Articles by Alan Edwards

Collaborating and communicating effectively around the world should be a top priority for most science companies and labs if they hope to compete on a global level.

Business has changed across virtually every industry in this post-recession era. Companies must simply do more with less, and this is especially true in the sciences where, among many other factors, the expiration of valuable drug patents and the dawn of personalized medicine are impacting the way things get done on a daily basis in labs around the world.

From a utilitarian standpoint, it was inevitable that technology would redefine the processes of the modern lab. It began with the need to automate as suppliers realized they could help labs significantly improve their products by taking manual work out of the equation.

Many job seekers still know how hard it is to get hired. There’s no doubt that certain worker populations continue to feel the pressures and competition of finding employment. Nearly every global industry, after all, continues to evaluate their workforce strategies in the face of extreme demands for productivity and efficiency.

Last year I wrote a column about how “soft skills” are required to succeed in virtually every business today. Even in the sciences, a career path that has traditionally allowed insular personalities to thrive, soft skills are more important than ever.

As the prospect of personalized medicine transitions from concept to reality and begins to truly impact the pharmaceutical industry, almost everyone who works in the sciences could be affected. 

This column over the last year has dealt with many lab-related workforce issues, but one constant running through them has been the need for versatilability™—not just when it comes to the people managers hire, but in every aspect of a lab's business.

It’s a common refrain heard within nearly every business circle today, but only because it’s true: The world of work has changed. Nowhere is this more evident than in the use of contingent workers, or “free agents,” across nearly every global industry.

In the new job landscape, I’m afraid we might be leaving hiring managers in the dust. After all, as the job market continues to evolve, those looking for work need as much direction as possible— and career experts know this.

We all know that scientists who pursue advanced degrees like a Ph.D. are smart. They are driven. And they are no doubt passionate about their work. But can they cut it in the real world? Recent national media reports that debate the value of advanced degrees are shining a light on the need to have marketable skills that will work beyond the “ivory tower.”