by Joanna » Fri May 20, 2016 9:40 am
Hi all,
I'm currently trying to figure out what I want to do as a career, and could do with some advice to help me decide whether to pursue a career in science or elsewhere.
I graduated last year with a BSc in biochemistry (with placement year). I like the idea of having a scientific-type of job (one which requires an analytical mind, and probably involves mostly working alone), but am put off science careers for a couple of reasons. One is that job security is important to me and I want to have good prospects for getting a permanent job at the end of any training, so a career in research feels like all too big a gamble for me. Another is that I don’t believe I have a natural flair for “innovation”, which I gather is a highly valued trait in scientists – and this makes me have doubts about whether I would be one of those who excelled in science.
I did spend a year on placement at a pharmaceutical company doing research, and really enjoyed it – I just didn’t come away feeling that I’d proven to myself that I was “talented enough” to succeed in research. Hence, I decided not to do a PhD. At the other end of things, I know I also wouldn’t be satisfied settling for a basic technician-type role.
For these reasons, I essentially “ruled out” a career in “science” (of the lab/research kind), and have been looking into other types of analytical careers. After a lot of researching and self-analysing, I’ve come up with a plan to train in statistics and potentially become a statistical officer for the government. All I would have to do to first is a year-long distance learning course next year.
HOWEVER, I want to know whether people think I’m wrong to rule out a career in science, and whether there is any career path of the laboratory-science kind that might fit with my priorities? Something that would offer stability and preferably not require a PhD as a pre-requisite? Am I right to place such a large emphasis on the need to be an “innovator”? Are there jobs where this is less vital, but which are still rewarding?
Any insights would be appreciated!