Nicholas Vera

By Nicholas Vera

A Small Slice of Biotech Reality - My Experience

I truly enjoy working in the biotech/pharmaceutical industry. It is a great field to be in. I love science and I love doing research. However, at the end of the day, it is still a business, and unfortunately, money rules the world that we live in today. It does not matter how big or small the company is. Layoffs are a fact of life in the biotech/pharmaceutical industry.

I was recently laid off from ArQule – a biotech company located in Woburn, MA. The whole experience was far from enjoyable; however, I came to terms with it as quickly as possible. At first, I took the layoff personally. I started to wonder if I got laid off based on my performance level. I spoke to my boss almost immediately after I received the bad news and he explained to me that his boss was forced to transform a group of fifteen people into a group of seven people. There were some very difficult decisions that had to be made, but the outcome had absolutely nothing to do with anyone’s performance. My boss really helped me to put things in perspective, and at that point, I was officially ready to move on with my life.

I happen to be at a very early stage in my career. I received my bachelor’s degree in biochemistry/molecular biology in May 2001, and my first real job was at ArQule. I am currently enrolled in a part-time master’s program; however, I will not complete the program for another two years. After being laid off from ArQule, I had almost three

years of full-time experience doing bioanalytical work. I was in a very good position to find a new job. In addition, I did not have the responsibilities that many other people have. For instance, I am not married and I do not have any kids. I do not own a house. I am only responsible for myself. Hence, I was not under the same pressure that many other people are under to find a new job. Nevertheless, I did not like being out of work, and I was determined to find a new job as quickly as possible.

I decided that I would make looking for a job become my new job. In other words, I was going to dedicate eight hours a day – Monday through Friday – to finding myself a new job. I realized how much work is involved in a job search, and I got started immediately. I got in touch with every contact that I had ever made in the biotech/pharmaceutical industry. I called people on the phone, and then I e-mailed them just to follow up. I updated my resume. I researched the websites of all the companies that I was interested in working for. I contacted a couple of recruiters that I knew. But the most important thing that I did in my job search was to remain positive and enthusiastic. I did not get depressed or down on myself once. I remained focused and motivated, and by the end of my first jobless week, I had managed to secure two job interviews for the following week. I ended up receiving my first job offer not more than three weeks after being laid off. In the end, I accepted a job offer from a major pharmaceutical company in Cambridge, and I am very happy there.

In closing, layoffs are an unfortunate reality of the biotech/pharmaceutical

industry. Almost everyone that I know has been laid off at one point or another. The whole process of getting laid off is not fun for anybody. However, it is extremely important to stay positive and remain focused. One thing that I have learned about potential employers is that most of them appreciate enthusiasm. Therefore, as long as you have the right attitude, you will be 50% of the way to finding yourself a new job.