OXFORD

DEVELOPING YOUR CAREER IDEAS
B
SOME CAREER ALTERNATIVES
FOR SCIENCE STUDENTS
For many scientists, a fundamental career decision
concerns how (if at all) you want to use your science in the
future.
USING YOUR SCIENCE DIRECTLY IN A ’HANDS-ON’ WAY
Many organisations offer science roles in research,
development and analysis for new graduates. However, the
first step for many scientists wanting a ’hands-on’ career
in science is a PhD (DPhil in Oxford), with more than a third
of Oxford science graduates going straight on to higher
degrees.
APPLYING YOUR SCIENCE IN SOME WAY
There are many opportunities outside the laboratory that
will allow you to use some of the scientific knowledge you
have gained. Here are just a few ideas:
] Science communication or publishing.
] Science policy or administration.
] Technology transfer.
] Intellectual property and patent work.
] Roles in manufacturing.
] Technical sales and marketing.
] Science consulting and market research.
MOVING AWAY FROM YOUR SCIENCE
Your science degree may well have given you opportunities
to develop skills that are in great demand from employers,
including: numeracy, logical thinking and analytical skills;
problem-solving skills; and IT skills.
3: RESEARCHING YOUR OPTIONS
] to be clear
] to signal why
] to impress recruiters
]
]
]
means you need to do your homework on your target
]
]
www.careers.ox.ac.uk/sectors-occupations
]
]
Ollie Tomlins
St Peter’s College, Modern Languages, 2012
Online Development Project Manager, Sainsbury’s
“My programme recruited on
the basis of leadership potential,
so I needed to demonstrate that
I had previous employment in
a leadership role and taken on
responsibility for people and
organisation. The assessments
were much more focused on
potential rather than relevant work experience however,
and as such, internships are not a passport to entry.”
www.careers.ox.ac.uk 15