Science Research
Hiatt engages a full ecosystem on and off campus to support students interested in the growing biotech and science research fields. We collaborate with faculty in the sciences and across campus, as well as student clubs, Brandeis alumni, employers, recruiters and community partners.
"The Hiatt Career Center is a wonderful partner in helping students in the environmental studies program complement their time in our courses with gaining skills, accessing resources and developing student's professional presence. From advice and guidance in finding internships, to financial support through WOW Fellowships, to hosting career panels and arranging for professional visits from alumni, Hiatt offers numerous ways to help us support our students. They help make our program a success."
— Colleen Brandeis Hitchcock, PhD, associate professor of ecology, biology department and environmental studies program
Industry-Focused Engagement and Events
Hiatt regularly brings together experts, employers and alumni to meet and speak with students in classes, online and in person for exploration, preparation and networking.
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Previous programs launched by Hiatt in the areas of biotech and science research have included:
- Alumni interview coaching
- Biotech, Health and Science Resume Day
- Career treks
- "How I Succeed in the Sciences Panel"
- "How’d You Get That Internship: Interactive student panel"
- Neuro Club staff presentation
- Proseminar for biology students
- "Writing Steller Statements of Purpose" workshop
Current offerings are available to view in Handshake or the Brandeis Campus Events Calendar.
In partnership with academic departments, Hiatt hosts multiple career fairs on campus as well as a multi-school job and internship fair in New York City. Career fairs are an opportunity for students to meet, learn and connect with employers and organizations looking to recruit Brandeis students for full-time jobs and internships.
All of our events are structured for students representing all majors and disciplines to attend. In addition, Hiatt hosts a Biotech, Health and Science Career Fair during the academic year to align with the recruiting cycle of these industries. Select employers typically seek to fill roles such as research assistants, life science interns, product managers and health care consultants.
2022 Biotech, Health & Science Career Fair
- Thirty-seven hand-selected employers attended to recruit students for internships and full-time jobs
- An array of sectors within the biotech, health and science space were represented including hospitals, tech, pharmaceuticals and medical devices
- As Brandeis serves as an important pipeline to many prominent local research centers, this fair helps to foster those relationships. Student applicants are also widely supported by faculty and alumni.
The Rise Together Mentor is an online platform that joins Brandeis students and alumni from all over the world to make connections, exchange career advice, expand their network and learn more about industries, careers and the world of work.
No more sending cold emails to connections you do not know! Alumni have indicated they want to help Brandeis students
Students who join Rise Together:
- Gain access to a pool of over dedicated alumni looking to connect.
- Get introduced to specific industries, roles and career fields of interest by joining subgroups.
- Expand their range of career prospects and strategies.
- Participate in online discussions and conversations as well as have the ability to ask specific questions.
JOIN THE RISE TOGETHER MENTOR NETWORK
Biotech and Science Employer Engagement at Brandeis
Employers use a variety of programs to meet with students and identify and cultivate talent. They regularly schedule information sessions, online workshops, case competitions and site visits as options to engage with Brandeis students and alumni.
At Hiatt, we emphasize that although campus recruiting is a part of an employer's engagement process, it should not be the primary focus when it comes to attending and participating in employer-led activities. Students should approach each event as an opportunity to engage, learn and connect with professionals in their desired fields.
learn more about recruiting at brandeis
Participating employers include:
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
- BrainCo, Inc.
- Bristol-Myers Squibb
- Broad Institute
- Cranial Technologies, Inc.
- McLean Hospital
- Nova Biomedical
- Oak Ridge Institute
- RTI International
- Vanda Pharmaceuticals
- Verily Life Sciences
- Vertx Pharmaceuticals
Students should attend every event! Whether this is a career fair, information session, coffee chat or virtual hangout, the best way to learn about the field and meet employers is to attend these events and start early.
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Every industry has its own timeline for planned hiring. Not all industries have a large on-campus presence because they do more of their hiring on an as-needed basis, when openings arise or when they have planned hiring. Some employers typically will have only a few roles to fill. For research labs on and off campus, direct outreach to lab directors, PIs and faculty continues to be the most effective way students learn about and secure internships and jobs in this field.
For those employers with an on-campus recruiting program, in-person university recruiting is on the decline. Employers that previously visited universities as a primary way to recruit are now changing their strategies.
- In place of on-campus interviews for initial screening of candidates, employers favored virtual interviews, followed by in-person interviews at the organization.
- Social media is the new on-campus interview with many hiring organizations using social media for branding and recruiting.
- Employers find LinkedIn very or extremely effective in branding and recruiting employees.
The most popular and effective internship and job search tool is locating positions through online sites including the Brandeis portal, Handshake. Students can narrow their search based on geographic location, job type, industry and role. Hiatt also promotes employers that have a close connection with the university (i.e., alumni) and labels postings accordingly. This gives students more opportunities to connect with organizations and positions that exclusively look to hire Brandeis students and alumni.
Current Opportunities in Handshake
Note: A Handshake account is required to access the following links (students, alumni & faculty have Handshake accounts).
Handshake is a powerful site and using labels and filters to narrow down your search will make it easier to navigate.
- DEI Opportunity — Search for roles and opportunities in Handshake with employers looking to hire diverse candidates. Opportunities include national organizations as well as Black-Owned and Led Companies.
- Brandeis Connection — Find roles with employers that have strong recruiting connections to Brandeis University and are looking specifically to hire Brandeis students.
Career Outcomes for Biotech and Science Research
The Hiatt Career Center's annual Beyond Brandeis survey provides insight into the employment and continuing education status of Brandeis University undergraduates within six months of graduation.
Seventy-five percent of the class of 2019 working in the science, research and pharmaceutical industries completed at least one on-campus research experience with a faculty member and 62% completed at least one internship before graduation. Students can utilize Handshake to explore where students, including students at other colleges and universities, completed their internships.
Brandeis graduates who pursue employment in these fields go on to work with organizations such as Biogen, Massachusetts General Hospital, Broad Institute, Novartis, RTI International and more.
Working With Hiatt
Hiatt helps Brandeisians know who they are, what they want and how to get there.
College is a time to discover yourself. You get to figure out what you enjoy, where your interests lie and goals for the future. As you find yourself weighing ideas and choices, we can help you to align them with your major or career. As the semesters change, you'll find new experiences waiting for you to take advantage of. They could be in the form of studying abroad, an internship or joining a campus club. When you know what you want, it's time to put it all together! Hiatt will support your professional goals, but we can't do all the work for you.
Your approach should be to stay curious and engaged. There's no one-size-fits-all path or plan to follow. You're unique and staying open to all possibilities while channeling your curiosity and engaging in activities will fuel your success.
Learn more about working with Hiatt.
"If you can't afford to do research unpaid on campus, look at institutes in the area, or any of the teaching hospitals in Boston- lots of times labs will pay you to do undergraduate research during the year and the summer!" — Haley H.’19, research assistant, Broad Institute
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Hiatt has extensive resources to help students research, learn, get connected, prepare application materials and practice for interviews. These include:
Faculty
Brandeis faculty and staff are valuable partners in helping students discover who they are, what they want and how to get there.
Contact Jon Schlesinger and discuss other faculty and staff opportunities to get involved.
Alumni Involvement
The Brandeis alumni network is instrumental in helping students learn about fields, develop and build connections and provide valuable insight for students who are just getting started. There are various ways for alumni to get involved, including:
- Rise Together Mentor Network
- Volunteering to speak with students in the classroom, in person or virtually
- Becoming an alumni champion within your company and offer to pre-screen students interested in applying, mentor students in the recruiting pipeline, or champion their applications in the hiring process
Contact Melissa O'Karma and see other alumni volunteer opportunities to get involved.