Justin Provchy had been accepted to two PhD programs in mathematics when he received a package of information about Claremont, Calif.-based Keck Graduate Institute's master of bioscience degree. At the last minute, he decided to forgo the PhD and enter Keck's two-year program. Now, at 25, he's an automation engineer at Amgen, helping the biotech company's research scientists automate assays.
When he took the job a year and a half ago, Provchy acknowledges, he lacked some of the technical expertise other candidates might have had. But he thinks he was hired because he could offer the firm communications skills, business analysis skills, and a knack for teamwork along with scientific aptitude.
Plenty of opportunities exist in pharma and biotech for job seekers who hold master's degrees or even undergraduate degrees in the sciences, according to industry insiders. The trick is knowing where to look.
Even research and development isn't off-limits ...
