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For a long time, I didn't know what I could do with my Biology degree. I thought if I wanted to get a business-focused job, my only options were in banking and finance (which is where a lot of science graduates end up). I really didn’t want to go further in academia, even though I loved my degree. The lab was just not for me. Ideally, I wanted to keep some sort of link to science, so that I could be putting my knowledge from my degree to some use!

With a little exploration, I found out that the…

Getting a job in big Pharma is often a goal of science graduates. It’s seen as an ideal place to work if you don’t want to pursue an academic path. If you don’t want to do research at all, there are a diverse range of other science-related roles available. You can also do pure business roles that still allow you to work in a science context. I graduated with a Biology degree and ended up working in Human Resources at a global pharmaceutical company. Here are my tips for getting a job in this ind…

Do you want to network in person as an introvert but don’t know how? Maybe you consider yourself an introvert because you have a science background? Do you think this means you won’t be ‘good at networking’? There is often a stereotype that science students are introverts because of the amount of analytical work we have to do. Sometimes, this is true. But other times, we put this perception on ourselves and dwell on it. This can make us reluctant to put ourselves out there when doing things like…

Covid-19 may have us all re-thinking our career paths and maybe even considering a career change. Whether you’ve been let go from your current position or are working from home, it can make you consider what you want from a career in the future. Even before this shift in our working lives, you might have felt the pull to make a change from academia for a while. Perhaps you have been in your research role for a long time and want to explore other options. Maybe working in industry is something yo…

We often hear that we should find a mentor to help us achieve our career goals when trying to get a promotion or make a career change. The term mentor can also often be interchanged with coaches and sponsors, although these are very different things. We also have people in our lives who we may already see in these roles. These could be our line managers or supervisors.

A mentor is someone who is typically more experienced than you as a mentee. They offer specific knowledge, skills or experience…

More often than not, you will have a telephone interview as the second stage of a recruitment process. If you are at this stage, it means the company is interested in interviewing you, but they want to understand your CV in more depth. They also need to suss out your motivations for applying for the role and company. It can also be a chance to filter people through asking questions about their contractual requirements e.g. location, start date and salary requirements.

Telephone interviews will …

Have you ever thought about becoming a high school Maths teacher? Is education something you have considered as an alternative career path? Do you want to share your passion and knowledge for Maths with the next generation? It’s often hard to make these decisions without having an insight into the industry from someone who is doing the role.

Informational interviews and networking are both good ways to start getting this insight before making any major career moves. Shadowing and work experienc…

Inclusion at work has been a long-standing discussion in many organisations and in the media. The level of diversity at senior levels is often at the core of this discussion. Large corporate organisations have implemented inclusion and diversity programmes and initiatives. Some have put this at the core of their company brand. Many see it as crucial to attracting and retaining talent. A few recognise the important of diverse views at leadership level. These are all important steps towards higher…

The hiring process in today’s world is likely to involve a virtual interview. Although this may have been happening before, the global pandemic has seen more hiring managers moving quickly to virtual processes. This could happen more in the future regardless of the external situation, if employers find it saves time and money. It’s therefore important to prepare for virtual interviews as much as you would prepare for in-person interviews. There are some differences in the way you would prepare a…

Whether you're in academia or industry, there are many soft skills you need to thrive in your job. Today’s job market requires it. As a scientist, there is an increasing need to engage the public with your research. This involves interacting with people in a way that helps them understand and relate to what you are conveying. It requires you to develop a skill set that allows you to do this most effectively.

Soft skills are also often a differentiator when it comes to hiring candidates. Often, …