I recently had an opportunity to visit Partec, a company which specializes in flow cytometers. Guided by Dr. Ines Nasdala, we were given a tour of the company and an insight into her job.
I was a part of an eager group of PhD candidates and freshly graduated PhDs on a visit to a biotech company located in the suburb of our own city, Muenster. Until a few weeks back, I had the slightest knowledge that the first automated flow cytometer was in fact developed in the University of Muenster and marketed by Partec – a company founded by Professor Wolfgang Göhde, the instrument designer. Since its establishment, Partec has expanded, diversified its products, and established clients all over the world, becoming a successful manufacturer.
Our small group interested in learning more about alternate career opportunities (outside of academia) was warmly welcomed by Ines, a former PhD graduate from the ZMBE, Muenster. She joined Partec as an application specialist responsible primarily for customer/distributor support. When a customer wants to obtain training, or has questions concerning a method, they simply get in touch with the application specialist. Taking the product to the site for demonstration and to conferences is also a part of the job description. The latter entails a fair amount of travel across the globe, which for Ines, an ardent traveler, turned out to be a perk. She also alerts us that, to be an application specialist, one must not be afraid to touch a screw driver. When hitches occur, one must be prepared to open up the device – a task unsuitable for the faint-hearted!
Having decided to take up a job in the industry after her PhD, Ines was actively on the lookout for opportunities. Through a former colleague of hers, she learnt about an opening for an application specialist in Partec. Flow cytometry was one of the many techniques that Ines had utilized during her doctoral research, and she had no more than a background knowledge in the fundamentals of flow cytometry when she was recruited. During the first few months of the job, it is ensured that an application specialist is trained extensively in order to become familiar with the products and their applications, says Ines. Besides, in a smaller establishment the roles of the employees may not be necessarily restricted. In her nine years of employment with Partec, Ines has become accustomed to carrying out tasks outside the requirements of an application specialist. Due to this all inclusive experience, she has now comfortably transitioned into the production management section to assume a new position in the company.
Although she is far from carrying out actual research work, Ines is completely content with her current job. Making the right decision at the right time is crucial, and if you want to follow a career in the industry, grab hold of any opportunity that you think is appropriate for you - the size of the company should not influence your decision, because every experience counts. So says Ines, who believes that leaving academia was the right choice for her.
Time and time again, I realize that there are few crucial points that a PhD student needs to bear in mind all the time to make a career out of a doctoral title: networking, gain relevant experiences outside the laboratory, and be courageous to make the apt decision!
I would like to thank: Ines, for a very informative day at Partec and her kind responses to all our questions; Partec, for a glimpse into the workings of the company; CiM-IMPRS graduate school and Martin for organizing the excursion to Partec and letting me be a part of it.
Cover image: CyFlow Cube 8 ( Partec)
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