The University of KentCareers and Employability Service

Bioscience Careers • Bruce Woodcock

What can I do with a

Kent Bioscience Degree?

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/bioscience.htm

Biomedical Scientists• Work in hospital and related laboratories - Blood Transfusion

Service and veterinary laboratories. • Provide analytical and advisory services to clinicians and

other professionals, • Few jobs are now advertised! • Must inquire at local hospitals: get unpaid

experience/project work • Sign up for email alerts to be notified of trainee BMS

vacancies on the NHS Jobs website www.jobs.nhs.uk• Can also get a laboratory assistant post via NHS Jobs

www.nhsjobs.com and work your way up• Vacancy website www.careerscene.com • Talk to course lecturers from William Harvey & other

local hospitals about jobs with them.www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin/hospitalsci.htm

STP – Scientists Training Programme - NHS

• Work in a hospital while completing a (fully paid for) Masters degree part-time.

Tasks include: • Planning and organising work in clinical

labs.• Organising tests on patient samples • Advising clinicians and GPs on use of tests

and interpretation of results. • Carrying out R&D as well as evaluation and

quality assessment of diagnostic tests. • Developing new and existing tests.

STP – Scientists Training Programme - NHS

• Work in a hospital while completing a (fully paid for) Masters degree part-time.

Tasks include: • Planning and organising work in clinical

labs.• Organising tests on patient samples • Advising clinicians and GPs on use of tests

and interpretation of results. • Carrying out R&D as well as evaluation and

quality assessment of diagnostic tests. • Developing new and existing tests.

STP – Scientists Training Programme - NHS

• Clinical Biochemistry • Clinical Microbiology • Clinical Cytogenetics • Immunological Scientists • Histocompatibility and

Immunogenetics• Entry via the Scientist Training

Programme (STP) • Closing date normally February .www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin/hospitalsci.htm

SCIENCE JOBS - more about these tomorrow!• Research & Development• Clinical Scientists• Pharmacologist &

Toxicologist• Production & Quality

Assurance• Regulatory Affairs • Clinical Research

Associate/Monitor• Information Scientist

• Medical Sales Representative

• Patent Examiner• Patent Agent• Scientific Administrator• Medical Communications

and Science Writing• Bioinformatics

Degree Class Percentages

11%

44%

40%

5% First class 70% +

Upper Second (2:1) 60 - 69 %

Lower Second (2:2) 50 - 59 %

Third 40 - 49 %

Medical Sales

Teaching Research

PhD

Science Technician

One third of graduate jobs accept any degree subject.BECAUSE:• Learn new skills

quickly• Analyse & solve

problems• Communicate well• Open to new ideas,

adaptable and flexible• “Managers of change”

• Accountancy• Computing• Teaching• Marketing and Sales• Retailing• Social Work• Personnel• NHS Management

26% of Kent Bioscientists get jobs outside science

Chartered Accountancy• Take any degree subject provided you have done

careful research• Need good A Level grades – about BBB minimum• Need good maths – about GCSE grade A minimum• Lots of jobs – PWC alone take 1,000 graduates a year• 3 years demanding study for professional exams: 12

hours per week in evenings and at weekends BUT paid £25,000 salary

• On qualification £40,000 ++• www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin/accountancy.htm

Computing

• Firms such FDM will take graduates from any subject with good analytical skills and a strong interest in IT and train you in software development

• Or can do an MSc Computer Science at Kent• Or MSc in Bioinformatics• Big shortage of good programmers in UK so excellent

salaries and opportunities• www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin/computing.htm

Digital Marketing

• Huge growth in jobs but few graduates know about it!• (SEO) Search Engine Optimisation• Google Analytics• Social media - Facebook/Twitter• Viral marketing

• Any degree subject with an interest in IT• www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin/digital-marketing.ht

m

IBM Mentoring SchemeIBM are mentoring first-year students looking to do a placement as part of their degree or second year students considering life after University. Mentors are Kent graduates and interns. You can be studying for any degree and don't need advanced computing skills.Why? IBM is keen to encourage students to consider their careers sooner. We want to make students aware of how competitive today’s job market is and give them guidance on how best to promote themselves. This will give them the best chance of applying not just to our schemes but other employers’ too. The scheme also provides a fantastic chance for students to improve and enhance their skillsets before they begin applying. It is a virtual mentoring scheme where the majority of contact with students is either via email, telephone or by Skype. The scheme will run between January and April.If you would like an IBM mentor please email bw@kent.ac.uk with a copy of your CV and an answer in not more than 200 words to the following question in the next week. "How would you benefit from having an IBM mentor and why should you be selected for this scheme rather than other students who apply". The students with the best answers will be selected to take part in the scheme. The earlier you apply, the better your chances of acceptance.More details are at www.kent.ac.uk/careers/IBM.htm

CHOOSING A CAREER

Prospects Planner: powerful career choice programwww.prospects.ac.uk/links/PPlannerChoosing a career web pages www.kent.ac.uk/careers/Choosing/ChoosingCareer.htmInformation on many different careers www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin.htm

WHAT SKILLS DO BIOSCIENTISTS NEED? - GSK

• Presentation skills• Teamworking• Computing Skills• Time Management/organising skills• People skills• Report writing/documentation of

experiments• Laboratory experience• Problem solving skills

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sk/skills-Kent.htm

VACATION WORK

• www.kent.ac.uk/careers/vacwork.htm• Science internships

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/ScienceJobs.htm• Science Recruitment Agencies

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sitephar.htm#ScientificRecAgencies • Speculative CVs to firms in your area• Vacancy database:

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/jobs

If you can’t get a science placement ………

• Do something outside science that develops your teamworking/organising/ problem-solving skills

• BUNAC www.bunac.org.uk Summer work in the USA, Canada, Australia, Jamaica and Ghana

• Camp America www.campamerica.co.uk • Camp Counsellors USA and Work Experience

USA www.ccusa.com• CIEE www.ciee.org work experience in the USA,

Canada, Australia and NZ

Moodle Careers Employability Award

• Much lower unemployment rate for graduates who completed the award last year www.kent.ac.uk/careers/moodle.htm

Moodle Careers Employability Award 14 Quizzes: need 75% to pass but allowed

unlimited attemptsComplete 3 of the following seven

assignments•Employability skills quiz•Employability skills quiz: drag & drop•How to develop the skills employers want?•Test your spelling and grammar!•What makes you happy at work?•How commercially aware are you?

•Special interests topic lesson•Interview preparation•Practice interview•What are the most common interview questions?•Aptitude tests and assessment centres•CV quiz•CVs and covering letters: drag & drop quiz•Career planning drag and drop quiz

•Analyse your skills and learn how to make top quality applications

•Do you want to live to work or work to live?

•Researching careers 

•Choosing a career

•Submit a CV

•Social media

•Action planning

 

DX_CEA Careers Employability Award (2014/15)www.kent.ac.uk/careers/moodle.htm

Other points

• I will send you careers emails every Monday afternoon in term time on vacation work, internships, careers talks, etc.

• Get actively involved in university life so you have evidence of teamwork, organising, leadership etc. skills for your CV.

• Apply early in your final year – closing dates are often in the first term GSK/AstraZeneca typically October/November.

Bruce Woodcock• Deal with all Bioscience students• An adviser is on duty for short (15 minute) consultations in the

Careers and Employability Service any weekday morning 10.30-12.30 or afternoon from 2 pm to 4 pm. You don't need an appointment to see the duty adviser at these times. Just ask at Careers Reception to see them.

• Email: bw@kent.ac.uk• Can book an interview with me at Careers reception (01227

823299) – after these talks have finished!• These are the final careers talks I shall be giving you during

your degree!• Tomorrow: Careers in Science 10 am GLT1

Location of the Careers Service

• Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays including vacations.

• The Careers Web Site www.kent.ac.uk/careers is available 24/7

Next lecture: information on all the main careers in science open to you

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