After Acquiring Bioinformatics Skills: What’s Next on Your Career Journey?
Jenomu Bioinformatics can help.
Now that you have your bioinformatics degree or have managed to independently build in-demand skills that would make you regarded as a competent bioinformatician, what next?
A song comes to mind: ‘Now that we found love, what are we gonna do with it?’ Most bioinformaticians I have encountered are a passionate lot. They are in love with what they do. When not fueled by caffeine while trying to decipher biological insights from complex datasets, you’ll find them sharing memes and inside jokes depicting their ingenious methods of dealing with bugs in their code.
They’ll also share stories about PIs and clients who expect them to perform miracles on their data, the modern-day equivalent of turning water into wine. If not that, you’ll find them navigating through the perennial question of, “What exactly do you do?” while working hard to carve out their identities in realms where most can’t resist the urge to pigeonhole them as IT professionals, biologists, mathematicians, or statisticians. Instead, they aim to be recognised as a distinct group of professionals skilled at integrating multiple disciplines to save the day.
To get us started, I would first list the typical paths that bioinformaticians follow as they begin their careers in order of preference.
Land a role as a bioinformatician in a company, research, academic, government, or non-profit organisation.
Regarding jobs, bioinformaticians commonly opt to pursue positions in research institutions or academic settings where they can contribute to various research projects while advancing their careers. This option offers the flexibility of working at the intersection of multiple fields and allows for multidisciplinary collaboration opportunities. Additionally, some bioinformaticians choose to work in government agencies or non-profit organisations, where they apply their skills to address various pressing and emerging challenges in public health, the environment, agriculture, and policymaking.
For bioinformaticians passionate about education and mentorship, teaching positions at tertiary institutions offer an opportunity to share their knowledge and expertise. It is also not uncommon for bioinformaticians to transition into data science or analytics beyond the scope of bioinformatics.
Pursue higher education, either a master’s or a doctoral degree.
Experience gained in higher education brings one closer to landing a full-time role. Graduate research is a crucial period for bioinformaticians pursuing higher degrees. A bulk of the ‘10,000 hours to mastery’ are spent here. It is not only a means to an end — a higher degree — but a period of intense apprenticeship that moulds them into full-fledged scientists and project managers. Bioinformaticians learn the ropes and the intricacies of scientific research beyond data analysis. They participate in various stages of the project life cycle, from grant writing to research dissemination.
In addition to their specific project objectives, they get the valuable opportunity to contribute and collaborate in areas beyond their particular research groups and interests. This stage adequately prepares them for the job market, either as researchers, professors, employees of government and non-government entities, or independent consultants, ranking them above their peers.
Become a bioinformatics consultant.
According to a 2021 market report by Marketsandmarkets, the bioinformatics services market is projected to rise from USD 2.5 billion in 2021 to USD 5.3 billion by 2026, primarily driven by key drivers such as an increase in private-public sector funding and the shortage of skilled bioinformaticians that contribute to most bioinformatics projects outsourced to consultants and freelancers.
Consultants can start their own companies or consulting firms offering bioinformatics services or join teams providing such services. Independent consulting comes with challenges: registering a company, invoicing, pricing, finding jobs, being trusted by researchers, and accessing analysis infrastructure.
In most resource-constrained settings, most researchers may not have sufficient funding to hire full-time bioinformaticians and have challenges in finding freelancers who can analyse diverse data types.
Jenomu Bioinformatics solves the challenges faced by researchers and bioinformaticians. This marketplace links bioinformaticians and data scientists to meaningful jobs matching their skills while pairing researchers with proficient bioinformaticians capable of swiftly and securely addressing their data requirements on a regulated platform.
Joining the platform is a straightforward process. As a freelancer, you can quickly sign up and bid on projects that match your skill set or interests. Likewise, as a researcher or a client, one can register to find the right professionals for their projects, after which the team at Jenomu will reach out to you.
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Join us, and let’s get started on an exciting journey. Shall we?
