• Question: How long did it take for you to be able to work in science?

    Asked by anon-259761 on 29 Sep 2020.
    • Photo: Holly Duns

      Holly Duns answered on 29 Sep 2020:

      I took a longer route and first started working in this field when I was 26 as I completed an undergraduate degree for 4 years, travelled for 2 years and then did a masters for 1 year. However, a lot of people I work with have come straight from their undergrad or are completing an apprenticeship which is a great way to learn academically and gain real life experience at the same time.

    • Photo: Stephen Clarke

      Stephen Clarke answered on 29 Sep 2020:

      I work in a facility that makes medicines. We have a complete mix of people from school leavers up to people with PhDs and the likes. I have been a Site Quality Director for one of the biggest Pharmaceutical companies in the world, but I only have a BSc. You don’t need to be a boffin to do well in science

    • Photo: Cheukyau (Jane) Luk

      Cheukyau (Jane) Luk answered on 29 Sep 2020:

      I first started studying science in secondary school for 6 years. I then did an integrated master’s degree in Pharmacology for four years and started my PhD straight after! So I guess it would be 10 years if my secondary education counts!

    • Photo: James Smallcombe

      James Smallcombe answered on 29 Sep 2020:

      I went the PhD route. So after school and A-levels, a 4 year MSci degree, then a 4 year PhD. I got my first science job with a salary at 26 years old. But I would say I was working in science (finding new results and contributing to the field) since my project in the last year of my undergraduate degree.

    • Photo: Allyson Lister

      Allyson Lister answered on 29 Sep 2020: last edited 29 Sep 2020 12:32 pm

      tldr: I got my first science job 6 years after finishing school (age 23), then 5 years later did my second science job while at the same time getting my PhD. Long version: I went straight to uni after school (4 years), but then had a gap year as I worked out exactly what I wanted to do next. My gap year just involved working for an insurance company rather than anything particularly science related 🙂 After that, I did a Master’s degree (1 year) and then straight onto a great job in bioinformatics (biology + computer science). After 5 1/5 years at my job, I decided it was time to get a PhD. I went to Newcastle University and did a full-time research position while doing my PhD at the same time. Because I was working, my PhD was only part time, and took just over 4 years.

    • Photo: Richard Fielder

      Richard Fielder answered on 29 Sep 2020:

      I did a 4 year masters course in university straight after finishing school, and I got my first job as a physicist a few months later. A lot of jobs will ask for PhDs or more experience, but many places will be willing to give jobs to people without any of that as long as they seem like they’re willing to learn. It also depends a lot on what sort of scientific job you want. Being an academic at a university will likely require some higher education, but working in industry you might be able to start straight after school with things like apprenticeships and other vocational training.

    • Photo: Gaby Mayorga Adame

      Gaby Mayorga Adame answered on 29 Sep 2020:

      I started working in science during the 2nd year of my bachelor’s degree: in science outreach at a science museum, as lab assistant (mainly sterilizing materials and taking pictures of microscopic algae), counting and identifying marine mammals, and recording behavior while guiding whale watching tours… I started producing new science during my PhD (so 10 years since I started Uni)

    • Photo: Sonia Rodriguez

      Sonia Rodriguez answered on 29 Sep 2020:

      Being a researcher is a long journey. After completing your undergraduate degree you usually need a Masters (1-2 years) and a PhD (3-5 years depending on the country) to be considered a fully competent scientist. I received my first scholarship to “work” in a lab during summer when I was 21 and still at Uni and I’ve been working in science from then on.

    • Photo: Pam Harrison

      Pam Harrison answered on 30 Sep 2020:

      For my job you need a relevant degree, for me that meant 4 years at University studying chemistry that included a year working in the industry as part of the course. The year in industry was great for finding out about the kind of job I wanted to do when I left university.
      I started working in the department I am still in a few weeks after graduating.

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