Science degree? What did you do next and why?

r3nu4l · 01-08-2008 01:43PM #1

Well many of you reading this will have come out of a University or IT with a lovely degree in science but what did you do next? Why did you make the choice you did?

The reason I ask is because the majority of scientists I know made their career decisions without much help from anybody. Go to a careers office and ask what your options are and you are told:

Postgrad
Teaching
Industry

After that you seem to be mostly on your own.

Most of the PhD's I know who finally decided that they were finished with lab work didn't know what to do with themselves afterwards. Most ended up in pharmaceutical/chemical sales, not because they wanted it (some did) but because they didn't know what else was out there.

So what was your process in moving on from your degree? Did you get good guidance or did you stumble through a fog and into a job that you thought 'might be okay'?

AtomicHorror · 01-08-2008 01:49PM

I got a taste of research (mostly just literature research) during the final two years of my undergraduate degree. That convinced me that I'd like to do a doctorate. I'm just finishing up now, and while I don't regret that move, I would probably do things very differently in hindsight. I'd still do the PhD, but probably not where I am, and not the way I did.

Next up, not sure. It's quite possible that I'll fall into the first job I can get be it post-doc or industry. Wouldn't touch teaching, but only because I don't want to work with surly teenagers. Odd considering just how preachy I am actually.

I'd really like to get into science journalism, but that may require me taking a rough road.

Dinkie · 01-08-2008 04:13PM

I decided with in 2 weeks of starting college that I didn't like lab work, etc, etc. And spent remainder of college life wondering what on earth I could do with a science degree that didn't involve science. When I left college I was lucky enough to be offered 2 jobs - one in a lab doing research and one outside a lab . I jumped at the one outside the lab.

That happened to be in medical diagnostics and I haven't looked back. I've worked all around the world with different diagnostics companies and discovered that I did actually like science and lab work after years of hating it. My job has a nice mix of learning, troubleshooting and research/projects. Its also really social, which I love (and didn't always find labs social).

Funnily enough looking back at college, I loved the biochemistry/medical side of the course, and did really well in that. However the Chemisty caused me so much grief!!! Now the irony is that I do all areas of science and love it. I would be happy to go and do a post-grad in it now. As it is I seem to support and help out loads of post grad students with their course work!!

thebaldsoprano · 01-08-2008 04:24PM

Did maths/TP and didn't go on to PhD after finding out I'm not exactly the Stephen Hawking type.

First job after college was as a graphic designer :eek:

Currently programming computers which I quite like but I'll be starting a part time fine art degree this autumn, so it should be interesting to see where that leads!

Phototoxin · 02-08-2008 12:43AM

Im hoping to graduate in october.

I thought about teaching and applied and went for the interview but decided against it based on volunteering i was doing in a school.

lab work i find repetitive from my work experience section in the tox lab.

Msc/Phd require money and for some reason the irish government wont give me £££ for studing in the uk any even though richer people get grants for local colleges. The EU wont either so no ££ = no Msc =:(

So I really dont know. It seems to me that Ireland doesnt give a **** about science anyway to be honest. Most people I know in Ireland doing science seem to want to go for teaching.

r3nu4l · 07-08-2008 09:20AM

So did any of you guys get career advice in University? Was the advice any good or was it far too generic?

thebaldsoprano · 07-08-2008 10:32AM

r3nu4l wrote: »

So did any of you guys get career advice in University? Was the advice any good or was it far too generic?

Nope, they didn't offer anything I couldn't easily find myself.
A friend of mine did offer beer money by means of a job though.

Professor_Fink · 08-08-2008 01:57AM

r3nu4l wrote: »

Well many of you reading this will have come out of a University or IT with a lovely degree in science but what did you do next? Why did you make the choice you did?

...

Most of the PhD's I know who finally decided that they were finished with lab work didn't know what to do with themselves afterwards. Most ended up in pharmaceutical/chemical sales, not because they wanted it (some did) but because they didn't know what else was out there.

I did TP back in 2004. When I graduated my whole class stayed in higher education, although taking different routes. I believe we have 4 or 5 doctorates out of 6 graduates. I went down the PhD route.

What I am finding now, though, is that a huge number of maths and physicsgraduates and PhDs are going into finance or consulting. Quantitative finance in particular is a big draw, and the salaries can be astronomical. It's really odd that nobody tells you that physics PhDs are so highly prized in the area, but it is definitely the case.

r3nu4l · 12-08-2008 07:37PM

Professor Fink raises a very interesting point and one I was coming to myself. Careers guidance is very poor at identifying transferable skills and translating those into potential career moves for those who have decided that perhaps science isn't for them.

Does anyone know if there are courses in Science career guidance? I know there are plenty of career guidance qualifications but can one specialise and if so, shouldn't we have some of these people available in Universities?

thebaldsoprano · 12-08-2008 08:35PM

Dunno if such a qualification exists, but it'd definitely be useful alright.

Another service that'd be useful is putting employers who value certain science degrees in touch with candidates. I didn't even find out how valued maths degrees are in computing till fairly recently.

If employers came in and explained what their company does and why a certain degree is valued, it might provide something in the way of guidance to someone walking out of college as clueless about what to do next as I was.

Falling back on a hobby to get some beer money in after graduating just about sums it up for the career guidance I got anyway

dudara · 02-10-2008 06:47AM

I did a degree in Physics, got a 1H and was told by all around me that I "should" do a Ph.D.

So I got a Ph.D. in Electrical & Electronic Engineering (in semiconductor physics) in the same college where I got my degree.

While doing the Ph.D. I tutored in my own university and got a job as a part-time lecturer in another 3rd level institute.

I'm proud of my Ph.D. but in hindsight I should have moved to another city or even abroad to do one, or else have taken the Masters -> Ph.D. route. I was a little too young and should have thought about it more.

At the end of the Ph.D., despite some good publications and lecturing experience, I had had enough of the scientific world. I felt that it was insular and small. I wanted to persue a career where there was more interaction.

I now work as a management consultant and I really enjoy it. The variety and constant thinking on your feet is challenging in a different way from science but it's not unchallenging in an intellectual sense either.

r3nu4l · 03-10-2008 11:19AM

dudara wrote: »

At the end of the Ph.D., despite some good publications and lecturing experience, I had had enough of the scientific world. I felt that it was insular and small. I wanted to persue a career where there was more interaction.

I now work as a management consultant and I really enjoy it. The variety and constant thinking on your feet is challenging in a different way from science but it's not unchallenging in an intellectual sense either.

The Irish scientific community can be insular and small. I'm delighted with my job as a medical writer. I deal with people from major pharma companies and physicians from some of the best institutes in the world on a daily basis, across a huge range of subjects from dry skin to renal cancer, vaccines, STIs. My job is also scientifically challenging but also challenging from an organisational perspective.

I need to coordinate people across time zones for telecons, manage strict deadlines and maintain corporate professionalism. I represent my company in terms of scientific and medical knowledge and work with industry to help continue educating doctors. I love it. The level of daily interaction is incredible.

This morning I was writing about a dengue fever vaccine, later today I'll be developing slide sets about breast cancer, in conjunction with a scientist and doctor from a well respected hospital in New York.

That said, today is the first day I've had a (20 minute) lunch break in about 2 weeks

Overall, I'm happy with my choice but scientists need better guidance in University to help them choose a good career. Dudara is a prime example. During a degree and especially a PhD you develop skills that are transferable across a huge number of sectors and make you very employable, yet most scientists are not given any guidance as to this aspect of their education.

Phototoxin · 21-10-2008 05:02PM

So did any of you guys get career advice in University? Was the advice any good or was it far too generic?

Advice none, information lots. As in well you could do xyz or abc and here's what that involves... how to actually apply or find such jobs no chance.

So I'm graduating in about 9 days and I haven't a clue what to do afterwards. I've appliedfor lab jobs but tbh pippet sample x from bottle y and place in rack z isn't what i'm interested in. And I'm too late graduating to go into an MSc anywhere

kevmy · 21-10-2008 05:31PM

I agree with the main thrust of this thread in terms of career advice which is essentially that career guidance isn't worth a lot in the science area. I think Irish Uni's for year had no prospects in science and when I go into them I'm completely frustrated by their management speak and business talk. All bullsh1t and no substance - we're not Arts students for God's sake.

Personally I'm doing a PhD atm with about 18 months left (hopefully!!) and am definitely taking a year off when I finish. Go travelling think on what I want to do. I've been in education for 19 years straight now from the time I started primary school at 4 yrs old. The longest I've had off is 4 months between finishing my degree and starting my PhD and I'd no money then so couldn't do anything.

So I'm going away, see whats out there. I'll talk with our industry liaison here in the group to see what she has to say. I'd like to go to industry, but not something 100% related to PhD as I don't want to get hemmed in (not there are many optics based science companies in Ireland anyway). I wouldn't rule out a return to academia in the future but at the minute I want to get away from it.

Just wondering r3nu4l how did you get your position - it's sounds like the dream job of many science grads?

Phototoxin · 21-10-2008 09:26PM

Phd with funding would be nice for me but I dont know if I could find one at this stage. Plus I'd rather be in the UK nearer to my GF. I suppose something will come up!

kevmy · 22-10-2008 09:47AM

Phototoxin wrote: »

Phd with funding would be nice for me but I dont know if I could find one at this stage. Plus I'd rather be in the UK nearer to my GF. I suppose something will come up!

How about taking a year out, going to the UK and looking there for PhD funding.

Phototoxin · 22-10-2008 12:33PM

But what do ya do with a year out ? most mad scemes involve $$$ which one, being unemployed, doesnt have!!

Tind777 · 22-10-2008 11:35PM

did med lab laughfing al the way to the bank, in comparison to any other science course:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

napapa · 22-10-2008 11:52PM

Tind777 wrote: »

did med lab laughfing al the way to the bank, in comparison to any other science course:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

I hope you'll still be laughing in 5-10 years time with all your money....i definitely did not choose my career path on the basis of money. 8 years as a student...worth every day now!

dudara · 27-10-2008 10:58AM

Tind777 wrote: »

did med lab laughfing al the way to the bank, in comparison to any other science course:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

How very helpful!

Science degree? What did you do next and why?

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