BIOLOGY AND BIOSCIENCE CAREERS
including biology, microbiology, biochemistry, biomedical science careers.
- Destinations of recent Kent bioscience graduates
- Postgraduate study
- Who employs bioscientists?
- Science careers
- Careers outside science
- Bioscience Information Sources
- Bioscience Institutes, Associations and Societies
- Bioscience Employers
- Forensic Biology - see our Forensic Science Careers page
- Biotechnology (separate page)
- Science Recruitment Agencies
- Biosciences sandwich degree site (separate page)
- See our science careers page for
- Vacancy sources for scientists
- Applications and interviews for science jobs
- Science vacation work and placements
- Careers outside science for scientists
Destinations of Recent Kent Bioscience Graduates
These statistics only cover the first six months after graduation. The latest destinations for all subjects (1999-last year) including individual degree subjects such as microbiology and postgraduates can be found at www.kent.ac.uk/careers/fdrbases/destinations.htm
YEAR |
06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 |
POSTGRADUATE STUDY
|
15 | 18 | 27 | 23 | 28 | 30 |
EMPLOYMENT
Laboratory-related employment
Non-laboratory Science Jobs
OTHER JOBSFinance Investment Analyst: Beeston Gregory, Customer Services: Lloyds TSB, HSBC, Barclays, IFDS Chartered Accountant: PWC, Assistant Auditor: National Audit Office, Financial Consultant: City Financial Partners, Finance Trainee: World Caribbean Cruises, Insurance Adviser: Endsleigh, Claims Handler: Hill House Hammond, Cashier: Barclays, HSBC Personal Banker: BarclaysTeaching, Lecturer: Christ Church, Trainee Teacher GTP Secondary Science (2) - Sittingbourne Community College Teaching Assistant (4): Primary School, Berks LEA, Learning Support Ass't School (2). TEFL: English: Taiwan (2) Computing Website Manager: Cross Over, Games Tester: Electronics Arts, IT Support - NHS, Promotion Demonstrator - Dell Medical Secretary - Chelmsford Hospital RAF Officer Property Negotiator: Foxtons Estate Agents, Administrator: Oxford University, Met. Police, NHS Professionals, HCL Legal Administrator - Immigration Advisory Service Youth Leader: Essex Fire Brigade, Team leader: Prince's Trust, Management trainee: MacDonalds, Sainsbury's, Marketing Assistant: Pitman Training, Market Researcher: Harris Interactive, Telemarketing: Homesales, Help the Aged, Creative Designer - Yell Adworks |
34 | 35 | 38 | 37 | 48 | 50 |
| NOT AVAILABLE to work e.g. taking time out to travel/voluntary work, starting work shortly | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| STILL LOOKING for work or study 6 months after graduation | 2 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 3 |
| UNKNOWN | 13 | 20 | 15 | 16 | 20 | 19 |
| TOTAL | 68 | 80 | 87 | 87 | 109 | 104 |
Postgraduate Study
About 40% of bioscience graduates from Kent opt to do postgraduate study for a PhD or Master's degree. This is partly because grants are more easily available in the Sciences for postgraduate study than in the Arts or Social Sciences. It should be remembered though that postgraduate study is not an easy option and research for a PhD will require dedication and determination to see things through over a period of 3 or more years. It is becoming quite rare now for bioscience graduaets to enter a PhD without having done a Master's degree first. See our postgraduate study section www.kent.ac.uk/careers/postgradmenu.htm
Cancer Research UK http://science.cancerresearchuk.org offers about 25 funded PhD places per year (about £18,000 p.a.) They accept UK, EU and non-EU students. Closing date is usually late November and you need to be expecting a good 2:1 or first and must have some research experience.
Who employs bioscientists?
INDUSTRY
|
PUBLIC SECTOR
|
Science Careers
For details of the wide range of science careers available including research, medicine, laboratory science, science teaching, medical sales, information technology, patent work, bioinformatics etc. see www.kent.ac.uk/careers/ScienceJobs.htm
Bioscience Information Sources
- Next Steps: Options after a Bioscience Degree Careers Guide for Undergraduates www.societyofbiology.org/nextsteps This not-for-profit resource was developed jointly by societies from the Bioscience Careers Group The guide provides information and guidance on:
- Job seeking strategies
- The importance of skills
- Postgraduate study options, both in and outside science research
- Making applications and interview techniques
- The guide also includes example CV’s, information on careers in teaching, medicine, dentistry, healthcare, and a comprehensive resource list.
- The Society of Biology www.societyofbiology.org newly formed from a merger of the Institute of Biology (IoB) and the Biosciences Federation (BSF) The Life Sciences Jobs Board www.societyofbiology.org/jobs advertises the latest bioscience positions in the UK and is open to all, not just members of the Society of Biology.
- Kent Chemistry Careers Page www.kent.ac.uk/careers/chemistry.htm
- PMLiVE www.pmlive.com/jobs excellent site for information on careers in the pharmaceutical industry
- The Biochemist www.biochemist.org/bio magazine of the UK Biochemical Society.
- Yahoo Useful Chemistry/Biochemistry Sources of Information www.yahoo.com/Science/Chemistry/Biochemistry
- Links to over 1,000 chemistry-related employers www.liv.ac.uk/Chemistry/Links/links.html
- Jobs in the Academic Community www.jobs.ac.uk
- Times Higher Educational Supplement www.timeshighereducation.co.uk academic vacancies
- Nature Magazine www.nature.com/naturejobs excellent careers information and range of postgrad, PHD and postdoc positions.
- New Scientist www.newscientistgraduate.com access the job adverts in New Scientist here.
- InPharm www.inpharm.com directory of pharmaceutical companies in the UK. Use the advanced search
- PharmiWeb www.pharmiweb.com pharmaceutical, medical and life sciences vacancies
- Science Careers http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org from the journal "Science"
- Wellcome Trust www.wellcome.ac.uk Sources of Biomedical Research Funding plus a Biomedical Research Assistant Job Database.
- Hospital and Other Health Service Addresses www.nhs.uk
Bioscience Institutes, Associations and Societies
- Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) http://careers.abpi.org.uk contains list of large pharmaceutical recruiters, many of which will advertise vacancies on their websites.
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council www.bbsrc.ac.uk main funding body for postgraduate study in Bioscience
- British Pharmacological Society www.bps.ac.uk
- The Biochemical Society www.biochemist.org/jobs The Society's online magazine Biochemist e-volution now has job adverts.
- A good source of Medical Scientist Vacancies is "Biomedical Scientist" - the Institute of Biomedical Sciences Gazette - packed full of jobs. www.ibms.org
- European Association of Science Editors www.ease.org.uk
- European Medical Writers Association www.emwa.org
- Forensic Science Society www.forensic-science-society.org.uk
- Medical Research Council www.mrc.ac.uk main funding body for postgraduate research in medicine.
- Clinical Biochemistry www.acb.org.uk
- Clinical Microbiology www.socgenmicrobiol.org.uk
- Clinical Cytogenetics www.cytogenetics.org.uk
- Immunological Scientists www.immunology.org
- British Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics www.bshi.org.uk
Bioscience Employers
- Astra Zeneca Pharmaceuticals www.astrazeneca.com
- Abbott Laboratories www.abbott.com Sheerness
- Akzo Nobel www.akzonobel.com/careers recently acquired ICI
- AMGEN www.amgen.com Independent Biotechnology Company
- Avecia Biologics www.aveciacareers.com contract development and manufacturers of biologics for human healthcare products, with a focus on microbial-derived biologics.
- Bayer Jobs www.jobs.bayer.co.uk details of all the latest pharmaceutical vacancies across the UK. For research, customer service, marketing, sales and pharmaceutical jobs visit the site today to search and apply online.
- The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council www.bbsrc.ac.uk/organisation/vacancies.html many research institutes including:
- Institute of Food Research www.ifr.ac.uk (Norwich) - PhD Studentships
- John Innes Centre www.jic.bbsrc.ac.uk Plant and Microbial Sciences - PhD Studentships
- Bristol-Myers Squibb www.bms.com Health care products
- Cancer Research UK http://jobs.cancerresearchuk.org Jobs and PhD Studentships. Formed by the merger of the Imperial Cancer Research and The Cancer Research Campaign Fund
- CEFAS www.cefas.defra.gov.uk Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
- Ciba www.basf.com/group/corporate/en/
- Covance www.covancecareers.com
- Eli Lilly and Company www.lilly.com Pharmaceutical Company
- European Patent Office www.european-patent-office.org
- GSK www.gsk.com/uk-students
- Haseltine Lake & Co. www.HaseltineLake.com large patent attorneys
- Health Protection Agency www.hpa.org.uk/AboutTheHPA/Careers
- Huntingdon Life Sciences www.huntingdon.com world's largest independent non-clinical contract research organisation
- Innovex www.quintiles.com/commercial-services/welcome Medical Sales
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. www.defra.gov.uk
- Marks & Clerk www.marks-clerk.com large patent attorneys
- Merck www.merck.com/index.html Pharmaceutical Research
- Novartis www.novartis.com
- Orchid Cellmark www.orchidcellmark.co.uk provider of products, services and technologies for value-added genotyping.
- Parexel www.parexel.com Contract Research
- Pfizer www.pfizer.co.uk
- Procter and Gamble www.pg.com
- The Sanger Centre www.sanger.ac.uk DNA sequencing
- Severn Trent Water www.stwater.co.uk
See also
- Pharmaceutical and Bioscience Links www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sitephar.htm
- Chemistry Careers Page www.kent.ac.uk/careers/chemistry.htm
- Forensic Science Careers Page www.kent.ac.uk/careers/forensicsci.htm
- Biosciences Sandwich Degree Site https://www.kent.ac.uk/bio/local/teaching/sandwich/index.html
Once you have read this, visit the Careers Centre (in Keynes Driveway). You can browse in there as you would a library and ask at the helpdesk if you need help.
Bruce Woodcock - Careers Adviser for Bioscience
Last fully revised 2012