How You Can Use BioBuzz’s Content to Get Ahead in Your Job Search

By Sarah Ellinwood
April 19, 2023

An article about BioBuzz on BioBuzz? How meta.

If you’ve been a BioBuzz reader for while, you’ve probably seen us note how we can be a great tool for your job search, no matter if you’re an active job candidate who is looking or someone who is settled in their current role but could be open to new possibilities.

While there are some resources that are obvious, such as our “Career Resource” articles, there are other ways you can use BioBuzz to its full advantage.

See which companies are in your neck of the woods and what they do

If you’re a student or early career professional, chances are you’re probably finding companies through Indeed or LinkedIn job postings. And while those are certainly helpful, chances are they only give you a high-level view of what that company is actually doing.

Through BioBuzz you can gain a deeper perspective of what’s going on inside a company’s walls, including their scientific approaches, past history, and upcoming milestones.

Don’t have time to go through and read full articles? Never fear – we just launched a new series called the “BioBuzz Quick Hits” that gives you a TLDR rundown of the past week’s news and happenings so that you can quickly skim.

Get a sense of which companies are actively growing and will likely be hiring soon

Besides general company awareness, you can also use our articles to gauge how a company is doing and whether there might be an opening for you either now or in the near future.

Keep an eye out for these types of articles – while they might not explicitly mention hiring needs, they’re signals that job openings are potentially on the horizon:

• Venture Capital funding rounds (“Series A”, “Series B”, etc) – Being able to raise a round of money is a huge accomplishment, and it means investors believe in the approach, the team, and the company’s trajectory moving forward.
• Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) – This means that a company is moving from being a private company to a publicly traded company on a stock exchange. Companies generally don’t tend to go public unless they feel they’re in a good position for the future.
• Positive Clinical Trial Data – Especially if the data is from a Phase 2 trial, which primarily assesses how well an investigational therapy works at treating a disease. Not only could the company be expanding its operations soon, especially for biomanufacturing, but it also signals to investors that this company is worth paying attention to, meaning the potential for more funding.

…and which companies might be freezing their hiring or even downsizing

Clinical trials, like anything in science, don’t always produce the data we hope for. The investigational drug might not show enough efficacy in humans, or it might cause unexpected side effects.

Negative data don’t necessarily mean a company is going to fall under, but the team will have to go back and re-evaluate their strategies. Do they want to try the investigational drug in a new population, try to modify it, or scrap it altogether? Regardless of the choice, chances are the company won’t be hiring for as many roles as they re-evaluate. And, if they end up scraping the product, they might end up cutting positions as well.

Note that companies don’t come outright and say, “hold on a sec while we’re trying to figure s*&# out.” Rather, keep an eye out for language such as, “the trial did not meet the primary endpoints,” or “we’re re-evaluating our portfolio” as a clue that they’re putting a pause on hiring.

Know which companies are doing things right

Some of our favorite stories to cover at BioBuzz are companies that are “doing well by doing good.” That means companies that partner with local organizations to make a difference, work on sustainability initiatives, have a stellar company culture, etc.

If you’re the type of person who wants to work at a company that closely shares these values, our articles can be a great resource to narrow down your list.

Find people to reach out to for informational interviews

Both our “In Conversation” and “5 Questions With” articles are great ways to find people in different roles that you might want to reach out to and connect with.

Our “In Conversation” articles feature perspectives from senior leadership professionals, and our “5 Questions With” features people from all parts of the career ladder, from current students to seasoned biotech veterans.

If you see someone who you want to reach out to, you can also use our content to warm up an otherwise cold intro on LinkedIn. Let them know you read their article on our site and want to learn more about their current career. 

Find volunteering opportunities to do good in your community and make new connections while also pumping up your resume

In the spirit of featuring companies that are doing well by doing good, we also feature organizations and nonprofits that have openings for volunteers to give back to their communities and help people in need. Not only would you be helping a great cause, but you’d also be able to add the experiences to your resume to show initiative.

Recent examples include Life Science Cares, Women In Bio, Building STEPS, and Dimensions Sciences, just to name a few.

Be in the know about events in your region

Every quarter we’ve started pulling together articles listing out upcoming events in our covered markets (currently the BioHealth Capital Region, Greater Philadelphia, and Research Triangle Park). We also have an event calendar worth checking out as well.

These events include everything from upcoming networking events to educational panel discussions to workshops that can help you fill in any skill gaps.

Get featured

Want to get noticed? We have several ways that you can be featured on our platform. This is a great low-stakes way for our readers to learn more about you and your work without the frills or hoops that you’d see if you went through bigger outlets.

• 5 Questions With – This is an interview-style Q&A where readers can learn more about your background, what you’re currently up to, and your interests
• People on the Move – Did you just get a new job or get promoted? We want to hear about it, no matter your career level!
• Guest Posts – Have an idea for an article but don’t want to create your own blog? We’re always looking to feature voices from our community, and your content will be seen by thousands of readers across the nation.

Has BioBuzz helped you advance in your career or land a job? We want to hear about it! Shoot us an email at [email protected] and let us know.