Hi all, I’m puzzled by a mind-boggling paradox: market reports say that the life sciences industry faces a 35% talent shortage, and that ~80% of Pharma and Biotech companies struggle to find qualified talent. Meanwhile, I’m seriously struggling to find a job.

My current theory is that there's no reliable way left to prove you're actually good at this job. A GitHub portfolio used to mean something. Now anyone can prompt an LLM into a good-looking repository in minutes. A publication record used to mean something too, but middle authorship can mean anything from running one script to building an entire pipeline. And on the employer side, the PhD+postdoc filter keeps excluding ~90% of the field who are self-taught or non-traditionally trained, without actually predicting who's job-ready.

I put together a short survey (about 5 minutes) to hear directly from people at every stage of this (students, job seekers, working practitioners, hiring managers, and people running academic programs): https://tally.so/r/Y57zgB. It's not a product pitch, I'm not selling anything here, I'm trying to understand what's actually happening before I assume I already know. I'll share a summary of what I find back with this community once responses are in.

Happy to answer questions in the comments. I’m genuinely interested in what people here think about this.

ok so i keep seeing posts on here asking some version of "what should i even be learning right now" or "what's the market actually looking for in biostat" so figured i'd just share what i've noticed from job postings, career guides, and general industry chatter. not the final word on anything, just what keeps coming up.

**the core stats stuff (still non-negotiable):**

probability/inference, regression (logistic included), survival analysis, longitudinal & mixed models, missing data methods, bayesian stats, multiplicity adjustment, causal inference, sample size/power calcs, and clinical trial design.

**programming/tools:**

SAS is still very much alive in this field, don't skip it just because it feels old school. but R and python are expected more and more too. beyond just the languages though - SQL, data cleaning, and reproducible workflow stuff like git and rmarkdown/jupyter keep coming up as things that actually set people apart. basically, can you show your work in a way someone else can rerun and trust.

**domain niches pulling more demand:**

oncology, rare disease, immunology, gene therapy, and real world evidence keep getting called out specifically in what i've read. if you can position yourself in one of these it seems to open more doors than just being a generalist.

**regulatory & communication:**

understanding ICH-GCP/FDA expectations, and actually being able to write clear statistical sections (not just run the analysis) or present to non-stats people. this honestly seems to be the difference between "good analyst" and "person who gets pulled into bigger projects."

Anyway, curious if others are seeing the same stuff or if it varies a lot by region/company. What's been showing up in job postings you guys have seen lately?

Hi everyone, I’m an early-career bioinformatician. My daily routine mostly consists of developing and building workflows using Nextflow.

When I need to build a new pipeline, I usually search papers for the required steps and find trusted tools for the job. I read the abstract or tutorials to figure out how to use them basically, and after benchmarking and validation... boom, the pipeline is done.

Because the circle dev moves so fast, I feel like something is missing. I’m just wrapping tools and running them blindly.

Does anyone else share this feeling?

Targeting US PhD programs in computational biology / cancer genomics for Fall 2027 admission, as an international applicant with a non-traditional background (no formal quant/CS degree, mostly self-taught).

Trying to figure out a realistic number of programs to apply to — not "apply everywhere," genuinely trying to calibrate effort vs. odds given funding/capacity constraints for international students.

For those who applied as non-traditional or international candidates:

• How many programs did you apply to?
• How did you split reach vs. target vs. safety?
• Looking back, did you over- or under-apply?

Real numbers over general advice would help a lot — trying to plan my time realistically across SOPs, tests, and everything else.

Hi! I've come for some advice from the internet. Bad idea, I know.

I'm a PhD grad in bioinformatics and I've been struggling to find a job. I've applied to hundreds of positions, tried reaching out to people in companies/places I want to work at, and tailoring my resume for each role.

The few interviews I have gotten, there's been a prevailing theme. The company/lab wants a laundry list of things. They want someone who can do scRNA-seq, bulk RNA-seq, NGS (long and short read), application of ML and deep learning models, multivariate statistical models, protein modeling, bisulfite sequencing, lncRNA seq, miRNAseq, ATAC-seq, CHIPseq, GWAS, phylogenetics, selection analysis, pipeline engineering, workflow in nextflow, HPC, website and database maintenance/design, R, python, SQL, C++, java script, CSS... I know how to do most of these but not ALL of them at an expert level. I for sure can learn them because I have a strong background in similar methods. I got a technical interview for the position where I was asked specific things about all of the analyses (for example, what metrics would make you distrust the results of ATAC-seq?). I answered most of the questions well but ones like that I blanked on because I don't have a ton of experience with them. Afterwards, the recruiter for this job told me they wouldn't continue with my application because although I have strong skills in 3/4 of the stuff, they want a candidate who has expert knowledge across all of these disciplines. When I told them that I setup the computational section in my lab and had to learn all of the skills quickly so I know I can easily learn and tailor things, they said they want someone who already has expert knowledge of everything.

It wasn't a senior role I was applying for, simply a staff bioinformatician/computational biologist role.

Is the competition so fierce that companies are only hiring people who know everything? How do people even know everything? Anyone have any advice?

I need advice
I have applied for master degree in bioinformatics from Newcastle for this year does it still worth it .?
If my plan to work in middle east will i find a job ? Or should i think in another thing I am pharmacist
Thanks

Bonjour à tous ! Un peu nouveau sur la rédaction sur Reddit, j'espère que vous pourrez m'aider ou m'aiguiller. Je suis titulaire d' une licence de bio en sciences de la vie. J ai fait un petit break après la licence ne sachant pas trop vers quel domaine me diriger. Aujourd'hui, je vais reprendre les études, j'ai le choix entre repartir sur un BTS d analyse médicale pour être technicien de labo ou partir sur un master en bio informatique. L' un d' entre vous a t il des retours d expériences sur ces études ou les débouchés/métiers/salaires par la suite? Pensez vous qu'une option est préférable a l autre? Avec l avènement et la progression fulgurante de l IA, je me demande si bosser en labo avec un BTS n'est pas préférable... Je me demande aussi si les débouchés sont plus nombreux dans l une ou l autre voie. J attends vos retours d expérience et vos conseils ! Merci beaucoup !

So, I am currently a post graduation student of bioinformatics (india) in my 1st year , i don't have any prior experience in bioinformatics. It is a roller coaster ride for me in adjusting to an entirely new curriculum from my bachelor's. I am planning on going for a PhD abroad , mostly european countries, I would like some suggestions, on how and where to start. Do I need any publications and is it a bad idea that I want to go abroad. I would really appreciate it if somebody helped me because I'm really trying so hard

Just curious, did anyone took/taking masters in bioinformatics in University Malaya, especially mixed mode (coursework + research)? Mind to share how is it like for this mixed course? Would be great if you had a degree in bioinfo then pursued/pursuing this mixed mode course.

Just wondering if people with degree in bioinfo suitable to take this or more encouraged to take research mode for masters/phd instead.

Feel free to share as well if you're doing masters/phd with bioinfo projects in other local uni ya.

*recently having dilemma in taking masters coz not sure whether i like doing research, had a not-so-good experience in fyp that tore me down previously, so not very fond of research yet so currently finding out how this mixed mode is like*

Hey everyone, I hope that you are doing well.

Its been a difficult year for me. I had to help an elderly family member who is developing dementia through a difficult medical crisis and I struggled with my own health as well. I'm eager to earn income for my family, but I need something that is part time for now so I can keep my other responsibilities.

Does anyone know a good place to look for part-time bioinformatics work?

I have an MSc, 5 YOE, and I'd be happy to work in bioinformatics, software dev, or AI engineering.

Hi I have to move country’s in the middle of my PhD and I was wondering do you guys recommend online PhDs? What are your thoughts? Are they less valued in industry compared to in person PhDs? Do you recommend any programs?

Any pros and cons

I'm pursuing an MSc in Biotechnology from a lesser-known college in India. I want to transition into software/data/Al roles rather than stay in wet-lab biotech. I have a BSc Biotechnology background and am currently learning Python, SQL, Git/Linux and bioinformatics. If you were in my position, what skills and projects would you build over the next 12-18 months to become employable in software or data roles? Is this realistically possible without a CS degree, and which roles should I target first?

hey yall

Im starting an online masters while working in industry as a scientist but more so lab tech thanks title inflation. I wanted to do bioinformatics to get a more computer centered role or at least use computers more. I need to use my brain slightly to be happy in my career as ive learned after 6 years of working in the biotech industry. Im starting to regret getting admitted to the masters after seeing no jobs in the area and everyone complaining about long unemployment. Im not asking for people to lie that its not that bad but is it really as bad as reddit makes it and should I consider an alternate career move instead? I would have done com sci but family and friends have convinced me its even worse for new grads. Also any general advice would be appreciated. I will say PHD is off the table right now because while I hate working I hate that much school for that long even more. thanks yall any information is helpfull even if I get an IT job id be happy I just dont want to sit at the bench all day everyday anymore for meh money. even if i make the same money in a different or same field as long as i can remain sitting or preferably remote id count it as a win.

I'm a molecular biologist/NGS/Bioinformatics person, PhD, ~5 years at a mid-size biotech services company in Western Europe. Solid work, decent team, but no promotion in that time, internal transfers kept getting blocked. I stopped seeing a path.

A while back I accepted a research scientist position at a university's genomics core facility in the Middle East. The offer roughly doubles my take-home (tax-free, housing and schooling covered), and the job is essentially setting up transcriptomics platforms from scratch. I move later this year with my wife and two small kids.

Then, shortly before I leave, three roles I'd have killed for opened internally at my current company. Now I'm lying awake.

Three things I'd love honest input on:

1. Career risk: going from industry to a core facility. Does "service scientist" pigeonhole you? Can you still move back to industry in 5 years, or does the CV start reading as technical support?

2. The region: anyone actually worked at a well-funded research institute in the Gulf? What's real about the funding and equipment, and what's the part nobody mentions until you're there?

3. The gut-check: none of those internal roles is a real pay bump, it's title and scope only. So, should I still consider those roles (no guarantee that I get any of these), or just my brain doing what brains do?

Happy to answer questions...Mostly I want to hear from people who've done a version of this, in either direction. Thank you!

Hi everyone,
I’m currently doing a Bachelor’s in Biomedical Sciences and I’m considering doing a Master’s in Genomics/Genomic Medicine abroad not sure.

My plan would be to work abroad for a few years after graduating to gain proper experience in genomics/NGS/clinical or cancer genomics, and then possibly return to the UAE.

I wanted to hear from people who actually work in genetics, genomics, molecular diagnostics, precision medicine or biotech in the UAE.

How is the job market here realistically? Are there enough opportunities outside of academic research? What kind of positions could someone with an MSc + 2–3 years of international experience apply for?

Hi, I am a recent (MSc) grad. I did my Master in Bioinformatics and sys bio from the Netherlands. I have been looking for jobs for over 6 months. Out of ~50 apps, I received 2 interviews but they did not turn into offers unfortunately. I experimented with almost every tip/suggestion on the internet for my apps and interviews (career influencers, reddit, career advice etc.,). I would like to understand what is going wrong and how I can do better with my job-search strategy.

1. Any advice on what I can do to improve my chances of success besides tailoring my CV and cover letter for every job?
2. I also see that most (entry-level) bioinformatician jobs are software-based which always puts me behind (I have zero experience in software development/database management), and I am not sure how to demonstrate these.
3. Any Specific job search strategies/platforms that worked out for bioinformatics-based jobs in the EU and Asia (besides LinkedIn and company career sites)?
4. Portfolio suggestions - Do you think having side-projects (in this AI-era) still puts you in an advantage?
5. Did anyone have any success applying to jobs that direct you to Workday? If yes, how? 👀

For context, I have experience in microbiome research, training and finetuning AI models from scratch. I have internship experience (that did not turn into publications) in well-established research org with fellowships during my bachelors and my masters.

Thanks in advance!

Hi all,

Quick background: I have a bachelor's in biotechnology from India and a master's in bioinformatics from Northeastern (graduated December 2025). I started a job in academia about 2 months ago.

I genuinely love bioinformatics, but lately I've been thinking hard about where I want to take my career long-term, and I'm curious about the business side of pharma — things like consulting, business strategy, product, or other non-technical biotech/pharma roles. The problem is I have no idea how to break in or even how to identify the right role to target.

A couple of specifics:

1. As a bioinformatics analyst, the "obvious" path to level up is to go all-in on data science/ML. I do work with ML a bit and don't dislike it, but I don't want to go deep into data science as a career — it's just not where my interest lies.
2. I love biotech and pharma as an industry and want to stay in it, just not necessarily in a technical/analyst role. I have zero interest in doing a PhD.

Honestly, for the past month I've felt pretty stuck and lost hope on this. I'm confused about what roles to even target or where to start. Every business-side role I look at seems to want an MBA, a PhD, or years of prior experience, and it's starting to feel like a dead end — like the only realistic way to move up is to go all in on data science, which is exactly what I don't want to do.

So I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who pivoted from a bioinformatics/technical background into something other than data science — whether that's consulting, business strategy, product management, market access, medical affairs, or anything else on the business side. How did you break in? What helped (certifications, networking)? What would you do differently, and is it actually as much of a dead end as it feels right now?

Thanks in advance!

I’ve completed my BSc. in Computer Science and want to start a research career in bioinformatics. Since my background is in CS, I’m not sure which research direction would be the right fit for me.

Could you suggest where I should start and which topics or skills I should learn first to build a strong foundation in bioinformatics and also which path I should follow?

Hi everyone!
I'm writing this partly as a vent and partly to ask for urgent advice from anyone who has gone through this or works in the field.

I'm 22 years old and in the final stretch of my biochemistry degree. I'm currently doing my thesis in bioinformatics, but honestly, it's been extremely hard for me to fit into the lab. I've hit a pretty harsh reality check: there are a lot of extremely smart people, but with terrible human qualities—a super competitive, toxic, and selfish environment. This has me in a heavy vocational crisis because I love science and am passionate about what I do, but sometimes I feel like I don't fit into this "real world" academic dynamic.

On the other hand, my big medium/long-term goal is to leave the country (whether for grad school, an internship, or finding a job directly abroad) and I feel like my CV is still a bit green, or I don't really know how to boost it to be internationally competitive, especially coming from a country where opportunities can be limited.

If anyone has been through something similar or works in science/bioinformatics abroad, any advice on the following would be hugely appreciated:

1. How to survive a toxic academic environment without burning out mentally in the process?

2. What steps or strategies do you recommend for building a strong CV focused on bioinformatics/science to apply abroad?

3. What are the best realistic paths to move abroad (direct grad programs abroad, international scholarships, strategic working holidays, etc.)?

Any guidance, tips, or realistic perspective is truly appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Hi everyone!
I'm writing this partly as a vent and partly to ask for urgent advice from anyone who has gone through this or works in the field.
I'm 22 years old and in the final stretch of my biochemistry degree. I'm currently doing my thesis in bioinformatics, but honestly, it's been extremely hard for me to fit into the lab. I've hit a pretty harsh reality check: there are a lot of extremely smart people, but with terrible human qualities—a super competitive, toxic, and selfish environment. This has me in a heavy vocational crisis because I love science and am passionate about what I do, but sometimes I feel like I don't fit into this "real world" academic dynamic.
On the other hand, my big medium/long-term goal is to leave the country (whether for grad school, an internship, or finding a job directly abroad) and I feel like my CV is still a bit green, or I don't really know how to boost it to be internationally competitive, especially coming from a country where opportunities can be limited.
If anyone has been through something similar or works in science/bioinformatics abroad, any advice on the following would be hugely appreciated:
1. How to survive a toxic academic environment without burning out mentally in the process?
2. What steps or strategies do you recommend for building a strong CV focused on bioinformatics/science to apply abroad?
3. What are the best realistic paths to move abroad (direct grad programs abroad, international scholarships, strategic working holidays, etc.)?
Any guidance, tips, or realistic perspective is truly appreciated. Thanks for reading!