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Attaining a scientific job in this economy can be quite difficult. If you are searching through monster or careerbuilder then you are literally competing against thousands of other applicants.

A given in job hunting: It is not always about what you know, but who you know.

Fortunately, if you’re short on connections, there are other avenues you can explore. In this post, I would like to share a few strategies and websites you may want to consider as you search for a career.

1) Look at forums or bulletin boards
Example: if you are heavy into crystallography, check out CCP4BB. If you’re not interested in actually joining forums or bulletin boards, simply try searching with the forum or bulletin board name: CCP4BB 2009 jobs.

2) Narrow your search by specifying an area or state in which you would like a particular job
Example: ‘Washington State, USA biotechnology’. Searching in this fashion can uncover websites that list, for example, biotechnology jobs within that region.

3) Check out venture capital websites
They list the companies they are invested in and provide links to these company websites. Once at these websites, look for a ‘Careers’ or ‘Job Opportunities’ link/tab. More than likely, there will be fewer applicants since these companies are often new and not as well known.
Example: Polaris holds a number of companies related to biotechnology.