degree, it shows that you are smart and you have discipline. I think that will make your application stronger.
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-when i apply to non-science positions i'm definitely NOT going to reveal my BS degree...i'm sure that turns off some people. whoever told you a college degree will help you get a job lied.
if you go this route, make sure whatever company you are applying to does not do background checks otherwise HR will eliminate you as a possible candidate
-realized that phoenix az is not the place to be if i'm interested in science... actually, more than that, i realized having a BS just isn't enough in this field or really any field for that matter (only a few of my friends who did EE have jobs right now).
you are correct in this realization. location can and does matter a ton when trying to find jobs that appeal to your skillset and mind.
also, the economy does suck but something to keep in mind is that unemployment rate for people aged 25+ years with bachelor's degrees and higher are around a 4.3% unemployment rate. unfortunately I don't know what are the current statistics for fresh college graduates.
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t04.htm
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I finished first year of my 4 year bachelor's in software engineering. had to take a year off due to failed exams and I'll have to retake those courses. I decided I need a job so I sent out my CV to like 5 companies, got the phone call the next day started working the day after that. Being a programmer is cool these days cause they'll take you without any experience and will give you money. And it's not the hardest thing to do if you at least know a little.  After I finish my degree I think I'll be looking to START @ 30k/year. I know it may not sound much to you american peoplez, but here in eastern Europe, 30k/year is A GOLDMINE.
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On September 28 2011 16:50 Sufficiency wrote:
First of all, a PhD in biochemistry is NOT the way to go. The job market for a biology PhD is very bleak.... unless you REALLY want to do this. MS is somewhat similar, as far as I know.
You said you are in Arizona, right? In that case I agree: it's not the best place possible. If you want to do a master degree, apply elsewhere. Harvard, UPenn, and JHU are obviously good choices; UCSF and UCLA are probably very good, too; but you need to be careful if the MS you apply to actually has funding.
I don't know why you think a BS does not help you when you apply for a non-science job. Just by the virtue of being able to complete your degree, it shows that you are smart and you have discipline. I think that will make your application stronger.
yeah, i'm probably only going to apply to funded MS programs, i wouldn't even mind having to TA, at least i'll have income. as it is, i'm barely scrapping by by living with my mom... but on the flip side, there are plenty of jobs that i've interviewed for where people question your commitment to the company based on your degree. ie, i applied for a position at a bank (it was like a step above the teller position). i could tell while i was applying that they didn't favor the fact that i was looking to graduate with my degree and that i was focused on graduating. interestingly enough, most of these people barely got their degree as well. i think if there is one mistake i've made in preparing my CV its that i took out all my non-science related experience (i only did this to shorted my CV).
i feel a lot like this guy (the guy who shoulda/coulda/woulda won the nobel prize in biology, but didn't):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Prasher
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I know this isn't the advice you were asking for and I hate to beat a dead horse, but you are applying seriously late. If you are filling out the primary then forget about applying this year. If you are doing secondaries then you are still wayyyyyy late in the game. The med schools will not look at your application until they have all the stuffs like the secondary, letters of recs, your MCAT score, and of course the money for processing your secondary application. If by some stroke of miracle you can finish all that by the time your MCAT score comes out you might have a shot at waitlisting (albeit very far), but any delay and yeah you are just burning money.
Take my advice. Don't apply this year. There's several reasons. First, you're going to be rejected in all likelihood. Second, once you are rejected the second time around the med schools will expect your application to be a lot better from the first time which will make your situation even more difficult. Third, you're wasting money and time which you seem to lack. In my opinion you are putting way to much on your plate from applying to med school, looking for work, taking the GRE, family stuff, etc. If you are absolutely serious about getting into med school then focus everything you have on med school which means getting a high MCAT score, doing volunteer work, researching, writing a well written primary application essay, and lastly sending your application June 1st of next year. This is assuming your college GPA is relatively decent (>3.6).
Good luck and hope this was helpful.
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Btw I'm currently in med school so you can trust my answer although I recognize my advice is not absolute. I am indeed currently procrastinating instead of reading up on my patients. Second paragraph I wrote "to much" instead of "too much"... just a pet peeve.
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for those who have recently got a job, what the hell did you do, and how would you do things differently?
You HAVE to follow-up if they do not call you. Call them up and ask them on the status of your application. You can't just "wait" for them to call you. You must be proactive and show them you want the job.
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On September 28 2011 17:27 Buruguduy wrote:
for those who have recently got a job, what the hell did you do, and how would you do things differently?
You HAVE to follow-up if they do not call you. Call them up and ask them on the status of your application. You can't just "wait" for them to call you. You must be proactive and show them you want the job.
that's pretty much the only reason i've ever gotten jobs in the past, i just have fallen off the ball a little bit because as berkguyyy somehow guess...i've got a shit ton on my plate right now.
is it ok to call even after a week or two?
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There's nothing to lose by calling (except a couple of dollars for the actual phone call), so you might as well ring them up.
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Alumni association is really useful, it can give you a list of companies that would hire people who studied the exact same degree.
I graduated in France and wanted to work in Shanghai. I simply did a research "who graduated the same MSc as mine and currently works in Shanghai ?"
Gave me one result, contacted the guy. He was happy to see that a fellow student found him this way, and he gave me his boss' email so I could send a CV. Since the boss was satisfied by the guy's performance, he was eager to accept an interview, and I got the job.
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It might be different in other countries, but in UK / Ireland, you don't do follow up calls for job applications; maybe if you're applying for some really high profile position or it's a small company where you're basically talking to the CEO on first name basis or something, but in general, everyone goes "we'll contact you if you're successful in your application, due to high volumes we will not respond to calls / emails about the status of your application" or a variation of thereof. You might be able to get someone to tell you how it's coming along, depending on the HR person you end up with, but it won't do you much good, around here at least.
What other posters said about having work experience being more important than academics is partly true - having a degree in ANY field does help your chances with job applications, in some cases vastly so - but ultimately, most recruiters want to see some sort of job experience, even if it's in a different field, and be able to speak to your past manager / coworkers about you. Volunteering can be a nice substitute for this, though, so I don't know if that's really a big turn off on your applications.
You definitely need focused resumes for different jobs - I wouldn't skip mentioning your degree though. If you want, I can take a look at your resumes and give you some feedback on that (granted, resume / CV styles can be somewhat different in UK and US, but I've done a fair bit of resume advice in the past and perhaps can come up with some general tips). You might also want to register with some recruitment agencies - it's normally free, and they might have some advice for you, as well as potentially putting you forward for some jobs you wouldn't have otherwise found.
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On September 28 2011 16:46 EvilTeletubby wrote:Show nested quote +On September 28 2011 16:38 yourwhiteshadow wrote:
for those who have recently got a job, what the hell did you do, and how would you do things differently?
Remember that beggers can't be choosers, and that you should speak far more about any potential work experience than your academics. You seem to focus on the latter but the former is far more important nowadays.
This. There are kids out there with far better academics than you (doesn't matter who you are) who struggle in getting a job because they lack social skills. Social skills are the biggest predictor of professional success. Work on these, and continue to network. Don't blame the economy, there are plenty of jobs out there, but obviously you'll need to adapt a bit to get one.
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On September 28 2011 17:27 Buruguduy wrote:
for those who have recently got a job, what the hell did you do, and how would you do things differently?
You HAVE to follow-up if they do not call you. Call them up and ask them on the status of your application. You can't just "wait" for them to call you. You must be proactive and show them you want the job.
This is all too true. Many serious employers take it to heart and I know of one for sure (probably many more) that add a jot-note to applications to which they have seen a call-back from. It's a very important thing to do that many don't. I would always call back roughly 3 days after applying. And again under a 10 day period. Applying and crossing your fingers is not enough anymore. Keep digging until you find that gem.
The economy is really putting a lot of stress on recent graduates. I was fortunate enough to find my job (took EE in school) through simply applying online from a colleague's recommendation. Keep in close contact with your classmates and don't be afraid to try and work your way in doors that are open for them too. I think you'll do fine in the end, it looks to me like you've got the drive to do so.
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Sorry to bring it to you, but if you made fun of engineers for being nerds and having no life during school - well ha! I graduated from infrastructure engineering and I was employed 2 weeks after convocation.
I did apply to like 20+ relevant firms during school year, and I didn't get a single interview. All the firms were looking for intermediate/senior level people, and obviously, I'm just a newbie freshly out of university. I did my best to talk to everybody I know to establish any kind of personal connection, and I got lucky with one of them. Had a chat with someone I was personally introduced to, a phone call, two interviews, jobbed. It's all about personal connections. GPA and whatever don't mean a thing when it comes to finding jobs. As long as you have some sort of a degree, you pass the minimum bar - and then from there, you need a personal connection to be properly considered.
So talk to people. Friends, relatives, friend of friends, friends of relatives, I don't know, just talk to people. Let them know you're looking for a job and that you're highly motivated. Good luck!
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i tell you,what i did diferently
i changed my mind state.Ask yourself,do you want job or do you need?if you want,focus on that,do everything you feel is necesery,and just say hello to your new position.it worked for me.
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I graduated from Cooper in 2009 and figured I'd have very little difficulty finding a job because the school has such an excellent reputation. I ended up applying to jobs for months and months and got no responses. I worked at the Cheesecake Factory for a while just to make some cash but was constantly frustrated that I couldn't get a job in the field I studied for years before. Finally, almost a year after graduation, I was able to get an interview on a project because my aunt knew the Chief Resident Engineer's wife. I ended up getting the job and have been on the project ever since.
Basically what I'm saying is knowing someone is the only real key to getting a job as far as I'm concerned. My grades were decent and my school was top notch and it didn't help me much at all.
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Hello,
to be honest I'm pretty shocked. I'm having a difficult time trying to understand all your abbreviations since I'm no native speaker. But from what I understood is that you are trying to get a job with your Bachelor in biochemistry so that you can afford studying for becoming a doctor?
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On September 28 2011 17:29 yourwhiteshadow wrote:Show nested quote +On September 28 2011 17:27 Buruguduy wrote:
for those who have recently got a job, what the hell did you do, and how would you do things differently?
You HAVE to follow-up if they do not call you. Call them up and ask them on the status of your application. You can't just "wait" for them to call you. You must be proactive and show them you want the job. that's pretty much the only reason i've ever gotten jobs in the past, i just have fallen off the ball a little bit because as berkguyyy somehow guess...i've got a shit ton on my plate right now. is it ok to call even after a week or two?
My HR manager friend tells me ~3 days after is ideal. I guess 1 week after is not so bad. 2 weeks, I'm not so sure. They might've forgotten you.
Anyway, just call 'em up and ask em if the position is still open and whether your accepted or not. Most HR department personnel are nice and helpful people who actually want you to get the job. The more they hire, the better they look anyway...
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On September 28 2011 16:50 Sufficiency wrote:
First of all, a PhD in biochemistry is NOT the way to go. The job market for a biology PhD is very bleak.... unless you REALLY want to do this. MS is somewhat similar, as far as I know.
You said you are in Arizona, right? In that case I agree: it's not the best place possible. If you want to do a master degree, apply elsewhere. Harvard, UPenn, and JHU are obviously good choices; UCSF and UCLA are probably very good, too; but you need to be careful if the MS you apply to actually has funding.
I don't know why you think a BS does not help you when you apply for a non-science job. Just by the virtue of being able to complete your degree, it shows that you are smart and you have discipline. I think that will make your application stronger.
i disagree... from what i've seen, job prospects in industry for having a PhD in general chemistry or biochemistry isn't at all bleak. i've seen cases of people getting hired straight off graduating their PhD, absolutely no postdoc. as for a general biology related field, jobs are a bit tougher and you're hard pressed to get anything without a postdoc or three or heavily qualified.
BSc is worth nada in the job market, in or out of the field. being able to complete your degree means nothing, the other candidates for a job will all have completed it. sure you look better compared to the applicants who don't have a degree, but chances are most of them weren't going to make it anyways. I don't think leaving it in a resume/CV is a bad thing though - of course you need your education gaps filled.
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Internships ... do them in school and once you're out as well. Make sure they are paid.
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Your primary focus seems to be an academic job. Bad news - the people you're competing with for those jobs vastly outqualify you. Your choices are take a crappy job until you can catch up in qualifications, or hope you can get incredibly lucky with a personal connection.
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EPT
