Internships and Career Opportunities in Biotechnology
In California, the majority of biotech companies are in the pharmaceutical industry - producing medicines to help patients with AIDS, strokes, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc. Techniques of biotechnology are also used in agriculture, industrial applications, forensics, mining, environmental cleanup and other industries. The San Francisco Bay Area has a heavy concentration of biotech companies.
Watch the video about the Ohlone Biotechnology Programs that features interviews of faculty, students, company and government representatives. The video is captioned; a transcript is not available.
Please visit the Counseling Department and Career Services for information.
Biotechnology Internships
The internship is a short-term temporary period of employment with a biotech company. This work experience is invaluable for students and enables them to apply theory and lab skills learned in our program to real life situations. This temp work experience also enables biotech companies to evaluate student skills and performance as candidates for longer-term positions.
Biotechnology Careers
Careers in Biotechnology can be found in the following fields:
- Pharmaceuticals
- Agriculture & Food Science
- Environmental Clean-up
- Energy
- Forensics
- Genetic Testing
- Industrial
- Anthropology
- Bioinformatics
- Instrumentation & Suppliers
Common Job Functions in Biotechnology fields:
- Research & Development
- Manufacturing & Production
- Quality Control & Assurance
- Sales & Marketing
- Technical Support
- Regulations & Documentation
| Job Title | Minimum Requirements - AA Degree / Biotech Certificate | Related Work Experience | License | Bachelor's Degree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Technician | X | Preferred | Preferred | |
| Documentation Coordinator | X | Preferred | ||
| Green House Technician | X | Preferred | Preferred | |
| Instrumentation / Calibration Technician | X | Preferred | ||
| Laboratory Assistant | X | Preferred | Preferred | |
| Laboratory Technician | X | Preferred | Preferred | |
| Quality Control Technician | X | Preferred | ||
| Quality Assurance Technician | X | Preferred | ||
| Manufacturing Assistance | X | Preferred | ||
| Manufacturing Technician | X | Preferred | Preferred | |
| Technical Service Rep. | X | Preferred | ||
| Health & Safety Specialist | X | Preferred |
Careers in Biotechnology, 2nd Edition, A counselor's Guide to the Best Jobs, Pasadena City College Women At Work, 2002.
Biotech Career Resources
- Bioscience in Silicon Valley, LMI
- Careers in Biotechnology, A counselor's Guide to the Best Jobs, Pasadena City College Women At Work, 2000
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2003-2004
Please visit the Counseling Department and Career Services for information.
Employment Outlook
Please refer to the following links for employment outlook and labor market information:
- Occupational Outlook Handbook
- California Employment Development Department, Labor Market Information
Biotechnology Alliance
Ohlone College works collaboratively with the following agencies and industries:
- City of Fremont - Economic Development
- City of Newark - Economic Development
- City of Hayward - Economic Development
- EDAB - Economic Development for Business
- Alameda County Workforce Investment Board (WIB)
- Genentech
- BioImagene
- Mendel Biotechnology
- DiscoveRx
- Abgenix
- ViOptix
- Lynx Therapeutics
- Inamed
- Cell Genesys
- Impax
- Lab Vision
- Metabolex
Biotechnology Websites
- California State University Programs for Education & Research in Biotechnology
- Bio Industry Organization
- California Community College Biology Technologies Initiative
- Central Coast Biotechlogy Center
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