Daniel Goodman
Daniel Goodman
Background: M.S. Chemical Engineering
Bioscience Internship: Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts (ABPDU) and Mantra Bio
Current Career: Research Associate, Upstream Bioprocess Development, Mantra Bio
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Daniel with his two CCSF Bioscience Internship posters from ABPDU and Mantra at the CCSF Biosymposium
I had earned my degree from a 4 year University and had a hard time narrowing down the role and field to start my career. I had been in school for a long time and didn't know a lot about working in industry or have a good job search method. As more time past, it got harder to imagine a good starting point and my confidence in applying learned material and prior work experience diminished.
I had started taking courses at CCSF in subjects of interest the year before (e.g. Finance, Real Estate, Programming, Auto Maintenance, PE) and found all the instructors very skilled and dedicated and CCSF a very rewarding experience. Hoping to boost my job search and candidacy, I reviewed the course catalog for programs and courses that complimented my science degree. The Biotech program offered a great opportunity to gain hands on experience and knowledge for a well established industry in the Bay Area.
What specifically did you like most about the CCSF Biotech program/internship? Was there a specific moment in the classroom or during your internship where you knew you were on a path to your future career?
I liked most the results the CCSF Biotech program yielded for me. After completing a number of courses in the CCSF Biotech program I worked for 2+ years in the Biotech Industry, an opportunity that came about while presenting my career exploration (BTEC 15) poster at the BioSymposium.
I came back to the CCSF Biotech Program with the specific goal to use an internship as an opportunity to explore areas of Biotech I felt were valuable from job postings for roles I was interested in. I saw it as the best opportunity to gain a difficult array of skills in a short time frame when my current role lacked scale, staffing and flexibility to explore other roles and areas.
What surprised you the most or made you the happiest about completing the CCSF Biotech program/internship?
The tremendous value I got out of the Internship support course (BTEC 14B). I had thought it would be a deterrent from time I could dedicate to my internship. The support and structure from Dr. Leung in the course helped ensure I got the most out of my internship experience by providing the structure to yield a compelling story of my work, update job search documents and plans to hit the ground running post internship. Also the insight and perspective gained from my cohort of interns from hearing about their internships and working through how to present the projects they were working on. I was very happy, and a beneficiary, that every aspect of completing the CCSF internship enhanced the experience.
The internship provided me with a better understanding of working in the Biotech field and about myself, my interests and where I'd like to direct my career going forward. It also allowed me to gain more industry perspective, valuable hard skills (e.g., Mammalian cell culture, Pilot scale Process Development) and soft skills (e.g., Interviewing, resume writing, communication, critical evaluation, working and learning styles).
I have continued my work at Mantra Bio, following my internship, in a Full-Time role as a Research Associate in Upstream Bioprocess Development. I am continuing the work I had been doing and developing many new skills as I continue to learn.
What advice would you offer to current and future students? What would you tell them to expect as a student of the Biotech program?
Expect dedicated and excellent faculty who are passionate in helping students succeed. Expect relevant scientific content and training in highly desired skills in all courses offered. Expect a well-rounded program that supports students in their scientific understanding, hands on lab technique and skills, developing your professional network, career identification and the tools to gain employment in biotech.
My advice is to take advantage of the plethora of resources and knowledge the CCSF Biotech program and its faculty have to offer. The more you put into the courses the greater the value you'll get out, and the faculty are a great resource for better understanding the biotech industry, how to better understand your self and your interests and build the hard and soft skills to succeed in Biotech.
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