Is it just me or have things soured even further than what was supposed to be the 24/25 doldrums? Can we post some anecdotes to give people a ray of hope that sometimes things can work out?

I'll start.

Joined biotech by pure serendipity. Had a friend who was starting up a company approach me as I was wrapping up my PhD. Being a young guy with no family and zero awareness of how precarious a seed stage biotech would be, I happily joined because the offer was 3x what a post doc (pre-Obama rules) made.

Transitioned from one subfield of immunology to I/O and had the opportunity to learn a lot of different skills beyond the bench. Being a small company, had a much wider scope and visibility than I was equipped to handle at the time. But had patient mentors and was allowed to make mistakes. Went from being a bench scientist to leading a small team- thoroughly enjoyed being able to reciprocate the mentorship to others.

Not all smooth sailing though. Couple of lay-offs and re-orgs. Lost my team but somehow survived the RIF. Completely aimless for a year or so when the pipelines consolidated. Felt useless but couldn't move on because the job market was frozen. Just kept reading and trying to find somewhere to be useful.

6 months ago it finally happened. The project I've been plugging away at in the background with virtually no mandate from management (except that I stayed out of the way) became a top priority for the company. Feels good to finally have deadlines and goals again; contributing to the mission instead of being a passenger for the ride. Like the good old bad days working somewhere well outside my depth but being allowed to learn.

hope this post helps someone instead of reading like a brag post..

I'm curious how many of you have had to leave your family for a job. After 2 years of unemployment I'm having to take a job on the opposite coast because I can't find one locally. My wife and kids are staying here because we want them to stay in their schools. Man, I'm scared, overwhelmed and a bit angry it has come to this.

I think people are attracted to biotech because it offers the opportunity to work on life changing treatments with exciting science.

A common saying is do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life. Another is that even a dream job becomes just a job in the end.

For people who have been in the industry a long time, are you still passionate about your work and its purpose? Or has the shine worn off and it’s just become another corporate job?

I got laid off from an up and coming biotech company 3 years ago. That company was where I got significant experience with that technology and all the activities around tech transfer.

About 2 years ago I was able to secure a job at a startup using a not so profitable technology with a significant pay cut and lower title. I was grateful I was back in the industry though and not working at a grocery store.

I recently applied to a position in which the job description was exactly what I did 3 years ago, at a company where I know many people who could recommend me. Not only that, I know the hiring manager personally.

The team loved my personality, and I had exactly the skills they needed! Except when I interviewed with the hiring manager's boss. Her questions were highly technical. But I prepared. My experience was 3 years ago but i used AI to fill in the gaps. I prepared for all the typical questions she would ask me. But I misheard a question, talked about it for a bit, and she redirected me to what she actually asked and then my mind blanked. What also didn't help was my experience was 3 years stale and I didn't remember too many details of what I did because of it.

I know all of this because the hiring manager told me, because he's my friend. He tried to sell me to his boss without giving away that we were friends, but it's out of his hands. I was the most qualified applicant at the time. They reposted the job and the boss is now saying she wants someone more senior. Because she wants the applicant to hit the ground running. Even though my friend said that in this time they reposted the job and interviewed more candidates he could've trained me to do exactly what his boss wanted right now.

I had the best circumstances to get this job that would have given me the pay I had before and I would remain marketable with my skills but I screwed it up.

Rant over.

Has anyone been laid off while taking a course that was eligible for reimbursement from your employer? What did you do? Did you still get reimbursed?

I am interviewing for a role at the Tarrytown office. I currently live in Jersey city and would need to reverse commute. Wanted to get feedback and feel of what working there is like. I would work on business side…I am also interviewing for a similar role at BMS based in Madison, NJ that would be hybrid but pay less than Regeneron. Both jobs would be for promotion

The dreading day is coming very soon. Sue to budget cuts, my position is about to be part of layoff. It’s very stressful and depressing to know that even after having PhD and working in industry for last 10 years, you still have no job security. I know a lot of people on this group are struggling with this. Appreciate if you can help me with any pointers in how to go about job search. There is not much out there at all!

EDIT: Thank you everyone for encouragement and support. Preserving mental health nd keeping emotion sin check is the priority and by far the hardest thing to do so far. Testing time for sure!

Went down a little rabbit hole after working on recombinant DNA

can u tell me the time frame when they got back to you? i did my interview ( 3 rounds) 3 weeks ago and i am still wait.

Is BMS making all the right moves? How is Abecma and what is the future of this company with recent buzz and acquisitions? How is work culture in BMS New Jersey office?

Heard rumors of layoffs today... anyone has info?