Now I am no mathematician, but I do know this:

Biotech Firms and Recruiters + Scientists + Free Drinks and Finger Foods = Good Fun and Networking at the CU Biotechnology Association Winter Meet and Greet

And good fun it was, but the networking was even better. This aptly named event was put on by the Columbia University Biotechnology Association with the goal of connecting NYC scientists with potential future employers. The event was intimate but bustling, filled with aspiring scientists looking for an alternate career path. The repertoire of sponsors attending included intellectual property law firms, scientific staffing agencies, and New York based science associations.

One particularly apropos sponsor was Opus Scientific, a specialized staffing service for those looking for a job in the NYC scientific marketplace. This Long Island based company aims to place both recent graduates and experienced scientists in a variety of sci-focused fields, ranging from R&D to business development. Opus was kind enough to provide each attendee with a detailed guide on how to effectively transition from academia to the biotech world. From personal experience, I often find that the rules of transition are a learn-as-you-go endeavor, so this guide full of career profiles, etiquette tips, and informative websites was much appreciated.

Another sponsor attending the event was Cohen Pontani Lieberman & Pavane LLP (CPLP), an intellectual property law firm in Manhattan. I spoke with a partner at the firm (and Columbia alum), Alan Morrison, about the move into a career in intellectual property law. His advice: Think very carefully about why an IP law career would be desirable over any other biotech-related profession, speak with as many attorneys as possible about their career stories and — if still interested — get some experience at a law firm before making any big decisions (i.e. to attend law school or other post-graduate training). This approach should make for a happier and smoother transition from the lab to a new profession.

Lastly, but certainly not least, of the attending sponsors was Naturejobs. Several members of the Naturejobs team were there to answer questions about various scientific careers available to the job seeker, from the tools needed for an effective job search to what a career at Nature is like day-to-day.

The event seemed to be a hit amongst the attendees that I spoke to, small enough to talk to the majority of the attending sponsors but big enough for there to be representatives from several industries. In these glum economic times, an event like this makes the job search seem a bit brighter for scientists.