Microbiology: Now What?

[Found on the Occupational Outlook Handbook]

What is Microbiology?

Microbiology is the study of organisms, most of which are too small to be seen with the naked eye, including bacteria, algae, protozoa, and fungi, as well as acellular agents, such as viruses and prions.  Microbiologists study the interaction of microorganisms with people and how they affect our lives, as well as the roles these organisms play in the environment. Aspiring microbiologists acquire knowledge and laboratory skill in the structure, physiology, genetics, pathogenicity, ecology, and taxonomy of microorganisms. Specialties are sometimes pursued in human and animal infectious diseases, immunology, bacteriology, virology, molecular genetics, and environmental and industrial processes.  Microbiologists work in hospitals, universities, medical schools, government laboratories, and almost every industry, specializing in a variety of areas, from agriculture to the space industry.  About 40% of microbiology majors continue on to graduate, professional, or medical school.

What Does A Microbiologist Typically Do?

• Plan and conduct complex research projects, such as developing new drugs to combat infectious diseases
• Supervise the work of biological technicians and other workers and evaluate the accuracy of their results
• Isolate and maintain cultures of bacteria or other microorganisms for future study
• Identify and classify microorganisms found in specimens collected from humans, water, food, and other sources
• Monitor the effect of microorganisms on plants, animals, and other microorganisms and on the environment
• Keep up with findings from other research groups by reading research reports and attending conferences
• Prepare technical reports, research papers, and recommendations based on their research findings
• Present research findings to scientists, non-scientist executives, engineers, other colleagues, and the public

Microbiologists study microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, algae, fungi, and some types of parasites. Microbiologists work in laboratories and offices, where they conduct scientific experiments and analyze the results. Most microbiologists work full time and keep regular hours. Most microbiologists work in research and development. Many conduct basic research with the aim of increasing scientific knowledge. Others conduct applied research, using knowledge from basic research to develop new products or solve particular problems.

What Can I Do With A Bachelor’s Degree in Microbiology? 

Quality Assurance Analyst           

Technical Sales Representative  

Water Quality Inspector

Fermentation Plant Biologist      

Plant Tissue Culture Technician  

Environmental Technician

Diagnostic Account Specialist     

Research Assistant         

Photomicrographer

Pharmaceutical Sales Rep            

Brewmaster       

Laboratory Technician

Forensic Document Examiner     

Pest Control Consultant 

Associate Scientist

Fish and Wildlife Technician        

Technical Analyst or Writer         

Microbiologist

Selection of Employers for recent (Class of 2024) UMass Amherst Microbiology alumni:

• Boston Children’s Hospital
• Brigham and Women’s Hospital
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
• New York University
• Plymouth Dermatology
• Pridestar Trinity EMS
• QurAlis
• Tufts University

Other Top Employers for UMass Microbiology Majors after Graduation (Class of 2021  - 2023):

• AbbVie
• Abpro Corporation
• Action Ambulance Holyoke
• Argonne National Laboratory
• Atrius Health
• Baystate Health System
• Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
• Blue Stream Aquaculture
• Bristol Myers Squibb
• Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
• CVS Health
• DayZero Diagnostics
• GALY
• Hartford HealthCare
• Harvard Medical School
• HelixBind Inc
• Holobiome
• Homology Medicines Inc
• Invaio Sciences
• Joslin Diabetes Center
• Labcorp Drug Development
• Massachusetts General Hospital
• Matrix Sciences
• Medical Information Technology Inc (MEDITECH)
• MedSchoolCoach
• Moderna
• Mt. Auburn Hospital
• Novartis Biomedical Research Institute
• Partners In Health
• Rousselot
• ScribeAmerica
• Seqirus
• Seres Therapeutics
• Sherlock Biosciences
• South Shore Hospital
• T2 Biosystems
• Transformative Healthcare
• Twist Bioscience

Previous Internship Sites as self-reported by UMass Amherst Microbiology students (2019 – 2023):

• Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
• Amgen Scholars Program at Yale School of Medicine
• Brigham and Women’s Hospital
• BioMerieux
• Health Alliance – Clinton Hospital
• Holobiome
• National Institutes of Health
• Schepens Research Institute
• University of Massachusetts Amherst
• UMass Chan Medical School
• Tufts University

(More information on students’ past internships can be found here)

Where Else Might I Do An Internship?

UMass Amherst Microbiology Majors Have Done Internships At The Following Sites:

Amherst (Town of)

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc

BTF Biomériux

Concord Health Care Center

EcoOrganics

Experium Science Academy

Genocea Biosciences

Giner, Inc

Glaxo Smith Kline (SmithKline Beecham)

Harvard Medical School

Henry Gets Moving

Hertz Corporation (The) 

Merck & Co.

Natick Soldier Research Development

MicroTest Laboratories

Northeast Sustainable Energy Association

SABIC Innovative Plastics

Sanofi Group: Pasteur, & Genzyme

St. Mary's Hospital

Tufts University-Microbial Community Assembly 

UMass Amherst Emergency Medical Services

UMass Amherst Environmental Health & Safety

University Health Services

Verax Biomedical

Wyeth Biotech

Career Planning Resources & Websites

Career Exploration Tools: https://www.umass.edu/careers/career-journey/self-discovery 

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook: www.bls.gov/ooh

Massachusetts Career Information System: http://masscis.intocareers.org 

(Click Mass Resident to login with “Amherst/01003”  Then click “Occupations” or “Assessments”)

Amer Soc for MicroBio: Careers in Microbiology Blog: www.asm.org/index.php/careers-blog

Science.gov Gateway to US Federal Science: www.science.gov

Mass Life Sciences Center: www.masslifesciences.com

Microbiology Job Search Resources        

UMass Amherst Specific Job Search Resources

UMass Handshake Database of Internships & Jobs: https://umass.joinhandshake.com/

UMass Microbiology Research Opportunities: https://www.micro.umass.edu/

Finding Independent Lab Research on Campus: https://www.micro.umass.edu/faculty-and- research/undergraduate-research-opportunities

BioScience Club: http://sites.google.com/site/biosciumass/home

BioPharmGuy – Entry-level jobs: https://biopharmguy.com/services 

General Biology And Science Jobs

Mass Bio: www.massbio.org

Mass Life Sciences Internship Program: www.masslifesciences.com/programs

New Scientist Jobs: jobs.newscientist.com/jobs/microbiology

Jobs in MicroBio & Life Sciences: https://jobs.sciencecareers.org/jobs/microbiology/

MicroBio Jobs at Aerotek (many locations): https://www.aerotek.com/career-opportunities

Bio Space: www.biospace.com/jobs/homepage/

More sites for Life Science Jobs: www.masslifesciences.com/resources

Microbiologist Jobs: environmentalchemistry.com/microbiology

Amer Soc for Microbio: ASM Career Connections: www.asmcareerconnections.org

Bio-Tech

Mass BioTechnology Council: https://careers.massbio.org/

Biotech Careers: https://www.biotech-careers.org/careers

Mass Medical Device Industry Council: https://business.massmedic.com/jobs

Government Agencies

National Institutes of Health: https://www.jobs.nih.gov/jobs/scientific

Health and Human Services Jobs: https://www.hhs.gov/careers/ 

Food & Drug Administration: www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/WorkingatFDA  

US Navy Microbiology: https://www.navy.com/careers/microbiology   

Pharmaceuticals

International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers: www.ispeboston.org

American Assoc of Pharma Scientists Jobs Board: https://careerfair.aaps.org/

Who Could I Work For?

Some of the major industries, companies & government agencies that hire microbiology majors include:

Academic

Medical, Dental, and Veterinary Schools
College and University
Institutes and not-for-profit research centers

Agriculture                                                                  Energy
Genetic crop modification                                           Biofuels production and refinement                                                       

Biomass production                                                     Environmental Remediation

Government
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)                               Military (all branches)

National Institutes of Health (NIH)                              Waste and wastewater management

Local and state government                                         Food and Drug Administration (FDA

Public health                                                                 US Department of Agriculture (USDA

Grant management                                                      NAS

Law enforcement and counter-terrorism                     Environmental Protection Agency

Health Care
Medical Technology                                                      Health Care Management
Clinics and Hospitals                                                     Quality Control
Diagnostic Testing Labs

Industry
Positions include management, quality control, research, and product development. Many know of big pharma and biotechnology but there are numerous other opportunities in the cosmetics, breweries, and oil industries. Identifying such a position may require searching job postings in individual companies.

Industrial Production antibiotics                                 Biotechnology                   
Chemical companies                                                    Pharmaceuticals and Vaccines
Cosmetics and toiletries                                               Oil industry and mining
Food and beverage research                                        Microbials research                         Consulting                                                                    Sales or technical representative
Breweries                                                                      Dairies

Legal                                                                            Scientific Publishing
Law firms (Patent Law)                                                 Journal Editor
Technology transfer                                                     Academic Journalism
Intellectual property                                                    Popular Press

Teaching
A microbiology degree combined with instruction in education can lead to a career in teaching. 

Primary and Secondary Schools
Technical and Specialty Schools

Professional Organizations in Microbiology

Many professional organization’s websites have career information on them.  You can often use them to search for networking events, meet a mentor in your field of study, find current research, search for internships or jobs, and gain insight into what direction within the field you may wish to pursue. 

Career Services has additional lists of professional organizations and resources in specialty areas such as animal sciences, health services, ecology, and science communication.  Ask your career advisor!

Important Transferable Qualities To Include On Your Resume

Communication skills. Microbiologists should be able to effectively communicate their research processes and findings so that knowledge may be applied correctly.

Detail oriented. Microbiologists must be able to conduct scientific experiments and analyses with accuracy and precision.

Interpersonal skills. Microbiologists typically work on research teams and thus must work well with others toward a common goal. Many also lead research teams and must be able to motivate and direct other team members.

Logical-thinking skills. Microbiologists draw conclusions from experimental results through sound reasoning and judgment.

Math skills. Microbiologists regularly use complex mathematical equations and formulas in their work. Therefore, they need a broad understanding of math, including calculus and statistics.

Observation skills. Microbiologists must constantly monitor their experiments. They need to keep a complete, accurate record of their work, noting conditions, procedures, and results.

Perseverance. Microbiological research involves substantial trial and error, and microbiologists must not become discouraged in their work.

Problem-solving skills. Microbiologists use scientific experiments and analysis to find solutions to complex scientific problems.

Speaking skills. Microbiologists frequently give presentations and must be able to explain their research to others.

Time-management skills. Microbiologists usually need to meet deadlines when conducting research and laboratory tests. They must be able to manage time and prioritize tasks efficiently while maintaining their quality of work.

Writing skills. Microbiologists write memos, reports, and research papers that explain their findings.

What Do Employers Look For? 

(Source: NACE Job Outlook 2024, Courtesy of the National Association of College and Employers | www.naceweb.org)

Top 10 Skills Employers Seek on Candidate Resumes

1. Problem-solving skills
2. Ability to work in a team
3. Communication skills (written)
4. Strong work ethic
5. Flexibility/adaptability
6. Communication (verbal)
7. Technical Skills
8. Analytical/Quantitative Skills
9. Initiative
10. Detail-oriented

Top 7 Attributes that can positively influence employers the most

1. Internship with the organization
2. Internship within the industry
3. Major
4. General work experience
5. Leadership experience
6. Extracurricular activities
7. High GPA (3.0 or above)