Dear everyone,
I am a french newly graduated student in bioinformatics. I get my master 3-4 weeks ago. But now I am supposed to start working, student life is over, hard to admit. Since I am no lazy, I submit to some positions. But the thing is, I have already applied for many positions almost no replies. However, I don't understand, I do have experiences: I did 4 internships including one in Paris, Berlin and Singapore.
Maybe It is also because I don't know exactly what I want to do. I didn't know that It was so difficult to find something that I like. I still like what I am doing but after one bad experience in research, I am kind of losing faith in it I would like to try working in company, start-up or a science journal just to see if I will like it.
I was also thinking travelling, doing a civic engagement, improve my English and my German, finish the Santiago de Compostela --> You see maybe I think too much.
So if you have any advice, any suggestions, any stories or also some contact to give it to me please do not hesitate. this is my mail: mossotti.baptiste@gmail.com
This is my linkedin page (just in case you are interested): https://www.linkedin.com/in/mossottibaptiste
Baptiste
Hi,
I think you are a perfect candidate for a PhD (I realize you don't want it but I call it as I see it :) ). So you like to code, I see python and R and you do not know what your particular interest is ...well...perfect fit, if you ask me. My recommendation would be to get a PhD position (at least this way you will get funded until you find a real job). PhD positions in bioinfo are as ppl say "dime a dozen", PhDs are truly the cheap labour of the information age and there are numerous positions available. Working in a company is torture if you have your own ideas and those ideas are mostly theoretical concepts that you are interested in - theory only can flourish within some academic environment, period. Startups are a lot of work with no security nor clear perspectives for the future (So definitely not for a person thinking about a stable family life - startups are a big gamble, usually with a negative outcome). I cannot say anything about science journals since I haven't worked there. point is you have nothing to worry about, there is still 6-8 years of runway ahead of you to figure all these things out. Bigger problems will come when you get to my age and still pursuing bioinformatics. Believe me it doesn't work. I also did a phd, afterwords worked in a startup, during the phd worked as a bioinfor sys administrator for HPClusters and web servers, I am a programmer proficient in dozen computer languages but still without a job. Unfortunately, once you get out of the academia it is hard to get back in because it requires publications and these require a lot of time which you do not have. So, as I said find a phd position this will give you 3-6 more years to get a real job. Real jobs (sufficient to support a family) with bioinformatic background are hard to come-by.
Hi baxy
Thank you for your reply and for sharing your experience. You know, your answer is exactly what my professors told me. "You don't know what you want to do, no worries, do a PhD and you will find after that". The only problem is, a PhD for me it is not something trivial, that you can recommand to everyone. You spend 3-4 years working on a secific subject, reading papers, going to meeting, consortium, always aware of new information. In my opinion, this is not an easy solution to take.
wow i don't kow who filled your head with that, but what you are describing are ideal academic conditions. reality is: you get your scholarship, you listen to your boss and do whatever he says (if he says nothing you do nothing - in case your aim is not a phd but time to get a real job) once you get your money it is really hard to prove that you are not doing science ;) your boss regardless whether you graduate or not gets his points that push him higher academically. plus if he is smart enough, you dropping out can be extreamly beneficial for him. that is why I say phds are a cheep labour these days and a big opportunity for those that are in the position to have such ppl. meetings: usually you have 2 a week (lab or group each about 1h, the rest of the time you are free). as far as being on top of things goes (aware of new info), show me one phd student that is on top of anything :D usually ppl think they are on a frontier but they are not ( their enthusiasm gets the better of them ) and things do not change as much as ppl think (usually those that have no solid CS and Math background think that revolutionary things are poping up every day but they are not), it is because they do not understand basics. If you approach your problems only through new facts it will seam so but if you understand how things work then you will see that every "novelty" is just a modification on the topic. reading papers: i always considered them as documentaries, so instead of tv at night i read two or three papers (i still do that). the only thing you have to remember is never to re-evaluate math and stats in papers your boss is on (you take those papers as the holly bible ). because if you do that and point out irregularities (80-90% of bio, bioinfo, papers (that utilize statistical processing) have statistical and mathematical irregularities that easily can change the outcome of the analysis ) you will not get the extension on your contract and no recommendation and ultimately end up undesirable in science . understanding math and stats is only useful when trying to prove someone outside your group is an idiot.
i have this feeling that you are primarily "scared" to take up the phd position because what you've heard but there is no reason to be scared. based on what you said and what my crawler collected about you (never wise to post any real info on the web unless you want ppl to investigate you :D) you are a perfect candidate for a phd and in your case this could be the most logical choice
cheers
b
I wonder where you got those impressions regarding people doing a PhD, and how certain you are you can extrapolate those observations to all PhD students, everywhere.
of course I cannot extrapolate. the aim was to demystify the phd to the OP (as mush as one can in one post because my impression was that he is a bit scared to enrol, i know i was, also thinking about the expectations the community and co-workers will impose upon me - fear is the dumbest reason not to do something, particularly a logical thing (my personal opinion)). the point was, it is a job like any other. yes, ppl are probably much more motivated than in some other line of work but at the end of the day it is just a job. :)
:D anonymity :D
And by the way, I could also find you online. Anonymity doesn't exist.
@Baxy,
You make your point. Yes I am little bit scared of doing a PhD because I didn't find the subject yet, because it is at least 3 years on one specific subject. But It is not the path that I will recommand for someone who doesn't exactly know what he wants to do. Finding information on me was I guess not that hard specially when I wrote my mail, but I simply did it on purpose just in case that if someone has information, advices, jobs or contacts, he can send it to me :P
It might depend on your field or lab but I regularly have side projects and quite some diversity in my work, so I'm not 4 years on one very specific subject.
Unfortunately 4 internships of a few months do not mean much (even though it is better than nothing). I have seen the same issue from the biologist perspective: at the end of my studies me and my friends had more than one year and half of internship but no answer to our applications. Do not lose hope and continue to try, it can take a long time before the first replies.
Hi Radek,
Thank you for your advice. Maybe I am too impatient and like you said, it could be some times before the first replies. During this time, I will continue to apply for positions. Thanks ;)
Yes, go and finish 'el camino', maybe that would help you clarify what to do next.
At least you know one thing: that you are not interested in a PhD. There is nothing wrong with that. And you are not interested in that now, but you may (or may not) be in X years' time.
At any rate, don't get discouraged by the fact that you've applied for so many positions and no reply. It'd have been good to hear from them at least to say 'We've gone through the X applications but I'm afraid to say you have not been shortlisted for the interview'. It's a tough and competitive world out there. There are pretty competent people and fewer jobs due to funding cuts. People get made redundant, teams get dismantled due to changes in the research centre's vision for the future. Keep an eye here for jobs from all over the world and if you want to come to the UK (regardless the Brexit), check EMBL-EBI jobs. I can not recommend enough working there. If you get interested in any of those jobs, email the PI (as suggested by @igor) to get to know them and perhaps send your cv and ask if they think yours skills/experience would suit their team. At the EMBL-EBI, there is something for everyone, bioinformaticians, software developer, curators, training officers, etc.
Hi Denise,
Thank you for your reply. Yes my idea was to find something before hiking and then hike as far as I can, until the begining of the job. I guess I am in "depression post study", that I just finished university, I feel weird and lost. But Maybe I need also to see this situation in the other way around that it could be an opportunity for me to find a job in the field that I really like. Thank you for the link I will check for opportunities.