<p>So I'm a bio major, but I've never been into it the way some people apparently are (I picked my major on a whim), and I have no plans on going to med school, professional school, or even grad school. I'm planning on doing something else eventually, but right now I just want to get a job and start saving some money. Thing is, outside of class I've never really had any lab experience, and while I'm pretty sure I'm qualified for a job as a lab tech just because of all the bio/chem classes I've taken (and the books I've read in my free time, too), I'm not sure how to word all of this on my resume. So if anyone has any suggestions on how to do it, that would be great.</p>
<p>Alternatively, just because I'm a perfectionist and/or tend to sell myself short, I'm also considering to volunteer as a lab tech at some biotech company for a while just so I have an official experience. I don't have the slightest idea on how/where to volunteer, though. I've tried all sorts of key words on Google, but I just never found what I was looking for. (In case it matters, I live in SoCal.) I don't think I'm qualified for internship because I'm graduating and because my academic performances aren't great enough for my ex-professors to want to recommend me. I did okay when I was at the local community college, but at my current university I'm only doing "eh" at best, and my GPA is just barely above 3.0 -- not terrible, but not impressive either.</p>
<p>So this is my current dilemma. Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for anyone willing to help.</p>
<p>Most of the lab tech jobs are via temp agencies around here. There is such a huge glut of science graduates most won’t want to take someone without significant lab experience like running cell cultures, sterile techniques, microbiology plating, DNA work etc. Also, I wouldn’t want to make a career out of it. It is very unstable, low paying (~$12/hour), devoid of benefits, and dead-end.</p>
<p>On the resume, simply list the lab techniques such as PCR, Western Blot or whatever you’ve learned in your teaching lab courses under “Skills” section that could be useful in a research lab. </p>
<p>Like this↓</p>
<p>Skills:
*Biology: PCR, Western Blot… , etc.</p>
<p>As for looking for job, ask your school’s career service center or use its website to look for full-time jobs. This is the best way if you’re still in school. Other websites like Indeed.com is great as well. Also look for other jobs that look for just B.S degrees in biological sciences, I think things like Clinical Research Assistant is great as well.
Btw, sschoe2 is right about those lab tech jobs low-paying and dead-end.</p>
<p>Yeah, I figured that out eventually, but by the time I did, I’d taken too many bio classes to back out of the major. I’m not planning on making a career out of this, though – I just want to at least feel like I’ve used what I’ve learned in college before I throw it all out the window.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about that. Just do what ever you need to do to start a rewarding career. If companies want to pay minimum wage to science grads then they are the ones throwing it out the window. It isn’t on you.</p>
<p>Is it this bad in all the sciences for college graduates or is it limited to Biology? I have one son who is a sophomore in College majoring in Geology and another son who is a senior in high school planning to start college this Fall and major in Physics. If dead end $12/hour jobs through temp agencies is what they have to look forward to I may have to have a serious talk with both of them about what they are getting themselves into and that maybe they should explore other majors like Psychology, Economics or Communications which seem to be much more popular.</p>
<p>I know it is this bad for Biology and Chemistry for sure. I am not sure about geology. Physics a lot of graduates use their modeling, math, and programming skills to get jobs in business unrelated to physics per se.</p>
<p>Turn that geology into a Geophysics or Petroleum Engineering.</p>
<p>Geology itself is worthless.</p>
<p>Geophysics is highly quantitative and information technology based. It is the application of physical methods (programming, modeling, remote sensing) to geological problems.</p>
<p>My elder son is in the third semester of Calculus for Math, Physical Science and Engineering majors and plans to take Linear Algebra, Differential Equations and two semesters of Advanced Mathematical Methods for Scientists which are upper division courses. He is also taking the Calculus based three semester General Physics sequence and plans on taking upper division Physics courses in Electromagnetics, Classical Mechanics and Modern Physics. The state university he attends does not offer a degree in Geophysics but the do offer an upper division course in it that he plans to take. Along with meeting all of the other requirements for a degree in Geology would he be able to work as a geophysicist with this coursework.</p>
<p>Also, I believe Petroleum Engineers are the ones who get the oil out of the ground after it has been discovered. Wouldn’t geologists be needed to find the oil deposits in the first place?</p>