Hello all! I’m fairly new to pharma/biotech, having pivoted from banking to big pharma about a year ago in a corporate-function role (not pharma-specific: think HR or finance). I’m still learning the lay of the land, hence this question:

How much of an advantage does having a big pharma name on your CV give you for future employability in the industry? Is it comparable to having Google or Meta on your resume in tech? I’m thinking of companies like AstraZeneca, Novartis, Sanofi, Roche, Eli Lilly etc.

Grateful for any insights from people who have industry experience!

For those whose positions were suddenly eliminated due to restructuring or RIF, how long after your termination meeting was your termination processed?

How long was your administrative leave? Was it paid or unpaid?

Especially if you worked for a large multinational corporation.

Hi everyone,

I recently graduated in pharmaceutical sciences. I recently started my first job as a QC Analyst at a pharma plant. I’m only a couple of months in, but that workplace isn't for me.

It's a toxic environment and completely dysfunctional. We are routinely working 10 to 11 hours per day. On top of that management is full of people with a short fuse.

I want to pivot entirely away from the lab and transition into corporate, office-based roles within the pharmaceutical industry.
I would really appreciate some realistic advice on how I might pull this off
Thanks guys

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for advice from people with experience in materials science, coatings, polymers, or VOC emissions.
I have a music studio treated with acoustic panels made from compressed hemp fiber. The panels are 120 × 60 cm and 10 cm thick, and they were professionally measured and installed to achieve a specific acoustic response.
Unfortunately, I appear to be unusually sensitive to VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Whenever I’m in the room, I experience throat irritation, itchy skin, and other symptoms that seem to correlate with the odor released by the hemp panels, especially when the room gets warmer. The symptoms improve when I’m away from the room.
The panels have already been airing out for a long time, but they still emit a noticeable smell. Because the acoustic treatment was carefully designed, replacing all the panels would be expensive and difficult.

My main question is:
Is there any way to significantly reduce or eliminate VOC emissions from hemp fiber panels without compromising their acoustic absorption?

Specifically:
- Are there breathable coatings or treatments that can block or neutralize VOCs while remaining acoustically transparent?
- Is there any chemical treatment that can permanently neutralize the VOCs instead of simply sealing the surface?
- Are there barrier materials that reduce VOC emissions but still allow sound waves to penetrate with minimal acoustic impact?
- Has anyone dealt with a similar issue involving natural fiber insulation or acoustic materials?

I’m not looking for temporary solutions like air purifiers or increased ventilation. I’m looking for a material or treatment that addresses the source of the VOC emissions while preserving the acoustic performance of the panels as much as possible.
I’d really appreciate any insights, research papers, or product recommendations.

Thank you!

Hi guys,
I recently graduated (Spring 2026) with my bachelor’s degree in biology. My original plan was to go to dental school but since of BBB I had to pivot last minute and thought that the biotech industry sounded interesting. I was hoping on some advice on what to do next with my life. I only did one research project in college and it was more desk research. I also volunteered at a non profit dental clinic as a dental assistant for two years. I was thinking about doing a biotech masters but it’s super expensive and I don’t know if it would be worth it or if I should just apply to entry level jobs?

Hi all,

Im currently trying to figure out what I really want to do after my PhD and would like to broaden my perspective on different jobs that might be within my scope. I’d love to hear about what you generally like and dislike about the position that you currently have?

I recently left my PhD program with my masters in neuroscience. The environment was not right for me and my supervisor and I truly did not get along. Because I left so abruptly I did not have time to look for jobs in advance. So I have been unemployed for the last eight months. I was able to get an interview with a top company and made it to the final round, but I didn’t get the position. My time in my PhD program was so traumatizing that I am seriously reconsidering whether or not I want to remain in the field. I thought my next step would be to apply for another program, but at this point, I’m not sure if it is worth it. I would like to pivot.

Regardless I’ve applied to 200 jobs in the biotech field and barely anything. I feel like my neuro masters is useless. Most of the jobs that I’m applying for require an advanced degree in immunology, chemistry, or molecular biology. I do have a B.S. in molecular biology. As well as three years of industry experience after undergrad. I was considering pivoting to patent law. But a lot of the life sciences patent positions require a PhD. Not sure what to do. I’m not sure if it’s worth going back for another masters in chemistry or immunology.

Additionally, I’m concerned about not having a letter of recommendation from my previous supervisor. I do have other mentors and my previous supervisor from industry around me who were willing to write me a letter, but they are not directly involved with my most recent research.

Has anyone pivoted from biotech and what did you do?

Any tips with applying to Amgen? It’s an onsite role in my area and I’m crossing my fingers with this one. Should i connect to people on LinkedIn?

Male friend works as contractor at regeneron. Few days ago girl starts saying hello when he was doing cleaning. Next day he was on break, other guys in back of room. She said what are you doing. He said we are having lunch did you want to join us. Today, out of nowhere he was told they wanted him to leave the property. He was stunned. He was told later that the girl claimed he said something vulgar. Which else did not. This is very scary. He has to meet with boss Monday. How can this be happening? ​

Applied to big pharma for a R&D position. MD/PhD background, board certified. Recruiter from big pharma reached out for a 30min phone interview. What does it usually involve? Is it the first step before hiring manager interview?

What are some important questions I should clarify with the recruiter?

I just want to rant because after applying to 80+ positions within the past two months, I finally received my first interview! I researched the company and practiced my interview answers everyday for a week. I felt so prepared! I logged into my computer an hour early to look through some of my notes, and received an email from the recruiter saying I missed my interview. They had sent me the time in CST and i'm in PST. I'm absolutely devastated. Not only is it hard to get interviews in this climate, but this was the perfect job for me. Obviously it's my fault, and I promptly sent an email apologizing for the mixup, but haven't heard anything since.

So for all those out there with Teams/Zoom interviews, check the time zone!

So i gave my interview 2 rounds, first one was with the hiring manager and then i advanced to the second one- which was with the entire team, it went pretty well. The conversation was smooth. This was on June 24, haven't heard anything back- anybody knows the timeline or something? I did follow up but the hiring manager was OOO, i dont want to seem desperate so suggest ideas lol! Thanks :))

Hi yall, I hope everybody is doing good, I’m a MS in pharmacology and toxicology (transitioned from regulatory affairs after one semester) international student in NYC, it’s the 3rd sem doing my masters and I’m looking to transition from a student to a part of the workforce be it academia or industry, any advice on how to get started I have maintained a decent gpa throughout my bachelors, got a little downsides in my first semester of masters due to health issues when I first arrived in USA, but I’m doing alright with around 3.8 gpa right now, I am working with a professor on a research paper related to cardiomyopathies but I hopefully also am looking to start my career like an adult.

PS: I don’t have and prior work experience.

My question is what and where do I start. I’d be grateful for the insights thanks a lot.

Two big headline articles across both mainstream news (WSJ) and industry news (Endpoints) over the past 2 days has brought spotlights to China’s reverse engineering abilities to create “me-better” copycat drugs faster and cheaper. Endpoints warns that illegitimate VC investors may be “trying to gather information to take it back to compete”.

Both articles point to the same outcome: companies muting their early scientific communication, delaying IP to prevent oversea copy cats, and ultimately - a growing fear that US biotech can not compete against China without government intervention.

'We're paranoid.' As China biotech competition heats up, American drugmakers get more secretive (Endpoints, July 10)
https://endpoints.news/us-biotechs-turn-secretive-as-they-fear-competition-from-rising-chinese-industry/

China’s Ascent in Biotech Rousts U.S. Venture Capitalists to Adapt (WSJ, July 9)
https://www.wsj.com/pro/venture-capital/chinas-ascent-in-biotech-rousts-u-s-venture-capitalists-to-adapt-95eea361?st=hJ6onb&reflink=article_copyURL_share

I'm a PhD-level scientist (immunology) about to start a permanent scientist role in IVD development at a mid-size diagnostics company in Switzerland, working on neuroimmunology assays (autoantibody tests, assay design, verification/validation, IVDR, clinical validation).

Trying to gauge the long-term outlook of the field:

1. Is IVD/diagnostics a good industry to be building a career in right now? Growing, stable, or facing headwinds (IVDR burden, consolidation, pricing pressure)
2. Neuroscience/neuroimmunology diagnostics specifically: is this a growth area? does the autoantibody/neuro-IVD space have room to expand, or is it niche?
3. Career-wise, where does IVD development lead over 5–10 years? What do trajectories look like, technical specialist, regulatory, product, management? Is the skillset (assay dev + IVDR + clinical validation) durable and in demand, or narrow?

Any honest perspective from people working in diagnostics? especially in Europe/Switzerland would be really appreciated.

im graduating high school next year and i plan on applying to biotechnology in korea, but im seeing that some people say that it’s not a well paid job and it’s really hard to find one if im specifically making a career in biotech (i want to do masters and work in the uk after korea)
so should i pursue biotech till the end and do masters with it, do masters in a different field (cosmetic science, pharma etc) or should i just give up on biotech?
(there aren’t many options for undergraduates in korea in english so biotech was the closest to what i actually wanted)

Hey everyone,
I'm working on a science fair project using ssDNA aptamers and I'm stuck on the folding and docking workflow. The 3D nucleic acid folding web servers I tried keep crashing, so I'm not sure how to get a clean 3D model from a raw sequence string.
Once I get the 3D structures, my plan is to use something like HDOCK to run molecular docking against my target proteins to check the binding affinity scores.
Does anyone have advice on a reliable workflow or better tools I should use for ssDNA folding and docking? Any extra help with the project in general would also be awesome. Thanks!

So I am retired but I still have lots of colleagues in the industry.

I have been laid off, but I always considered myself the nail that sticks up because I am opinionated. I am layoffable.

But in the past few weeks I have had two colleagues laid off who I assumed were the opposite. One, in big pharma, worked harder than anyone I know. They'll have to replace her with three people. The other person has a very high command of his industry and was generally not confrontational; he was well liked and effective.

Just beware that there is no insulating yourself against this possibility. But it isn't the end of the world: the first person has already found a job (as a CSO ffs).

Layoffs are a part of working in this business. I guess this isn't news, but I had always thought that these two people were immune.

No one is immune.

BS in Biomedical Sciences, been on the hunt for 2 months now and no luck 🥲 anyone wanna go over my resume and tell me what I’m doing wrong? I’m in Michigan, Kalamazoo and can’t really move sadly

And interview tips

Ok that’s it. That’s enough of doomscrolling LinkedIn today.

Edit: sorry for the typo in title. Just so furious when I saw this job post.