Job, Education & Research opportunities in Life sciences

Job, Higher Education & Research
Opportunities in Life sciences
(Self explanatory slides)

Presented by

Synopsis
• Emerging world
• Types of courses
• Hierarchy of Higher education & research
• Types of industries
• Types of Private industries
• R&D vs Manufacturing vs Marketing jobs
• Few cases in Private sector jobs
• Government sector jobs
• Academic / teaching jobs
• Higher education opportunities
• Research opportunities
• Non-core jobs
• State vs Private vs Central Institutions
• Short training/certificate courses
• Education abroad

A thought to start with

“It is not the strongest of the species
that survives, nor the most intelligent,
but the one most responsive to change.”
Charles Darwin, ‘The Origin of the Species’

Can you sense the “change” here?!

EMERGING WORLD
• The world is going • 3.Information
through a major
• 4.Ideas
change
• Resulting in a • 5.Innovations
"borderless world" • 6.Individuals
where seven I's • 7.????
freely flow,
• 1.Investments
• 2.Industries

Types of academic courses
• Job based courses • Research based courses
• E.g.-Polytechnic courses, BCom,
• E.g.-BSc/MSc/BTech/MTech
BBA,BCA, BSc Comp Sci., BSc courses in Life sciences
Nursing, BE/BTech in core (Microbio, Biochem, Biotech,
engineering branches (EEE, ECE, Bioinfo, Botany, Zoology
Mech , Chem, IT ,CSE) etc., etc),Nanotechnology, Robotics,

• Immediate jobs are very less.
• Immediate job after the PhD or minimum PG is
completion of 3/4 years course. compulsory for better career
scope.

• Any moderately rated/ranked • It requires highly rated/ranked
colleges/Universities can premier institutions for better
provide better career/job job opportunities since it
scope. requires highly sophisticated
lab facilities and highly
qualified faculties.

Hierarchy of Research/ Educational Institutions

Institutions
Individual/Autonomous research organizations

Research
(IISc, TIFR,NCBS, JNCASR)
Go higher…..opportunities higher

Research Council Labs (CSIR/ICMR/DBT/ICAR)

Premier Institutions (IIT’s, NIT’s & IISER’s)

Central Government Universities (JNU,PU,BHU,..)

Educational
Institutions
State Government Universities

Autonomous Colleges

Private Universities

Affiliated Colleges

Hierarchy-Continued
• BSc/BTech/MSc/MTech/PhD., Whatever may be the
course, the institution matters a lot in research based
courses in shaping the job/career scope/opportunities
for its students.
• As we come down in this hierarchy, we pay many
thousands and lakhs to get less/no quality degrees
(UG/PG/PhD) with less/no job opportunities.
• As we go up in this hierarchy, education is free/funded
(get monthly stipend) with better facilities and career
scope.
• As we work hard, we get better institutions hence
facilities & faculties and thus better opportunities.
• We decide our future..!

Jobs in Biotech???
• “India needs more than 30 lakh PhDs by 2025 and more
than 1.5 lakh research scholars as we open up our
economy and aspire for super power status“.
-S R Rao, Advisor to DBT, Government of India on
01 Feb 2013.

• Though PhD is the minimum/decent qualification in
Biology if you plan your long term career/professional
growth or opportunities , still there are limited & growing
job opportunities for UG/PG degree holders.
• What are they? Lets explore them here…..

1. Private sector/Industry Jobs

R&D Manufacturing Marketing

2. Government sector jobs

Non-Fellowship fresher Fellowship based
R&D Jobs fresher R&D Jobs

3. Academic Jobs
Higher Education and
4.
Research

5. Non core/ Other Jobs

Types of private Industries
• Service industries • Manufacturing/production
• No production/products.
industries
• Product based companies.
• E.g.- All IT/BPO/KPO • E.g.- All Pharma /BT companies-
companies- TCS, CTS, Infosys, Biocon, Dr.Reddys etc.
Wipro etc. • Huge investment in Chemicals,
• Comparatively lesser Instruments and other lab
facilities.
investment.
• Lesser manpower requirements.
• High manpower requirements. • Needs experienced candidates
• Can take fresher's , train for 6 /highly skilled fresher's. Less/No
months and then place. possibilities for training due to
huge investments.
Training and campus
• Prefers premier central /top rated
placements possible. private insts. for fresher
recruitments (R&D jobs) due to
better lab facilities and better
skilled candidates.

Types of private Industries
(Based on investment size)

Small Companies

Medium companies

Big companies

Multi national companies

Private sector -R&D Private sector-Manufacturing Private Sector-Marketing
• Huge investment in lab • Skills needed- Limited/ •Skills needed- Limited/
infrastructure. moderate technical moderate technical
• Skills needed- Sound knowledge. knowledge,communication,
technical knowledge, • Mostly automated presentation,marketing and
practical hands-on- /repeated job nature . management skills.
exposure, creativity, • 3 entry points-
innovation, problem solving 1) Experience of 2-3+ •Company needs more
skills etc. years in middle levels. freshers with biological
• 3 entry points- 2) Limited fresher intake. background and trains them
1) Experience of 2-3+ years 3) Back door entry for marketing skills.
2) Campus placement from (References)
premier colleges •Demand for semi-skilled
• Second choice for most manpower is more. Supply
3) Back door entry job seekers.
(References). of manpower is less. Job
Comparatively more jobs seekers generally do not
• First choice for most job but huge competition. prefer. Hence the companies
seekers. Supply of semi/no Hence fresher pay is pay more between 10-25k
skilled manpower is huge limited to 6-15k pm pm for freshers depending
than the demand. Hence depending on the size of on the size of the company.
fresher pay is limited to 6- the company.
15k pm depending on the • Generally very less or no •More career/professional
size of the company. career/professional growth opportunities in
• More career/professional growth opportunities. marketing/management
growth opportunities.

Private sector-Overview

R&D
Demand for experienced/ highly skilled fresher manpower is
more. Supply of semi skilled/no skilled fresher is hugh.
Less jobs. Huge competition. Pay limited to 6-15 k for freshers.
Manufacturing
Comparatively more jobs but repeated job nature with very
less/no career growth.
Huge competition. Pay limited to 6-15k for freshers.
Marketing
Demand for manpower is more. Supply of manpower is less.
Trains freshers and pays 10-25k.
More career/professional scope but less takers.

Private sector jobs &educational system
• The problem here is largely with our policy makers and (Most of the
private and State) educational institutions which does not provide
practical hands-on experience/ qualified teachers/ well equipped
infrastructure to the students or develop conceptual level
understanding or trouble shooting methodology of teaching.

• Biology being a research based subject it needs more of conceptual
understanding and hands-on experience in practical techniques. So
the industry cannot be blamed.

• Every private company needs the best people from the best
institutions for R&D jobs since huge money has been invested in the
facilities.

Few Cases- Careers
• “Okay..I am clear about private industry jobs. I like Biotechnology. I want to be in
this field. I prefer to enter into R&D jobs . I come from a local private college. I do
not have campus placements. I do not have experience. I do not have
references.. How do I proceed? Who will give me that 2-3 years experience?”
• “ I have taken a bank loan. I need to repay. I do not like IT/BPO jobs or getting
into PG/PhD as it might take 2-5 years or more. I cannot wait. May be I will think
about that after 2-3 years. Now I need a R&D job..What do I do?”
• “I have spent more than Rs.4 lakh for my BTech. I have got first class. Following
my friend, I have paid another 1 lakh for 6 months diploma program in Clinical
research/Stem cells/Biotech lab training to add up to my qualifications. I have
got all these certificates. Out of a batch of 10 students, only my friend has got a
job after the training as the training company promised. When I approach other
companies still they ask for real /industrial experience. I think I have wasted my 6
months and 1 lakh.. I do not like PG/PhD but I need a Biotech job?”
• “I know all these issues in India. That's why I am planning to fly to USA/UK for my
PG/PhD. I am writing GRE. But i wish to get 1 year work experience in India in
some reputed labs to add up to my profile to get top ranked universities. What to
do?”
• “PG/PhD… ? Biotech…? Again…? No jokes please…Show me a fresher Biotech
job..”

Government sector jobs
• Yes..It is the Government sector jobs which can provide that 2-3
years work experience which the private industry wants.
• The government cannot differentiate you based on your
college/university for a fresher job.
• The government has to provide equal opportunity for all regardless
of what college you come from.
• The opportunities are limited. But how do they filter the
competition or how do they provide fresher research job
(Temporary / time bound jobs) based purely on the merit of the
candidate?
• There are two categories of jobs in government sector ( in the
capacity of JRF/Project assistant /Project associate etc ).
• Research based jobs does not mean PhD but it may or may not
accompany PhD.

Government sector jobs-II
Non-fellowship fresher research Fellowship based fresher research
jobs jobs
Requirements- Mere 1st class pass out in Qualification of any national level exams
Science or Engineering (CSIR / ICMR/ ICAR/ GATE etc) with 1st
(MSc/BTech/MTech). class pass in Science or Engineering
(MSc/BTech/MTech).

Cut throat competition as the qualification Less competition. Merit is honored.
is very basic and common and there
comes all the back door entry systems
(References /Recommendations).

Low pay scale (Rs. 8000- 12,000/- pm) . Highest pay scale (Rs.16,500- 19,500/- per
month) for fresher and Rs.22,000,
Rs.24,000 and Rs.28,000/- pm in the
corresponding years as senior fellow.

Government sector jobs-III
jobs jobs
Limited / less number of opportunities. More opportunities in central & state
institutions/labs.

The employer (Scientist /Professor) has all The candidate has better chances and
the rights/freedom to select / suspend freedom to access his own choice of
any candidate based solely on his will and professor /Institute /Place/ area of
other factors at any time since it is non- research which he/she desires.
funded post.
Job insecurity is high or the need to resist More opportunities, freedom and options
work place issues is more to stay in the due to the fellowship. Candidate may quit
job. the job in the look out of better job and
opportunities.
Less career growth. Employer may or may Candidate has the rights to do PhD.
not provide PhD registration upon his will Candidate has the choice to go for it or
and the circumstances. continue the research based job without
doing PhD.

Government sector jobs-IV
jobs jobs
After 2-3 years of work experience More chances for the relevant Industry
candidate may look for relevant Industry jobs as the candidate comes out of top
jobs based on his area of work in case if rated Institutions or Central Research
the candidate do not get a chance for PhD council labs in case if the candidate opted
or do not like to do PhD. out of PhD.

More than 60% of fresher research jobs in India comes from
the Government sector.
We get and circulate minimum 300 fresher research jobs
every month across India only from the Government sector
at Biotechnologist2020.com
You may want to check out the numbers.

CSIR
Eligibility:- Fresher or PhD Academic
Entry Level Jobs
BTech/ MSc/ R&D Jobs
Mtech
including ELR Jobs
those DBT-BET
completed PhD
10+2+3
years of
ELR Jobs
ICMR
education PhD
(From IV
year BTech ELR Jobs
to I year ICAR
MSc/MTech) PhD

GATE

PhD/ Integrated
Fresher Jobs MTech/MS PhD

JNU MTech

Professional Fellowship exams
Qualification exam CSIR
GATE ICMR
(Mark/Percentage ICAR
DBT-BET
based) (Qualification based-
Yes /No)
Limited stipend of Gives monthly stipend
Rs.12-16,000/-PM for (~Rs.20,000/-PM for
Fresher jobs/PhD
fresher jobs/PhD
Comparatively Less
competition.
More competition.

AIR 1

CSIR-JRF

AIR 1000
Sample
numbers.
UGC-JRF

AIR 2000

NET

AIR 3000

Academic/Teaching jobs
• As per the UGC regulations, NET/SLET/SET shall remain the
minimum eligibility condition for recruitment and appointment of
Assistant Professors in Universities/ Colleges/Institutions. Provided
however, that candidates, who are or have been awarded a Ph. D.
Degree in accordance with the University Grants Commission
Regulations, 2009, shall be exempted from the requirement of the
minimum eligibility condition for recruitment and appointment.
• With NET/SLET, one can distinguish self from the rest of the crowd
seeking teaching jobs. First preference and better pay scale than
non- net qualified lecturers.
• Lecturers with NET, are eligible for a limited stipend of Rs.12,000/
pm for pursuing PhD programs for career growth.

Higher education & Research
• As Biology is predominantly a research subject, having a PhD or
minimum a PG is must for better scope.
• Doing a research course does not matter in most cases. But it
matters where do we do? It matters where do we come from? We
cannot change the past but we can prepare for the better future.

• BSc/BTech candidates may opt for Integrated PhDs or top class MSc
/MS courses with monthly stipend.
• BTech candidates apart from getting into MTech /M.S programs at
IIT’s /NIT’s, they will have a better future at MSc courses from
Central Universities than MTech courses in terms of better job and
research opportunities for MSc than MTech.

• MSc/MTech candidates may opt for PhD programs at premier
institutions with a stipend of ~Rs.20,000/- pm.

Premier PhD & Integrated PhD programs
• IISc , Bangalore
• TIFR, Mumbai
• NCBS, Bangalore
• JNCASR, Bangalore
• IISER’s- Pune, Trivandrum, Mohali, Kolkatta & Bhopal.
• AIIMS, New Delhi
Eligibility:-
• ACBR(DU), New Delhi
BTech/ BSc/ MSc/ MTech including
• NISER - Bhuvaneshwar those completed 10+2+3 years of
• BARC, Mumbai. education (From IV year BTech to I
year MSc/MTech).

Top rated PG programs
• JNU, New Delhi on campus MSc programs (5 different programs) .
• JNU-CBEE for MSc Biotechnology in 30 affiliated central univs.
• AIIMS, New Delhi- MS in Medical Biotechnology.
• ACBR (DU)-New Delhi- MSc in Biomedical sciences.
• IIT Bombay & Roorkey- MSc Biotechnology .
• CU-CET MSc programs in 7 central universities.
• BHU,PU,HCU individual MSc programs in allied sciences.
Eligibility:-
BTech/ BSc including
those completed 10+2+3 years of education (From IV year
BTech to III year BSc).
More than 70% of the BTech students like basic sciences like
Genetics, Molecular Bio, Microbio over Bioprocess technology or
Biochemical technology hence those candidates may focus on
MSc/Integrated PhD as the job opportunities are far better than MTech.

• MSc- JNU, JNU-CBEE, AIIMS, ACBR, IIT-JAM, CU-CET,
For BHU,PU,HCU etc. (Monthly stipend)
BSc • Integrated PhD- IISc, TIFR, NCBS, JNCASR, IISER’s, NISER
etc. (Monthly stipend)

• Jobs- GATE, CSIR, ICMR, DBT-BET & ICAR. (~Rs.20 k pm)
• MTech- GATE & JNU-MTech. (Monthly stipend)
For • MSc- JNU, JNU-CBEE, AIIMS, ACBR, IIT-JAM, CU-CET,
BTech BHU,PU,HCU etc. (Monthly stipend)
• Integrated PhD- GATE, CSIR, ICMR, DBT-BET, IISc, TIFR,
NCBS, JNCASR, IISER’s, NISER etc. (Monthly stipend)

• Jobs- GATE, CSIR, ICMR, DBT-BET & ICAR. (~Rs.20 k pm)
For • Academic jobs- CSIR / SLET. (Rs.12,000/- pm stipend for
MSc/ PhD)
MTech • PhD- GATE, CSIR, ICMR, DBT-BET, IISc, TIFR, NCBS, JNCASR,
IISER’s, NISER etc. . (~Rs.20 k pm stipend)

CSIR
Eligibility:- Fresher or PhD Academic The
Entry Level syllabus for
Jobs most of
BTech/ MSc/ R&D Jobs these
Mtech exams in
including ELR Jobs Life
those DBT-BET sciences
completed PhD are 60-
10+2+3 80%
years of
ELR Jobs similar.
ICMR Only the
education PhD
(From IV name of
year BTech the exams
ELR Jobs are
to I year ICAR different.
MSc/MTech) PhD

State & Private Institutions vs Central Institutions
• State/Private Institutions / • Central
Universities Institutions/Universities
General case- General case-
• Less financial resources or less • More financial resources from the
financial allocation and more political Central Government and more
or management interference with no allocation for better infrastructure
or less freedom. Hence less and facilities , better pay for their
infrastructure, less facilities, less faculties so they attract better human
quality and lesser scope. resources. More freedom/
• State /regional level competition. autonomous with less or no
Comparatively easy entry system for interference. Hence better faculties.
PG/PhD or jobs. better quality labs. better resources
and better career opportunities.
• National level competition for
PG/PhD or jobs.

Non-core jobs
• IT/ KPO/ BPO/ Medical coding / Medical transcription/ Science
publishing / Editing/ Copy writing jobs etc can be collectively
categorized as non-core jobs or support jobs.

• These jobs suits for candidates who have accidentally taken Biology
courses without knowing the specific requirements or does want to
stay in the field and look for any job opportunity .

• Considerable percentage of science candidates in non-core jobs do
not get job satisfaction in IT/KPO/BPO jobs if they have been forced
to opt for it.

Short training/certificate programs
• Few Months of trainings in private training labs or certificate
courses (Clinical research/ Stem cells/ Bioinformatics) by paying
Rs.5000- Rs.10,000/- may not help all the time to secure a fresher
job in a private /government sectors as any one can pay , get
trained and certified just like our college degrees.
• You need to distinguish yourself from the crowd.
• These programs will indeed add value to your profile but it is not
the direct solution for finding a fresher job.
• Most of these short training programs/ short courses help people to
fill up resume if the programs are not backed by placements as
assured by the training companies. In many cases, these companies
place 2-3 candidates after the completion out of a batch size of 10-
15.
• Please remember that we pay in lakhs to our colleges/universities
for 2-4 years program but still they themselves do not provide the
practical hands-on experience !!!

PG/PhD in abroad
• Pursuing MS/PhD in American/European countries may give you better
international research exposure, skill sets and facilities depending on the
type of university you choose.
• Many students tend to pick up “anything foreign” being pushed by the
educational consultancies without researching on the reputation and
standards just as we have done in our UG/PG.

• Going international is more about the experience and exposure to better
facilities but please do not think it as a solution to escape from the Indian
systems/issues we have discussed in the previous slides.
• You are expected to come back after few years and as you come back you
will be treated at par with any other locally educated candidates unless
you come from the top 100 global universities, you will need to undergo
all the processes we have discussed for fresher jobs.

• One year MS programs (post 3 years BSc) are not generally accepted by
most government universities in India for job or PhD programs.

Why you should focus on Government sector jobs
• You are a fresher. You do not have campus placements. You do not
have experience. You do not have references.
• Private sector is all about money and generally prefers experienced
ready to join work force. Government sector is not just about money
but it is also about human resource development.
• CSIR/ICMR/ICAR/DBT/IIT all have HRD department which conducts all
these exams (GATE/CSIR/ICMR/ICAR/DBT-BET) to recruit and train
fresher man power for jobs/PG/PhD for its chain of labs across the
country. Primary focus of all these national exams is to recruit skilled
fresher workforce.
• Only the government sector recruits more number of freshers.
• Only the government sector pays more than the private sector for
BTech/MSc/MTech freshers (~Rs.20,000/-pm in fellowship category).
• Government sector does not differentiates you based on your college
but purely based on your individual merit and skills. It gives you the 2-
3 years work experience which the private sector looks for.

Government sector-Profile
• CSIR
39 laboratories and 50 field station or extension centres across the country.
• DBT
15 research organizations.
• ICMR
32 research institutes and 20 regional centres.
• ICAR
04 Deemed Universities, 47 research institutions, 17 national research centres, 6
national bureaux, 25 project directorates and 56 Agricultural Universities.
• 16 IITs
• 20 NITs and 10 more to come up.
• 5 IISERs and NISER
• 7 AIIMS
• 4 IIITs
• 42 Central Universities
• 285 state universities

We cannot change the past but we can
create the future..!
THINK & ACT WISE!
"If you think you are beaten, you are. If you think you dare not, you
don't !..If you want to win, but think you can't, it's almost a cinch you
won't . If you think you will lose, you're lost; For out in the world we
find Success begins with a fellow's will; its all in the state of mind.
Life's battles don't always go To the stronger and faster man, But
sooner or later the man who wins is the man who thinks he can..!

Walter.D.Wintle..

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For any queries or clarifications or suggestions or career
counseling, please reach us at info@abs.org.in / 044-42867172

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