Interdisciplinary Job Opportunities for Biomedical Scientists (iJOBS)

Overview

The iJOBS Program, (interdisciplinary Job Opportunities for Biomedical Scientists), was established in 2014 with a BEST (Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training) Award from the NIH Common Fund to educate over 1500 graduate student and post-doctoral researchers across the state of New Jersey about non-academic professional jobs and empower them to pursue their career goals. 

The iJOBS program is specifically designed for current PhD students, Post-Doctorate fellows and alumni and encourages trainees that have completed the program to re-engage and serve as mentors to the program’s budding professionals.  iJOBS programming is open to all PhD granting institutions in the state (Princeton University, Rutgers University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Stevens Institute of Technology and Rowan University).  iJOBS aims to provide ‘one-stop shopping” to New Jersey’s biopharma industry for first-time job placement. As such, the program has partnered with more than 60 companies to ensure that our trainees are well prepared to contribute immediately within their professional area(s) of interest. 

iJOBS Phased Program

Phase 1, which is open to everyone, includes career panels, site visits to partnering companies, case studies, and workshops such as SciPhD covering communication, teamwork, leadership, finance, and project management skills. Many of these skills as well as awareness of the pharmaceutical industry are also critical to academic positions so all trainees benefit regardless of career aspirations. 

Phase 2 is application-based and allows trainees to shadow a professional in their area of interest as part of an externship organized by iJOBS. Trainees can also register for a non-science course relevant to that field to expand their skill set. Finally, trainees are assigned a professional mentor to advise them and help them create an Individual Development Plan. 

Phase 3 facilitates the job application process. 

Phase 4 allows alumni of iJOBS to contribute back to the program.

Four phases of iJOBS are inquire, initiate, implement and instruct

iJOBs has hosted programming focused on a number of career tracks:

  1. Science & Health Policy
  2. Intellectual Property
  3. Research in Industry and Government
  4. Clinical Trials & Regulatory Affairs
  5. Health & Science Data Analysis
  6. Venture Capital, Finance and Equity Research
  7. Medical Affairs
  8. Science Writing
  9. Science Education
  10. Non Profit
  11. Consulting
  12. Contract Research
  13. Science Publishing

The list keeps growing in concert with trainee interest and increasing awareness of the vast options for PhDs in the workforce. 

To learn more and find out about upcoming events, visit ijobs.rutgers.edu.