Forum:How to get work experience in Bioinformatics ?

Question

[ishackm]

Hi everyone,

Hope everyone is good.

I have the following dilemma.

I hope to start my Masters in Bioinformatics in a few months. I am currently learning Python and also using the Biostars Handbook. I come from a Biology background I am looking for Bioinformatics experience, however, the field is very new to my city, London and all the jobs require PhD and a few years of experience.

My question is can I self-teach Bioinformatics and build experience and put it on my CV. I also have 3 years of IT experience.

Any input will be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,
Ishack

[GenoMax]

(posted by OP a few months back): How to get work experience in Bioinformatics

Answer 1

[Ricardo A.]

Hi, Ishack,

I believe you should be able to get some good amount of experience during your Masters. Do you have something like required research credits? I'd imagine that you could fulfill those by doing an internship (that's what a significant part of our masters students do here in Michigan). Internships are a great way of learning new skills and to add work experience in your CV.

Also important to consider is what type of jobs do you want in the future - if you're thinking of looking for data science jobs, then I'd suggest you get up to speed in machine learning, classic statistics etc. Do some kaggle competitions, look at some DREAM challenges. These are good ways to get some hands-on experience if you're not in a lab yet. Either way, try to connect with as many people as possible during your time in school. Reach out to faculty in your program and ask who they know in industry - that's always a good starting point for job searching later.

Hope this helps