5 Reasons to Pursue a Career in Biotech

In the science world, there are numerous career paths that can lead to both financial rewards and a strong sense of fulfilment. One particular field that’s worth pursuing is biotechnology, which is a rapidly growing discipline. In recent decades, the biotechnology sector has opened a breadth of opportunities for professionals that seek to make a difference in the world through the integration of the natural sciences and engineering.

5 Reasons to Pursue a Career in Biotech

For the most part, biotech involves using biological systems and scientific techniques to produce technologies, treatments, and goods that could potentially improve everyday life. From medicines to household items, the products developed through biotech efforts are numerous and encompass a wide range of industries. 

As challenging as this discipline might seem, the rewards that the biotech sector promises make it worth the contemplation. In this article, we’ll take a quick look at some of the best reasons to pursue a biotech career—and what aspiring biotech professionals can expect from one of the most lucrative industries of today.

Diversity of Career Paths

While it’s true that working in biotech entails plenty of lab work, that doesn’t mean that career opportunities are limited to working inside a lab. There is, of course, the option to become a lab assistant or technician, which pertains to assisting scientists or researchers with routine lab work—a lot of which involves microorganisms, reagents, and other materials needed for research and development (R&D). Similar processes are involved in other biotech jobs, including that of a microbiologist, clinical technician, medical scientist, bioengineer, biochemist, or process development scientist.

Aside from lab work, biotech professionals can also work in sales. Biopharmaceutical professionals, for example, require significant knowledge about lab procedures such as those involved in all stages of clinical trials. There’s also the option to work in academia as a professor, or in the legal sector as a biotech-focused patent lawyer. Perhaps one of the most profitable career options in the long term is to become an entrepreneur with their own biotech startup, which can be launched even from co-working spaces with a biosafety level 2 facility designation. 

Regardless of the career path they choose to take, biotech professionals won’t experience a shortage of opportunities considering the growing demand in areas like biomanufacturing, genetic engineering, and personalised medicine, among others.

Job Security in an In-Demand Industry

Since 2005, biotech companies have grown exponentially and generated revenues of more than USD 141 billion. According to Global Market Insights, the biotech industry is poised to expand further at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 9.4 percent between 2021 and 2027. And as the world has learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, the work that biotech professionals do is invaluable in the face of unprecedented worldwide medical emergencies. 

Even without the threat of another pandemic, the biotech industry is still worth a shot, considering that scientific discoveries still need to be made. As technologies evolve and processes become more efficient, the world will continue to need biotech experts to do heavy R&D work for various stakeholders. As such, biotech will remain a profitable field and sustain a healthy demand despite potential market slowdowns.

Exciting Scope of Work

Some people veer away from science jobs because of the technicalities involved in such fields, but the work that biotech experts do is anything but boring. Working in a lab with live organisms is already exciting in itself, but the most exhilarating part about these processes is the prospect of discovery. 

R&D is, at its core, all about creation and discovery. Nothing beats the feeling of helping discover drugs that can save countless lives, or making groundbreaking contributions to science that cement one’s name in history. Being in biotech means having endless opportunities to learn, to learn from the best, and to contribute valuable knowledge while standing on the shoulders of giants. 

Opportunities to Contribute to Other Sectors

Although it’s considered a specialised field of study, biotech has a high potential for contribution to other industries. For example, the work that scientists do in a lab can be used to engineer medical solutions such as gene therapy and molecular diagnosis. Biotech discoveries can also be used for applications such as crop and livestock cultivation, pollution and waste management, and even industrial manufacturing through genetically modified organisms (GMOs). 

Overall, biotech projects are highly valuable in numerous interdisciplinary efforts, both for private and government purposes. Any aspiring biotech professional who wants to work in the public sector or the private sector can be assured of their chance to contribute to either sphere. 

A Rewarding and Meaningful Career 

Last, but definitely not least, future biotech experts are in for an incredibly meaningful career that goes beyond profits and scientific discovery. Many biotech professionals report a high level of satisfaction with their careers, especially with the life-changing work they do every day. 

Biotech offers professionals the opportunity to solve pressing problems that international communities face, whether it’s low crop yields or a lack of treatment options for terminal illnesses. Overall, the capacity to elevate quality of life in tangible ways can compound or even trump the prestige and financial benefits that are already afforded to those in the biotech sector. 

Takeaway: Join the Community of Brilliant Game-Changers

All that being said, the heart of the biotech industry lies in its community of brilliant and hard-working people using science to try and change the world. Being in this sector primarily means working with a team—in particular, a team that relies on each other’s support to lead projects to success. 

In the end, there’s nothing more fulfilling than joining a community of game-changers that utilise their passion to launch projects geared towards better societies, healthier planets, and sustainable futures. The reasons provided above should be more than enough to get you curious about a career in biotech, so consider exploring particular options that are available to you in this dynamic and very important sector.