by Dave Jensen » Wed Sep 29, 2004 11:57 pm
Bill,
Many companies are gearing up for manufacturing and it is a major job category. For PhD's, this means that certain kinds of scientists (fermentation microbiologists, cell biologists, biochemical engineers, analytical biochemists, etc) will be needed for core manufacturing facilities.
PhD's are often found running the show in manufacturing, but they often start in jobs like Quality Control/Assurance or Assay Development, Tech Services, etc. By sheer numbers, there are more BS level positions, because these folks are operating the equipment. Even community colleges are gearing up to support certain hiring trends in manufacturing.
However, don't be concerned if you still like the bench. There are about 800 companies in the Northern CA area, and only 100 of them see a need for manufacturing staff in the short term (the next couple of years). So -- that means a lot of firms are still in the search for a product to manufacture.
Dave Jensen, Moderator
"Failure is a bruise -- not a tattoo." -- Jon Sinclair