Recruiters & Industry
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488 NATURE | VOL 430 | 22 JULY 2004 | www.nature.com/nature With a sense of sadness, I write my last journal entry from the United States. I’m moving on. In a month I’m going back to London where my journey began. When I departed for the United States, I left behind a relationship, family and friends, a familiar life and a country I knew. Boarding that plane, I was both apprehensive and excited. I had planned to stay for a year. In the end, I stayed for two. Needless to say, making a new life in another country isn’t the easiest of tasks. But I very quickly settled in, made a home for myself and found new friends. The experience has taught me many things, and is one I won’t forget. What will I miss the most? Without doubt, the people. My wild and wacky physicist friends will be with me for ever! Their kindness, generosity and joie de vivre have taught me to be a better person. It is a rare treat to work with people from all over the globe and to discover friendships that cross the boundaries of culture. Four o’clock teatime will never again be the same without at least six different nationalities round the table… Leaving your roots isn’t easy. Neither is going back. But there are many things to tempt me home: good food, the BBC, public transport… And so a new journey begins. See you on the other side of the Atlantic. ■ Amber Jenkins is a graduate student in particle physics at Imperial College, London, doing thesis research at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois. GRADUATE JOURNAL Moving on Naturejobs Career View A s biotechnology companies grow, they tend to develop their operational and management team by bringing in people who have dual competencies — formal qualifications in both science and business. Such skill sets are attractive to companies because they allow them to expand their existing competencies without needing to employ a huge number of people. They can also aid communication between research-based innovation and administrative support. For scientists, having dual competencies can accelerate their career path — especially in the private sector. This tends to mean greater management responsibility — and usually higher salaries — than their bench-bound colleagues. But for many of these high-fliers, the move into management will spell the end of lab work, leaving them facing an office-based future. Indeed, researchers and engineers who will have studied for 5–8 years for their scientific qualifications very often quit their lab-based posts after just one year of business school. This is a sad situation, as the skills that they are gaining in business readily translate into the world of research. For example, a knowledge of accounting and finance is essential in product development for understanding investment, value and the return on investment. Similarly, skills in the management of human resources will aid the planning and recruitment processes to get projects up and running. At Protein’eXpert, a biotech firm in Grenoble, France, we have sought to tackle this with our strategy of employing or shaping (on-the-job education) people with dual skill sets. Of the six members of the management team, five have both science and business qualifications — the exception is the marketing manager. Although both the chief executive and director for intellectual property and quality control have left the bench behind them, the other three dually skilled managers all make use of their newly acquired business skills to guide scientific projects. Whether they are used to change career direction, or simply to enrich the current path, dual competencies represent a challenging opportunity for scientists. The acquisition of business skills should be encouraged — both at universities and in the workplace as they can bring huge value to scientific projects. ■ Tristan Rousselle is chief executive of Protein’eXpert in Grenoble, France. ➧ www.proteinexpert.com & D espite Mark Willenbring’s best efforts early in his career to avoid becoming a specialist, the psychiatrist soon found himself identified as the ‘alcohol guy’. During his training, internship and residencies, Willenbring had liked the idea of exploring his broad interests in clinical psychiatry as an academic, splitting his time between teaching, administration and research. But in the last year of Willenbring’s residency, while he was seeking his next post, a colleague suggested that he should consider moving into the treatment and research of alcohol and drug addiction. He was told that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was offering career teaching grants in alcohol and drug- abuse research. Willenbring applied and, although in the end he decided not to accept the grant, going through the process got him pegged as an “alcohol and drug expert”, he says. This reputation helped him to secure a fellowship at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where he got involved in developing a curriculum in addictions and their treatment. Doing that helped him to become the specialist that the university thought he was and that he had initially resisted becoming. By then up to speed in addiction psychiatry, Willenbring further expanded his experience by working at the Dane County alcohol detoxification centre. This reshaped his view of alcoholism, leading him to see it as a chronic illness. As a result, he sought ways to treat the condition rather than trying to find a complete cure. He describes his major research focus as “populations of people everyone has given up on”. Willenbring, who last month moved from the University of Minnesota to become director of treatment and recovery research at the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, says that when he began his career, the market trend towards hiring specialists was just beginning. He wonders now whether broad-based experience should be viewed in a more positive light — especially as science and medicine are becoming more interdisciplinary. A mixture of experiences can be helpful if you have to manage large projects. And Willenbring will be drawing on his generalist beginnings as he finds his feet as the ‘alcohol guy’ at the NIH. ■ MOVERS on Drug Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland 1982–2004: Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, rising to director, addictive disorders section (1991) 1980–82: Medical director, Dane County Alcohol Detoxification Unit, Madison, Wisconsin 1980–82: Staff psychiatrist, Dane County Mental Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin 1977–80: Staff physician, Kaiser Medical Center, Sacramento, California CV Dual competencies RECRUITERS INDUSTRY Mark Willenbring, director, division of treatment and recovery research, US National Institute ©2004 Nature Publishing Group
Transcript of Recruiters & Industry
488 NATURE | VOL 430 | 22 JULY 2004 | www.nature.com/nature
With a sense of sadness, I write my lastjournal entry from the United States. I’mmoving on. In a month I’m going back toLondon where my journey began.
When I departed for the United States,I left behind a relationship, family andfriends, a familiar life and a country I knew. Boarding that plane, I was bothapprehensive and excited. I had planned tostay for a year. In the end, I stayed for two.
Needless to say, making a new life inanother country isn’t the easiest of tasks.But I very quickly settled in, made a homefor myself and found new friends.
The experience has taught me manythings, and is one I won’t forget. What will Imiss the most? Without doubt, the people.My wild and wacky physicist friends will bewith me for ever! Their kindness, generosityand joie de vivre have taught me to be abetter person. It is a rare treat to work withpeople from all over the globe and todiscover friendships that cross theboundaries of culture. Four o’clock teatimewill never again be the same without at leastsix different nationalities round the table…
Leaving your roots isn’t easy. Neither isgoing back. But there are many things totempt me home: good food, the BBC, publictransport… And so a new journey begins.See you on the other side of the Atlantic. ■
Amber Jenkins is a graduate student in particle
physics at Imperial College, London, doing thesis
research at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois.
GRADUATE JOURNAL
Moving on
Naturejobs Career View
As biotechnologycompanies grow,they tend to develop
their operational andmanagement team bybringing in people whohave dual competencies —formal qualifications inboth science and business.
Such skill sets areattractive to companiesbecause they allow them to expand their existingcompetencies withoutneeding to employ a hugenumber of people. They canalso aid communicationbetween research-basedinnovation andadministrative support.
For scientists, havingdual competencies canaccelerate their career path— especially in the privatesector. This tends to meangreater managementresponsibility — andusually higher salaries —than their bench-boundcolleagues.
But for many of thesehigh-fliers, the move into
management will spell theend of lab work, leavingthem facing an office-basedfuture. Indeed, researchersand engineers who willhave studied for 5–8 yearsfor their scientificqualifications very oftenquit their lab-based postsafter just one year ofbusiness school. This is asad situation, as the skillsthat they are gaining inbusiness readily translateinto the world of research.
For example, aknowledge of accountingand finance is essential inproduct development forunderstanding investment,value and the return oninvestment. Similarly, skillsin the management ofhuman resources will aid the planning andrecruitment processes to get projects up andrunning.
At Protein’eXpert, abiotech firm in Grenoble,France, we have sought totackle this with our strategyof employing or shaping(on-the-job education)
people with dual skill sets.Of the six members of themanagement team, fivehave both science andbusiness qualifications —the exception is themarketing manager.Although both the chiefexecutive and director forintellectual property andquality control have left thebench behind them, theother three dually skilledmanagers all make use oftheir newly acquiredbusiness skills to guidescientific projects.
Whether they are usedto change career direction,or simply to enrich thecurrent path, dualcompetencies represent achallenging opportunity forscientists. The acquisitionof business skills should beencouraged — both atuniversities and in theworkplace as they can bringhuge value to scientificprojects. ■
Tristan Rousselle is chief executive
of Protein’eXpert in Grenoble,
France.
➧ www.proteinexpert.com
&
Despite Mark Willenbring’s bestefforts early in his career to avoidbecoming a specialist, the
psychiatrist soon found himself identifiedas the ‘alcohol guy’.
During his training, internship andresidencies, Willenbring had liked theidea of exploring his broad interests inclinical psychiatry as an academic,splitting his time between teaching,administration and research. But in thelast year of Willenbring’s residency, whilehe was seeking his next post, a
colleague suggested that he shouldconsider moving into the treatment andresearch of alcohol and drug addiction.He was told that the National Institutesof Health (NIH) was offering careerteaching grants in alcohol and drug-abuse research. Willenbring applied and,although in the end he decided not toaccept the grant, going through theprocess got him pegged as an “alcoholand drug expert”, he says.
This reputation helped him to securea fellowship at the University ofWisconsin in Madison, where he gotinvolved in developing a curriculum inaddictions and their treatment. Doingthat helped him to become the specialistthat the university thought he was andthat he had initially resisted becoming.
By then up to speed in addictionpsychiatry, Willenbring further expandedhis experience by working at the DaneCounty alcohol detoxification centre.This reshaped his view of alcoholism,
leading him to see it as a chronic illness.As a result, he sought ways to treat thecondition rather than trying to find acomplete cure. He describes his majorresearch focus as “populations of peopleeveryone has given up on”.
Willenbring, who last month movedfrom the University of Minnesota tobecome director of treatment andrecovery research at the US NationalInstitute on Alcohol Abuse andAlcoholism, says that when he began hiscareer, the market trend towards hiringspecialists was just beginning. Hewonders now whether broad-basedexperience should be viewed in a morepositive light — especially as scienceand medicine are becoming moreinterdisciplinary.
A mixture of experiences can behelpful if you have to manage largeprojects. And Willenbring will be drawingon his generalist beginnings as he findshis feet as the ‘alcohol guy’ at the NIH. ■
MOVERS on Drug Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland
1982–2004: Veteran’s Affairs MedicalCenter, Minneapolis, Minnesota, rising todirector, addictive disorders section (1991)
1980–82: Medical director, Dane County AlcoholDetoxification Unit, Madison, Wisconsin1980–82: Staff psychiatrist, Dane County Mental HealthCenter, Madison, Wisconsin1977–80: Staff physician, Kaiser Medical Center,Sacramento, California
CV
Dual competencies
RECRUITERS INDUSTRY
Mark Willenbring, director, division of treatment and recovery research, US National Institute
22.7 Jobs Career View MH 19/7/04 8:49 am Page 488
© 2004 Nature Publishing Group
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