Most RAs have bachelors or masters degrees and those with 2-5 years experience are in greatest demand, say insiders. There are some companies, however, who will hire RAs and lab techs with an AA degree - sometimes for economic reasons and sometimes because they prefer to spend the time developing then to do things their way. Depending upon experience and specific skills, employment opportunities exist at all hiring levels in the industry. As well, there are undergraduate programs in biology and chemistry offered through a number of colleges and universities. Anne Arundel Conmiunity College, Cecil Community College, Harford Community College, the Community Colleges of Baltimore County and Montgomery Community College also have biotech focused Programs.
Insiders offer information to th ose interested in biotech employment.
Students are encouraged to check with high school or community college guidance counselors, who have access to specific computer-based information linked to biotech career pathing. They are also reminded to check out details on Maryland's new high tech tuition remission initiative, which provides substantial incentives for graduates who are then employed in the State of Maryland. Web sites and professional journals are also highly recommended sources for job seekers. Even at the entry level, however, the most often repeated piece of advice is to get as much hands-on lab experience as possible. The opportunity to be a part of cutting edge science is obviously one big draw of the biotech industry but there are others too.