SCIENCE CAREER ADVICE
Experience is the key to all success in your career, but its like the chicken and egg story; you need the experience to get the job, but you can’t get the job without experience. So...where do you start?
Where are you now?
- What are your current skills and where are your gaps? Identify what your strengths and weaknesses are and turn them into goals and targets.
- Get some lab experience in a regulated laboratory, either through summer work, temp. opportunities, or even volunteering. Just something to show you have some real-world experience.
- Mid-career? What are your career options? Are there opportunity to progress in your current company and has this discussion happened with your superiors? Know where you stand within your current role, if you can see opportunities ask for them (if you don’t ask you don’t get), if not it may be worth looking elsewhere.
Where do you want to be?
- If you don’t know what you want to do long term in the Science industry, try a few different things. That’s where temp and fixed term contracts can help, as you can assess what you do and don’t like.
- If you know where you want to be, write this down (ideally somewhere visual you are more likely to review and achieve your goals when written down and visible).
- Have a rough outline on timescales (these will inevitably change as is the way when you review your goals), but then think how and what (in smaller steps) you need to do to achieve them. Think also about how often you review your short, medium and long term goals.
- Once you have hit a goal or target, tick it off the list and look at the next/new one to get you to where you want to be.
- Remember SMART goals – is it Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and does it have Timescales? You need to be able to says Yes to each of the above.
- Understand which companies do the Science you want to get involved in and target them( explained more, later).
Networking, Social Media and Career Events.
- Attend career and networking events. Remember, it is easier to be recognised by future employers if you are face to face - you are not just a CV, you are a person!
- Broaden your networks on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other social media. There will be job postings, events and ideas to help you through your Science career.
- On LinkedIn, connect with as many like-minded people as you can. Post and share relevant news articles and this will get you known, it's almost the equivalent of the social media “here I am!”
- Get recommendations on LinkedIn, this is your online equivalent of a reference or 5-star reviews! This tells prospective Science employers how good you are.
- Careers events – take your CV along to show people you are serious about finding a job. Take the advice of professionals in the industry, and most importantly ask questions, it’s your opportunity to get an insight into the Science industry or specific company!
It's not always what you know, it’s also who you know!
- Speak to friends and family and see if they have contacts in the Science industry they may be able to put you in touch with them or recommend you. Remember, you just need one break to prove yourself!
- When setting up SRUK, my friends, family and contacts have been of immense help (to which I am very grateful, thank you all!). People in your life could potentially help with your CV, interview preparation and any other skills you may need to get where you want to be.
- Work with recruitment agents. Remember in most cases they will have an in-depth understanding of the Science industry, what companies look for; what to write on your CV and insights into companies. They can be an invaluable tool.
Proactive, not reactive
Over the last 6 months people have approached me for help to find them a new role, I often ask following questions:
- What jobs have you applied for? Is this direct or via agency?
- Which companies do you want to work for?
- How much time do you spend looking for a job
- What makes you stand out from the crowd?
- How many different versions of your CV do you have?
- If you applied for a job direct or via agency, have you followed this up with a phone call, or email or LinkedIn connection.
- If you know who you want to work for, check the companies’ website. Do they have any job postings? Connect with the line managers at that business and send them your CV.
- Treat you job search like a job. Make it 9am to 5pm - it means you are still in a routine and you are working hard to get that next position and it won’t come as much of a shock when you start working again!
- In all aspects of the proactive not reactive idea remember this: if there are 100 applicants for each role, why should that manager take you on? If you are the only 1 who has called to speak to that line manager that is going to stick in their minds and give you the advantage.
- Does each one of your applications have a tailored CV? No – well why not? Every single application should have a tailored CV which matches the main criteria in the job specification (see CV advice for more details)