How to Become a Genetic Engineer

Genetic engineers are research scientists that work with genes: human, animal and plant. Those working in the field may specialize in a certain area and spend their career working in such fields as animal husbandry. If you'd like to become a genetic engineer, then you need to prepare yourself for many years of hard work and study.

Instructions

1. Attend a four-year accredited university and study a science-related field. Most genetic engineers study chemistry, zoology, botany, biology or general science when in college. These fields help you gain admission to graduate school and teach you the fundamentals of genetics.

2. Gain admission to graduate school and attend courses in the biological science field. You'll typically follow the same path as you did in college, but you can also move into a related field. For example, a student may study zoology as an undergraduate and move to chemistry or biology in graduate school.

3. Spend 3-4 years working on your doctoral degree. Very few people working as genetic engineers have only one degree from graduate school. This prepares you for work in the field by exposing you to the same working conditions you'll experience as a full-time laboratory researcher.

4. Ask at the college placement office about potential jobs and check with your college professors. Many genetic engineers get their first jobs from the contacts made in college. The placement office at your college can also help you find jobs by searching job databases and other areas.

5. Stay up to date on advances and new technologies used in the genetic engineering field. This is important because technology and techniques in the field change fairly often. You'll need to let potential employees know that you're still in touch with advances in the field, even if you're not currently working in research.

Tips & Warnings

• Pick a specialty while in grad school, which helps employers see where your expertise lies. A few specialties relating to genetic engineering include biochemistry, bioscience, medical science, genetics and microbiology.

• Make sure that you can handle working in small groups and also by yourself. You'll often work with others when it comes to experimenting and working on new ideas, but you'll also work on those same projects by yourself. Also make sure that you're comfortable with the amount of schooling required to work as a genetic engineer. There's a minimum of nine years associated with the job and some spend over ten years, if they're working on an important topic or project as part of their doctoral studies.

References

• Simply Hired
• Genetic Engineering Research Scientist Job Description