r/bioinformaticscareers

Hi! I've come for some advice from the internet. Bad idea, I know.

I'm a PhD grad in bioinformatics and I've been struggling to find a job. I've applied to hundreds of positions, tried reaching out to people in companies/places I want to work at, and tailoring my resume for each role.

The few interviews I have gotten, there's been a prevailing theme. The company/lab wants a laundry list of things. They want someone who can do scRNA-seq, bulk RNA-seq, NGS (long and short read), application of ML and deep learning models, multivariate statistical models, protein modeling, bisulfite sequencing, lncRNA seq, miRNAseq, ATAC-seq, CHIPseq, GWAS, phylogenetics, selection analysis, pipeline engineering, workflow in nextflow, HPC, website and database maintenance/design, R, python, SQL, C++, java script, CSS... I know how to do most of these but not ALL of them at an expert level. I for sure can learn them because I have a strong background in similar methods. I got a technical interview for the position where I was asked specific things about all of the analyses (for example, what metrics would make you distrust the results of ATAC-seq?). I answered most of the questions well but ones like that I blanked on because I don't have a ton of experience with them. Afterwards, the recruiter for this job told me they wouldn't continue with my application because although I have strong skills in 3/4 of the stuff, they want a candidate who has expert knowledge across all of these disciplines. When I told them that I setup the computational section in my lab and had to learn all of the skills quickly so I know I can easily learn and tailor things, they said they want someone who already has expert knowledge of everything.

It wasn't a senior role I was applying for, simply a staff bioinformatician/computational biologist role.

Is the competition so fierce that companies are only hiring people who know everything? How do people even know everything? Anyone have any advice?

Hi I have to move country’s in the middle of my PhD and I was wondering do you guys recommend online PhDs? What are your thoughts? Are they less valued in industry compared to in person PhDs? Do you recommend any programs?

Any pros and cons

So, I am currently a post graduation student of bioinformatics (india) in my 1st year , i don't have any prior experience in bioinformatics. It is a roller coaster ride for me in adjusting to an entirely new curriculum from my bachelor's. I am planning on going for a PhD abroad , mostly european countries, I would like some suggestions, on how and where to start. Do I need any publications and is it a bad idea that I want to go abroad. I would really appreciate it if somebody helped me because I'm really trying so hard

hi, i’m a medical biotechnologist right after masters degree. i’m taking a gap year to prepare for next year’s phd requirement. i haven’t been accepted this year yet due to insufficient extra achievements. During the interview i’ve been asked if i have any extra skills like programming. For a year i’ll be writing publications and attending conferences. however i want to learn R language and other bioinformatics skills to maximise my chances next year. Coursera is quite expensive, so i need to know is it really worth it? Are the courses i need good and will i actually learn the skills? Will the certification be accredited and taken seriously on my Cv?

I'm pursuing an MSc in Biotechnology from a lesser-known college in India. I want to transition into software/data/Al roles rather than stay in wet-lab biotech. I have a BSc Biotechnology background and am currently learning Python, SQL, Git/Linux and bioinformatics. If you were in my position, what skills and projects would you build over the next 12-18 months to become employable in software or data roles? Is this realistically possible without a CS degree, and which roles should I target first?

Hi everyone,

I’m currently doing my Master’s in Biotechnology, with a particular interest in molecular biology and bioinformatics. I also have a few short-term work research experiences.

For those working in the biotech/pharma industry:

1. What roles are you currently doing, and what does your day-to-day work look like?

2. Given a background in biotechnology + molecular biology/bioinformatics, what roles would you recommend I target?

3. Which entry-level roles are relatively easier to get into after an MSc?

4. How difficult was it for you to get your first proper industry job?

5. What skills or experience helped you get hired?

I’d especially appreciate experiences from people in the UK/Europe. Also, if you could mention your degree, current role, years of experience, and how you got into the industry, that would be really helpful.

Thanks!

Hi everyone! I’m a biotechnology undergraduate from India planning to apply for Fall 2027 and would really appreciate some advice on my profile and university shortlist.
Profile:
B.Sc. (Hons.) Biotechnology, 4-year degree
Currently in 7th semester
CGPA: 7.85/10
Previous biotech/bioinformatics-related research/internship exposure
Currently learning Python + bioinformatics tools
Planning to build a small computational biology project and put it on GitHub
Planning a 6-month Bioinformatics/Computational Biology dissertation from Jan–June 2027
No publication currently but im working on one
IELTS planned; GRE not taken yet
Current US shortlist:
University at Buffalo
Case Western Reserve University
Saint Louis University
I’m also considering Canada, Germany mainly looking for good ROI, scholarships/TA/RA opportunities and strong job prospects.
I’d love advice on:
How realistic are my chances at these universities?
Should I choose Bioinformatics/Computational Biology vs Biotechnology?
What other universities would be good targets for my profile?
How much would a GitHub computational project + upcoming dissertation strengthen my application?
Would really appreciate advice from international students who have gone through the same process!

hey yall

Im starting an online masters while working in industry as a scientist but more so lab tech thanks title inflation. I wanted to do bioinformatics to get a more computer centered role or at least use computers more. I need to use my brain slightly to be happy in my career as ive learned after 6 years of working in the biotech industry. Im starting to regret getting admitted to the masters after seeing no jobs in the area and everyone complaining about long unemployment. Im not asking for people to lie that its not that bad but is it really as bad as reddit makes it and should I consider an alternate career move instead? I would have done com sci but family and friends have convinced me its even worse for new grads. Also any general advice would be appreciated. I will say PHD is off the table right now because while I hate working I hate that much school for that long even more. thanks yall any information is helpfull even if I get an IT job id be happy I just dont want to sit at the bench all day everyday anymore for meh money. even if i make the same money in a different or same field as long as i can remain sitting or preferably remote id count it as a win.

Hi, I am a recent (MSc) grad. I did my Master in Bioinformatics and sys bio from the Netherlands. I have been looking for jobs for over 6 months. Out of ~50 apps, I received 2 interviews but they did not turn into offers unfortunately. I experimented with almost every tip/suggestion on the internet for my apps and interviews (career influencers, reddit, career advice etc.,). I would like to understand what is going wrong and how I can do better with my job-search strategy.

1. Any advice on what I can do to improve my chances of success besides tailoring my CV and cover letter for every job?
2. I also see that most (entry-level) bioinformatician jobs are software-based which always puts me behind (I have zero experience in software development/database management), and I am not sure how to demonstrate these.
3. Any Specific job search strategies/platforms that worked out for bioinformatics-based jobs in the EU and Asia (besides LinkedIn and company career sites)?
4. Portfolio suggestions - Do you think having side-projects (in this AI-era) still puts you in an advantage?
5. Did anyone have any success applying to jobs that direct you to Workday? If yes, how? 👀

For context, I have experience in microbiome research, training and finetuning AI models from scratch. I have internship experience (that did not turn into publications) in well-established research org with fellowships during my bachelors and my masters.

Thanks in advance!

I'm a molecular biologist/NGS/Bioinformatics person, PhD, ~5 years at a mid-size biotech services company in Western Europe. Solid work, decent team, but no promotion in that time, internal transfers kept getting blocked. I stopped seeing a path.

A while back I accepted a research scientist position at a university's genomics core facility in the Middle East. The offer roughly doubles my take-home (tax-free, housing and schooling covered), and the job is essentially setting up transcriptomics platforms from scratch. I move later this year with my wife and two small kids.

Then, shortly before I leave, three roles I'd have killed for opened internally at my current company. Now I'm lying awake.

Three things I'd love honest input on:

1. Career risk: going from industry to a core facility. Does "service scientist" pigeonhole you? Can you still move back to industry in 5 years, or does the CV start reading as technical support?

2. The region: anyone actually worked at a well-funded research institute in the Gulf? What's real about the funding and equipment, and what's the part nobody mentions until you're there?

3. The gut-check: none of those internal roles is a real pay bump, it's title and scope only. So, should I still consider those roles (no guarantee that I get any of these), or just my brain doing what brains do?

Happy to answer questions...Mostly I want to hear from people who've done a version of this, in either direction. Thank you!

Hi everyone,
I’m currently doing a Bachelor’s in Biomedical Sciences and I’m considering doing a Master’s in Genomics/Genomic Medicine abroad not sure.

My plan would be to work abroad for a few years after graduating to gain proper experience in genomics/NGS/clinical or cancer genomics, and then possibly return to the UAE.

I wanted to hear from people who actually work in genetics, genomics, molecular diagnostics, precision medicine or biotech in the UAE.

How is the job market here realistically? Are there enough opportunities outside of academic research? What kind of positions could someone with an MSc + 2–3 years of international experience apply for?

Hi all,

Quick background: I have a bachelor's in biotechnology from India and a master's in bioinformatics from Northeastern (graduated December 2025). I started a job in academia about 2 months ago.

I genuinely love bioinformatics, but lately I've been thinking hard about where I want to take my career long-term, and I'm curious about the business side of pharma — things like consulting, business strategy, product, or other non-technical biotech/pharma roles. The problem is I have no idea how to break in or even how to identify the right role to target.

A couple of specifics:

1. As a bioinformatics analyst, the "obvious" path to level up is to go all-in on data science/ML. I do work with ML a bit and don't dislike it, but I don't want to go deep into data science as a career — it's just not where my interest lies.
2. I love biotech and pharma as an industry and want to stay in it, just not necessarily in a technical/analyst role. I have zero interest in doing a PhD.

Honestly, for the past month I've felt pretty stuck and lost hope on this. I'm confused about what roles to even target or where to start. Every business-side role I look at seems to want an MBA, a PhD, or years of prior experience, and it's starting to feel like a dead end — like the only realistic way to move up is to go all in on data science, which is exactly what I don't want to do.

So I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who pivoted from a bioinformatics/technical background into something other than data science — whether that's consulting, business strategy, product management, market access, medical affairs, or anything else on the business side. How did you break in? What helped (certifications, networking)? What would you do differently, and is it actually as much of a dead end as it feels right now?

Thanks in advance!

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I am a 29-year-old male with a BSc Biotechnology and an MSc in Environmental Science (EVS). After working in the sustainability sector for 5 years, I feel bored and am looking for a change.

I am considering pursuing a second MSc in Bioinformatics, followed by a PhD. However, I am worried about how Al might impact the field. Is this the right time to transition into bioinformatics? I would appreciate your insights.

Hey everyone,

Quick background: I started learning R from scratch earlier this year — literally couldn't write a single line before. Worked through it steadily and I'm now comfortable doing bulk RNA-seq analysis (DE analysis, normalization, batch correction, that whole workflow).

Now I want to branch into single-cell RNA-seq analysis, and it looks like most of the ecosystem (Scanpy, AnnData, etc.) lives in Python rather than R. Problem is, I don't know Python at all yet.

For those who've made a similar jump — is there a sensible path to go from "no Python" to "comfortable doing single-cell analysis"? Specifically:

Do I need to learn general Python properly first (like I did with base R), or can I learn it "on the job" through a scRNA-seq-focused course/tutorial?

Any go-to resources — courses, books, GitHub tutorials — that take you from Python basics through to Scanpy/single-cell workflows specifically?

Is prior R/bulk RNA-seq experience actually transferable conceptually (QC, normalization, clustering, etc.), or is single-cell different enough that I should treat it as starting fresh?

Roughly how long did it take you to get functional?

Appreciate any pointers — happy to share my bulk RNA-seq learning path too if it's useful to anyone in a similar spot.

I am considering a masters in bioinformatics in EU. I have always loved biology since I was in school and in my undergrad I ended up doing a bachelor's in tech (computer sciences and biosciences). I always wanted to take up bioinformatics at some point post my undergrad and that was always my goal.

I am applying this year and by the time I'd join any masters program, I'd have 2 years of experience in a healthtech startup doing a lot of ml/Data engineering work.

However I have been looking at reddit a lot to try to understand best colleges and maybe it's me but no one is having a good time 😭😭😭

Im really worried that I'll do a masters and I'll end up not finding a job. It's like a trade off of doing what I want to vs a stable life with money.

I understand that I'd probably be targeting a job market 3 years in the future and no one's experience right now may be the same 3 yesrs down the line but gods I feel very conflicted.

At the same time, my goal in life is genuinely to be happy where I am and money is secondary to some extent mainly because i recognise my privilege. But i can't live off that forever and need to forge my own independent path.

If I love it i should do it right?

I'm currently planning out some future degree options. I'm very interested in both Biology and Computer Science, so I figured Bioinformatics would be a good compromise between the two.

However, I'm worried that being in Bioinformatics would make me far too specialized and limit my opportunities overall.

Would you suppose that if I got a MS in Bioinformatics, I'd be still set up well to continue towards a PhD in CS?

I know a CS degree can reasonably branch into Bioinformatics, but is the inverse true? Or would I be setting myself up for failure?

hey there! At this moment Im in my final year of graduation, from department of life sciences , with bioinformatics as minor(bsc.biotechnology,honours with research) there is an ongoing project of mine in structural bioinformatics ,I developed some skillset in python,r,bash,biopython,pandas,numpy,CUDA,linux, and also protein modelling tools like GROMAC,VMD. Im willing to pursue my MS from an European countries, but im lacking clarity in choosing country as well as university, How is present job market in Europe ?

Im open to suggestions and advices, Hoping to get few

Anyone have any idea of how to transition from medical laboratory science to data science or computer engineering/science? For quick background, I did this course at VUT and didn’t know about it first, and its actually a cool course and graduated 3 years ago so meaning I have 3 years of experience of working in the laboratory.

It’s so limiting for me because I’m only on the bench with no way forward. I want to transition to data science because everything is moving to technology side and my work is kinda threatened, I want to have a solid and stable career. I love helping people of which by transitioning I still wanna be in healthcare sector.

I’ve been checking masters and I don’t know if should I start another undergraduate degree or there’s a way to do my masters. Can anyone help me with this, I’m open with many ideas. Quick note I don’t want to be a researcher

Hi everyone!

I’ve recently started my BS in Bioinformatics and I’m trying to figure out how I should actually start learning the subject properly.

I have a basic understanding of biology, but I have essentially zero coding/programming knowledge. I also don’t want to just study enough to pass my university exams — I genuinely want to understand bioinformatics and build useful skills over the next few years.

I’m a little overwhelmed by all the resources available, so I’d really appreciate advice from people who have experience in the field.

Specifically:

- Which books would you recommend for a complete beginner?

- Which websites/courses are actually worth following?

- Are there any good YouTube channels or playlists for learning bioinformatics?

- How should I start learning Python/programming from absolute zero?

- What programming languages/tools should I eventually learn for bioinformatics?

- How should I balance biology/theoretical concepts with coding and computational skills?

- Are there any beginner-friendly projects I could do while learning?

- Is there a particular order/path you would recommend (e.g. biology → Python → statistics → bioinformatics tools, etc.)?

Basically, if you could go back to the very beginning, what would you learn and in what order?

Any advice, resources, roadmaps, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

And for the record I attended 2-3 lectures in my college of bioinformatics but I couldn't grasp what my teacher was trying to teach.