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Senior biotechnologist Dr. Christopher Bunker gave up his petri dish, his microscope, and his lab coat for a career experiment, leaving his research job at Genome Therapeutic Corp. for a sales and marketing position at a Boston-based biotech supply startup.

His move from a behind-the-scenes job to one that is more interactive demonstrates the increasing job flexibility in biotechnology and science-related fields. He'll now sell antibodies and will make a higher base salary, plus sales bonuses.

"I wanted a job where I could make an impact faster, and it takes too long from the design of a research plan to getting the results," Bunker said. "In sales, the effect is much more immediate and you are compensated better."

The mapping of the human genome - this century's most impressive gene project - is the catalyst for more job freedom and higher salaries in the biotech fields. Consider that there are between 100,000 and 150,000 genes in the human genome. Reduce this to 75,000 genes that are of critical interest to mankind, and imagine that just one or two genes could help solve a certain kind of cancer. A drug company could, for example, extract the DNA - a person's individual genetic code - from the cancer tissue sample, unfold the genetic process of cancer, and develop a drug that counteracts the disease.

It's a huge undertaking that has propelled science into a new century of advanced knowledge, a breakthrough that will map DNA, an individual's genetic blueprint, eventually helping scientists to pinpoint disease-causing processes for diseases such as cancer and AIDS.

Unprecedented job growth
The gene revolution is this century's answer to a tight job market, and job growth in the U.S. biotech field has jumped 48 percent to 153,000 workers in the last five years, according to Ernst & Young's annual Biotechnology Industry Report.

Molecular biologists such as Bunker - along with other scientists, programmers, software developers, MBA graduates, and technical writers - are picking and choosing their careers, and recruiters are having a tougher time filling jobs.

"It's a job seeker's market," said Tom Cahill, managing director for California-based Cahill & Associates, a firm that specializes in placing biotechnology candidates.

"There are not enough skilled workers, especially in software and technical writing, and many of the other disciplines will hit the crisis point very quickly," Cahill said.

Who's hot right now?
In the crunch for more workers, those with PhDs in molecular biology combined with a degree in computer science are "white-hot," Cahill said.

"Add a computer science degree to that PhD and you can write your own ticket." New college graduates who know Java, C++, databases, and client server technologies, as well as those who hold master's degrees in molecular biology or computer science, also are popular with the biotech companies.

Jobs include laboratory information management systems developers for programs such as Java EJB, Cobra, Oracle, and Sybase; as well as algorithm developers, software developers, and firmware and electrical engineers.

The wide demand doesn't stop at science, and those outside the biotech nucleus benefit from more jobs also. Biochemists can grab positions with salaries ranging from $30,000 to $100,000. MBAs can expect salaries as a marketing analyst in the range of $50,000 to $75,000, according to Cahill.

Technical writers, pattern recognition specialists, chemists, mathematicians, graphic designers, software designers, attorneys, and businesspersons are all seeing increases in the biotech job market. There are so many jobs available in these fields that a Congressional subcommittee put forth a measure last Thursday that would increase - and take the limit off - H1-B immigration visas in order for others to work in the United States.

Weighing their options Some candidates are turning to startups, hoping to reap potential riches and stock options. Other still prefer the stability and management at a more established biotech or pharmaceutical company.

A startup is often a good top choice for those in the biotech field who are willing to take a risk, because startups have the luxury of offering more stock options than the big biotech firms, said Jonathan Soderstrom, managing director of Yale University's Office of Cooperative Research, which funds biotech startups.

But a startup's lower profitability and visibility sometimes makes it a second choice to biotech candidates. Stock options, while very attractive to some, are not as decisive in the hiring process in the biotech world as in other fields, Cahill said.

Startups also have a hard time offering as many amenities and as much project flexibility as big research and discovery drug companies and can be a harsh environment for someone used to having 10 to 15 years to complete a research project.

Traditional companies like pharmaceuticals have an advantage if their prospective employees are looking for financial stability combined with intelligent management and flexible policies such as staggered start and finish times, and of course, telecommuting. "One day a week works wonders. The rest is gravy," Cahill said.

Merck & Co., a pharmaceutical company headquartered in New Jersey, is feeling the effects of the labor crunch, despite its well-known reputation and 58,000 employees. The company's recruiters have pushed up their recruiting efforts at universities, industry conferences, and job fairs.

"Before, our name and our reputation was all we needed," said Maggie Beute, who leads Merck's recruiting efforts for college students.

"Hiring is definitely more competitive now," she added.

As part of its strategy to win people over, Merck relocated its headquarters a few years ago from an industrial section on the outskirts of Queens, N.Y., to a resort-style building sprawled on 865 acres. The site has tennis courts, walking paths, and a 1,000-person cafeteria serving chef-prepared food and catered take-home dinners. The company also offers on-site oil changes, a fitness center, massage therapist, yoga instructor, dry cleaner, tailor, and video rentals.