Careers in the Life Sciences and Biotechnology Industry
The life science companies, academic centers and non-profit research institutions that make up the biotechnology, or life sciences, industry in California generated more than $70 billion in revenues during 2008 and employed over 274,000 professionals in the state (source: California Healthcare Institute and PriceWaterhouseCoopers). This skilled workforce makes fundamental scientific discoveries and develops new products that impact human health and nutrition – from drugs for treating diabetes to devices for repairing heart damage to diagnostics for detecting food contaminants.
Recent graduates, incumbent workers and interested displaced workers can find a wealth of information online about career paths and job opportunities; we've included a small set to get you started here. See also the book, "Career Opportunities in Biotechnology and Drug Development," by Toby Freedman (2008, Cold Spring Harbor Press).
The Biotech Work Portal 
provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date labor market information available about the U.S. biotechnology industry for employers, employees, educators, and students. Use innovative technology solutions for online networking, interactive data dissemination, and real-time user contributions and participation. Find out more about 197 unique Radford occupations in the biotechnology industry using the Biotech Organization Chart or Biotech Career Ladder tools, or by searching the Occupations and Careers directory.
BioSpace.com offers a multi-faceted venue for industry professionals to come together on the Web. The online job board, daily biotech news feeds, and community features connect recruiters, job seekers, and life science professionals unlike any other industry Web site. The BioSpace Hotbed Communities feature job opportunities in two regions of California: Biotech Bay (Northern California) and Biotech Beach (Southern California).
FierceBiotech is the biotech industry's daily monitor, with a special focus on clinical trials, biotech & pharma deals, FDA decisions, and key regulatory issues. See other FierceMarkets newsletters about pharma, healthcare, bioresearch, and health IT as well for curated, breaking news about each of these sub-sectors.