Katie Rule is a second year BSc Human Biology student at the University of South Wales and hopes to go into a career in molecular biology. She tells us about her experience at a Society of Biology Life Sciences Careers Conference on 23rd October 2013.
This year my university was lucky enough to hold one of the three annual Life Sciences Careers Conferences and it was brilliant!
As a student trying to find which pathway is most suited for you in science, it was amazing to get the opportunity to meet representatives from so many different societies. There were representatives from Society for General Microbiology, Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management, Biochemical Society, British Pharmacological Society and loads more. Each society brought lots of freebies with them which was great…I am a student after all!
The talks provided by people in different scientific careers were extremely informative and gave us all an insight into their daily work life. There were talks from university lecturers including a professor from our university and a fellow from King’s College London, as well as an ecologist from the environmental sector, a clinical scientist for the Welsh government, a science teacher from a local school and a science communicator from the Society of Biology. When listening to these talks, we all realised there are so many more ways in which you can work in science. It’s not all ‘typical’ laboratory or field work, there are also jobs in many other aspects of science and something to suit everyone.
The highlight of my time at the event was getting the chance to speak to the representatives from the Society for General Microbiology and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. They were extremely helpful and gave me tips on how to make myself more employable in molecular biology, for example how to gain laboratory work experience and how to begin helping at certain events and exhibitions. They also provided me with endless information including booklets, leaflets and websites relating to careers in this area.
The CV workshop was another highlight of my time at the event. I found it extremely useful to have such a knowledgeable speaker who was able to give personal advice about your CV and how to make you stand out from the crowd. She additionally informed us about the importance of social media such as LinkedIn and how useful this can be for networking with other scientists.
I greatly enjoyed my time at the Life Sciences Careers Conference and I will definitely be attending more of these events in the future!