Career Spotlight: Research & Development
Joshua Budd | June 15, 2022
On June 9th, 2022, the Guelph S2BN Chapter hosted a virtual event to discuss
careers in research and development. The panel hosted the following distinguished guests:
Anna von Rossum, PhD, Scientist, Multispecific Antibody Therapeutics at Zymeworks Inc.
Kathleen Delfosse, MSc, NGS Data generation, Research Associate at Deep Genomics
Amirreza Rafiee, PhD, Associate Scientist II at CCRM
Students and early career professionals gathered to ask R&D experts the tough questions and network with like-minded individuals. This opportunity helped individuals to better understand what to expect in a career in the research and development sector. Attendees gained insights about the application process, work/life balance, and how to stand out amongst other applicants.
What skills can graduate students develop to better stand out in the research and development job market?
Kathleen: Think about what makes you marketable – what techniques can you do better than others?
Amirreza: It’s important to be both comfortable and confident with whatever skills you develop in graduate school. Remember – the more you know, the better you can design experiments.
Anna: I completely agree with Kathleen and Amirreza. Also, keep in mind that you can still market yourself to companies even if you aren’t an expert in a given technique – we are always willing to train!
Are you able to describe your work/life balance and how your respective companies support this?
Anna: The core hours (i.e., when work is expected to be done and meetings to be scheduled) at Zymeworks are 10am-4pm. I am fortunate to work at a company that supports employee work/life balance. For instance, the last Friday of each month is a half day and every Friday in the summer is one too!
Kathleen: We have a great HR team that helps everyone maintain boundaries. I’m done at 5pm and I don’t worry about work after that! Sometimes, we even get extra long weekends. For sure, there are times you need to come in more often, but that time can always be taken off in the future. We also offer support for employees with families – there’s a lot of flexibility!
Amirreza: I’ve gotten used to working many hours, but because I enjoy the work I’m doing, I really don’t mind – my life is my work. That being said, CCRM is quite flexible – I’m able to work from home if I don’t need to be in the lab. It really depends on the current project.
What was the hiring process like? Multiple interviews? Salary talk? Work hours?
Kathleen: I was recruited from LinkedIn after attending a seminar. There was an initial screening and then 2 separate interviews. We established expected work hours during the screening. We didn’t talk about salary until the offer, but I recommend that you discuss it as early as possible.
Anna: I applied 3 times! I was ultimately contacted by a hiring manager via LinkedIn. There were 4-5 panel-style interviews that involved a discussion/presentation of my previous research. Salary was discussed in the first interview – just ask!
Amirreza: The hiring process is position-dependent – the higher the level, the greater the number of interviews. I asked the recruiter about salary expectations and from there, was able to generate my own expected salary. I recommend doing some market research on the position and company first.
Would you recommend someone who is qualified for a scientist position (e.g., PhD, Post-doc) to apply to research associate positions and try to work up?
Anna: I wouldn’t hire a person with a PhD for an Associate position – it could cause issues when it’s time for promotions.
Kate: I’m not in a hiring position, but we don’t see that. Sometimes you can get a Scientist position without a PhD, though.
Amirreza: It is best to know your capabilities and apply to a position that you are both interested in and capable of. If they offer you something, you can always negotiate, too. You don’t want to leave a huge gap on your resume.
Is one year of job experience post-graduate studies sufficient?
Anna: Yes! Absolutely! Sometimes we hire right out of undergrad.
Amirreza: Yes, and if you’re a PhD candidate, the experience that you have from your research also counts as experience.
Kate: Yes – less than 10% of the employees have prior industry experience. Many employees come in at Masters or Post-doc level depending on the position.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
Amirreza and Kathleen: It can be tough to communicate with people in other departments. Individuals from other research backgrounds may not fully understand where your project plans are coming from. However, this creates space for you to work on your communication skills.
Anna: Balancing the demand of the science and your budget – making and justifying those decisions can be tough.
We hope this career spotlight provided great insight into the exciting world of R&D! For updates and news on exciting career talks, be sure to subscribe to S2BN's mailing list or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
