The first step is to know what you want. Are you looking at part time jobs while you complete your education? Or do you want to use your bachelor's degree in biochemistry to work in the field of pharmaceutical development? Perhaps you've watched television programs about a medical examiner's office and found yourself captivated by the idea of the work they do. Do you like the idea of working in a hospital, but don't know exactly what you'd like to do? Have you wondered about working in a research laboratory with top scientists exploring genes or nanotechnology? It is important that you have a goal you can articulate. Write it down. Keep it in your mind.
Now it is time to research the type of training required for the biotech job you want. If it's chief of cardiac surgery, then you know you have an extended educational process you have to complete successfully and you should begin learning which universities close to you offer pre-med degrees, and what kind of financial aid you would need to begin. If you want to be a pharmacy technician, then talking with a local independent pharmacist can point you in the right direction as far as the training needed. If you simply like the idea of working in a laboratory without any specific preferences, and you are willing to do jobs like cleaning lab equipment, then you can talk to research faculty at a local university about part time jobs there.
If possible, while you are undergoing any necessary training, volunteer or take an unpaid internship that's as close to the work you're interested in as possible. It will not only give you some experience that you can put on your resume, it can cement your commitment to the kind of job you're interested in, or perhaps steer you into another direction you hadn't considered.
Part time jobs, whether unpaid internships or paid jobs in related fields can boost your job hunting efforts when you graduate. If you are close to finishing up a degree program, whether at the associate degree level or the doctoral level, your school's career placement office can be a very helpful resource. They're the ones most likely to know about upcoming job fairs in your area.
You should schedule job search time just as you would any other important item on your schedule. Block out 30 minutes or an hour three to five times a week to search out online listings and search postings at local colleges or hospitals. This is also the time you seek out your contacts that are in some way connected to the field you're interested in and put the word out that you are looking for work. You never know who your biology professor or your child's chemistry teacher might know.
Depending on the state of the economy and job market, it may be to your advantage to take a job that's somehow related to your dream job rather than holding out for a job with your ideal specifications. You'll be earning some income, you'll be getting valuable job experience to add to your resume, and you're more likely to find out about other opportunities or part time jobs as they arise.
Suppose you take a job that's peripherally related to what you want to do. Say you can get on staff taking care of laboratory equipment at a university research lab. Your first priority, of course, should be doing your job to the best of your ability. At the same time, however, you will undoubtedly meet new people, some of whom may be able to alert you to new opportunities before they're made known to the public.
Once you have your foot - or even just a toe - in the door to the world of biotechnology, you can build a reputation as a hard worker and a smart worker, cooperative, conscientious, and eager to learn. These are qualities, along with any continuing education or training you pursue, that will help you get your next biotech job, which may be one step or many steps closer to the biotech job you've always wanted.
