Julie Pollard, Whynotchemeng campaign manager
Institute of Chemical Engineers
Julie said:
Gain chartered status to command a higher salary: Chartered engineers typically command a higher salary so it's a good career decision in the long term. Having an MSc will make the path to becoming chartered a much simpler and quicker one. Without it you will need to do further learning or a masters qualification once you are employed and this will take more than one year to complete.
Chemical engineering graduates can expect good perks: Chemical engineering is a great career choice for students who want to work in a field that takes the most exciting elements of science and combines them with the real-world application of engineering. Jobs vary from developing new biofuels from non-food crops to being involved in designing the process that made the new Twisted chocolate bar. There is lots of opportunity for travel. A newly-qualified graduate earns in the region of £26,000 (the highest of all engineering disciplines) and can quickly progress to a much higher salary, particularly if they go onto to become chartered.
Diana Garnham, chief executive of Science Council and chair of the Science for Careers Expert Group
Diana said:
Science skills and knowledge can be transferred easily to other sectors: One of the things that amazes me is just how many different jobs there are out there where a STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths ) degree is a good foundation to start from. You can use those valuable STEM skills anywhere. Much careers information links specific employment sectors to specific skills or disciplines but we now know that the pathways are more complicated. We have been starting to explore the common skills needed — numeracy is the common one mentioned — and showing all the different employers that value this.
Jane Westwell, external relations for Society for General Microbiology
Jane said:
Check job specifications before pursuing further study: There is no reason to stay in academia unless that is the career you want. Before deciding whether to do the MSc (which can be a big financial commitment) it might be worth looking at job descriptions for the type of suitable posts in industry to see what experience and qualifications they are actually looking for. You might find you have quite a lot of relevant experience already and you should be able to identify any gaps. The Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry has a great careers website with links to recruiters.
Research posts can be rare, so plan ahead and use the support networks: Undoubtedly, it is tough to get a research post but people do succeed at it and one thing they have in common is strategic thinking when it comes to career planning. For more information look at these two resources that give some basic advice for post-docs wanting to become independent researchers; Aiming for a Lectureship and, for more detail, see an article called Post-doc and Beyond.
The problem of floundering post-doctoral careers has been recognised for years and there are several initiatives to address the issue. Universities have activities aimed at researcher development (usually courses and mentoring schemes) and Vitae is an organisation devoted to researcher development.
Many people find their next PI or collaborator at scientific meetings. Also many of the biological societies (Society for Experimental Biology, Society for General Biology, Physiological Society, Biochemical Society) organise special career development sessions at their conferences.
Steve Hall, science fellow, National Oceanography Centre and member of The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology
Steve said:
Look beyond academic institutions for interesting careers: There are many worthwhile careers for scientists outside of academic institutions. It is true that academic career progression is often tied to publication rates, and this can be tricky for scientists who choose to move between the two worlds, but it isn't a show stopper.
In my own world - marine science and technology - it is relatively easy for scientists to move between industry, academia, and government research institutions but that may not be the case in all sectors. There are usually private companies who work with universities in all manner of fields, and most would be very interested to talk with you about opportunities for work placements, exchanges and secondment opportunities.
Most science opportunities are not advertised: Be proactive, opportunities are often not advertised, and much emphasis is placed on face-to-face contacts. I recommend joining the appropriate learned society or professional body for your specialisation. These sort of organisations are vital for building links between academics and industry and for providing meeting spaces and evening meetings where you may have the opportunity to present your work to a wider audience or explore the possibility of alternative employment.
Employers value hands-on capability more than paper qualifications: In the marine renewables sector (likely to become the largest part of the renewables industry in the UK) the rate of progress and innovation is fast and the companies involved are relatively lean, small outfits (at the moment). They value the ability to deliver hands-on capability more than paper qualifications. They place more value on real-world job experience. Have you considered getting yourself on the road to chartered status with a relevant professional body? When faced with a table full of CVs, it is very helpful to a potential employer to see phrases such as 'chartered scientist' or 'chartered engineer' on your paperwork because we know that you will have satisfied a suite of requirements such as project management, professional knowledge, financial planning etc. It's especially helpful if the candidate does not have a PhD as it shows they often have equivalent — or better — professional hands-on ability.
