Senior Analyst Does Similar Work to Her PhD

Name: Aimee Jones (she/her)

PhD: Biochemistry, University College Dublin, 2024

What is your current job?

I am a Senior Analyst for Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing based in Dungarvan County in Waterford, Ireland.

My job entails:

• Performing a variety of molecular biology methods to test an AAV vector-based gene therapy, including potency assays, qPCR, Sanger sequencing.

• Writing SOPs and documents.

• Performing internal audits.

• Training junior staff.

• Data analysis

What is your favorite thing about your job?

It is similar to my PhD in the sense that I do many of the same techniques and each day is different. Although I work in pharma, I am not repeating the same task every day which is important to keep me engaged and motivated.

What is the most important skill you developed or experience you had during your PhD that now helps you in your current position?

Adaptability - schedules can change last minute based on company needs and you need to be able to quickly shift focus.

How did you build the skills necessary for your current role?

The skills I developed throughout my PhD helped to gain the skills for this role. I had 5 years of cell culture experience which is the primary role of my job.

How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?

LinkedIn

PhD graduate ➡️ Analyst level 3 ➡️ Senior Analyst

If someone is interested in a similar role, what would you recommend they start doing now to prepare?

Gain some knowledge/experience in Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and develop molecular biology techniques.

Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?

Due to the publication pressure, the lack of funding and poor pay for academics in Ireland, the lack of job security and for more detachment from the job to maintain a healthy work-life balance

What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?

1. Start networking - it makes it much easier to get your foot in the door.

2. Pharma companies really value industrial experience and may not hire you if you lack that even with a PhD so try and gain some form of training/internship or employment.

3. You might need to start in a lower role than expected but you should progress quickly.

And for those interested, what was your main area of research?

I investigated the possible molecular determinants of sex differences in depression using a rodent and cell-based model.