Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This course is intended to be a companion course to BIT 110.  While BIT 110 focuses on technical content, bringing industry representatives in to provide real-world context, this course takes the student on a journey through several bioscience companies, both virtually and physically, to investigate the variety of applications of bioscience in our local industry.

The emphasis on this course is a combination of learning about local companies and employment opportunities, as well as learning what it takes to both get and keep such jobs, and advance in the field.

The particular combination of learning about and learning how to find employment in this industry was requested by and developed in collaboration with Genentech representatives, who wished to replicate a successful model for pre-employment training they had developed in partnership with Skyline Community College in California.

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

• Make informed decisions about career options and education/training requirements for employment and advancement in the bioscience field.
• Communicate effectively with peers and potential employers in the bioscience field using available methods, including, but not limited to letters, email, professional networking, and informational interviewing.
• Research, apply, and interview for employment in the bioscience industry.

May include but not limited to the following

Industry Report and Presentations   Students will be asked to investigate two or more local companies and  prepare both a written summary and class presentation for each.

Preparation of Resumes and Mock Interviews: Students will meet one-on-one with instructor and/or industry HR representatives for practice, feedback on and assessment of their pre-employment skills.

Exit Interview: At the end of the course, students will meet one-on-one with instructor for the assessment of mastery of selected key themes concepts and issues. This interview will include a discussion of plans for employment and/or future study

Themes – Topics that thread through all of the instruction

• Education and training related to career advancement in Bioscience
• Communication
• Systems for Quality
• Laboratory and Industrial Safety

 Concepts --  Things that need to be known and understood in support of the outcomes

• The nature of   Biotech/bioscience  (applications, products, activities, careers and education)
• Systems for quality in context
• Laboratory and Industrial Safety in context
• “Soft skills” and their importance to employers

 Issues – Things that may need to be “overcome” in order to achieve the outcomes

• Organizing and presenting information
• Understanding employer perspective and needs
• Professional standards of accountability, integrity, dependability, and presentation

Skills –  Mastered by repletion and practice in order to achieve the outcomes 

• Obtain information about a Bioscience company from print, internet and interview
• Prepare and revise resume
• Interview skills