Hailey Nickolopoulos

Molecular Biologist Paper

October 17, 2016

Molecular Biologist

A molecular biologist is a biologist that explores, understands, and teaches the concepts

of cellular structure and function on a molecular level. This career falls under biotechnology

research and development. To be a molecular biologist you have to have practical, teamwork,

problem solving, communication and presentation skills, as well as other qualities. Personally I

think I have most of these skills. I would say one skill I would need to improve on is my

presentation skills. When I am presenting I get extremely nervous and I start to stutter. To

improve this skill I think I could present more so I get used to it and so I dont get as nervous

and become better at making eye contact and not being as scared.

The educational requirements of a molecular biologist can vary based on your position.

You would need at least a Bachelors degree for an entry level position and anywhere from a

Masters or Doctoral degree for researchers. In Michigan there are six colleges that offer a

molecular biologist program. The University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, and

Lawrence Technological University are the most well known. The college of my choice would be

the University of Michigan because they are ranked number one in Michigan. Requirements

include a minimum GPA of 2.0 and you also must take chemistry, biology, physics, and

quantitative analysis. At U of M their Ph.D program is only a two-year program. Im not sure that

I would take this class because it seems like a class I wouldnt like as the website says its an

easy class to get into and I like to challenge myself.

The duties of a molecular biologist is to research and experiment to gain knowledge of

the cell process and codes in humans, plants, animals and other living organisms. A biotech

company may ask a molecular biologist to genetically engineer new crops to improve the health

and consumption rates. A molecular biologist needs to understand gene sequencing, gene
expression, and cell signaling. You also have to read and interpret the information and results.

They work with advanced lab equipment such as cloning kits, DNA synthesizers, temperature

cyclers, and electron guns. This job exists in private industries, universities, and government

agencies.

In a private industry a molecular biologist would serve as a consultant while advising on

issues. At a university they could work as a Teacher to help push the minds of the students. If

they were to work at a government agency they would find new ways to diagnose and treat

diseases. Working as a molecular biologist, your typical day varies so much that they cant

really tell you what it is like. From what I have read I think it would be sitting in a lab researching

and conducting many experiments. I personally dont feel like that would be the job for me as it

would probably get boring after a while.

The annual salary for a molecular biologist as of May 2015 was $82,150. In January

2016 the median salary was $56,195. I think that the salary for a molecular biologist is kind of

low for what they do. They help us so much with researching how to diagnose diseases and

other things. The people that become molecular biologist must be upset about what they make.

The survival flight people that came into our class make more than what a molecular biologist

does.They both save lives just in different ways. Personally I believe that a molecular biologist

works more to save lives. They may be sitting down but they are saving thousands if not millions

of lives everyday. A survival flight person may have to rush around but it's only for a short

amount of time.

Job outlook for a molecular biologist in 2014-2024 is expected to be 8%. This is

equitable with a biophysicist or a biochemist, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

To me this isnt good enough because that 8% may decrease by the time I graduate college with

my degree in this field. I would rather go into a profession where there is more of a positive

outlook, so I know there will be a job for me and Im not waiting around for one building up my

debt.
 Working as a molecular biologist the typical work week is about five to six days and

about six to eight hours a day. This seems equal to what everyone else works so it seems to be

about right. I couldnt really find anything on overtime requirements. I would assume that if you

were working on a big project you would stay to work on it as needed. Working a job like this

you would probably have to either really like the job or something about the job in order to want

to come in everyday and accomplish things.

Something about this job makes me think that its not for me. I just feel like it is too

boring sitting in front of a computer all day and not really interacting with the public or patients.

This just doesnt sound appealing to me. I might be able to work as a teacher or something of

that sort but, they really dont do anything that would appease my sense of direction in life. A

molecular biologist is someone who can stand being in a laboratory all day. I have my lazy days

but when I am at work I would rather be on my feet moving at all times never sitting down unless

I had a need. To be a molecular biologist you need to have the mindset to focus on the

computer or think about the experiment you are doing. That is not for me. I dont really like the

idea of sitting at a computer; I feel as if it is unhealthy. Looking back at what I want to be really

makes me think about what kind of person you actually have to be. Every job has

communication, teamwork, honesty, however its what you do that sets it apart from other jobs.

The thing that sets this job away from all the other jobs to me is that you have to really love what

you are doing to be in that lab all day six days a week. You need that dedication, that drive to be

a molecular biologist. That is what will set this job apart from the others.

Graphiq. (2016). Colleges Start Classes . Retrieved from Start Classes :

http://colleges.startclass.com/l/2086/University-of-Michigan-Ann-Arbor

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https://lsa.umich.edu/content/dam/biology-assets/biology-documents/CMB.MAJOR.pdf
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http://www.careers.dept.shef.ac.uk/students/skills/skillsmbb.pdf

Sokanu. (n.d.). Sokanu. Retrieved from Sokanu: https://www.sokanu.com/careers/molecular-

biologist/salary/

Study.com. (2013-2016). Study.com. Retrieved from Study.com:

http://study.com/articles/Molecular_Biologist_Job_Description_Duties_and_Requirements.html