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Career Planning – what can I do with my degree in Medical Sciences?

A medical sciences degree enables you to work in a variety of scientific careers and opens many opportunities for further study and careers outside the lab. With all this choice how do you make sense of what would suit you?

Whatever stage you are at in your thinking; undecided, unsure, lacking clarity or conviction, needing more information, this session will help you examine next steps. We will look at,

What informs our career choice?
What holds us back?
How to learn more about options with a medical science degree.
What resources and support can help.

This 50-minute session will help you explore ideas, leaving you more confident to plan what next.

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The workshop will start shortly.

Have a paper and pen available

Career Planning

What can I do with my degree in Medical Sciences?

www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

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FF

Fiona Hartley, Careers Consultant

Explore our website & resources for a range of information, advice, hints and tips, at: Career Zone | Career Zone | University of Exeter

Make an appointment Careers Guidance | Career Zone | University of Exeter

Follow me:

Listen to our amazing podcast on iTunes/Spotify

Career Zone Podcast (podbean.com)

uk.linkedin.com/in/fionahartley

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The range of options with a degree in medical science
What helps to inform career choice
What holds us back in our decisions
How to learn more about our options
Resources and support that can help
How to move forward to help inform decisions

Today we will explore…

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Add menti code

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Common obstacles

Limited knowledge of the options

Lack of

self-awareness or knowing what you want

Not knowing how to get started

Fear of making the ‘wrong’ choice

Limited

Experience or opportunity

Poor applications/CV

Feeling nervous about starting work

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Options with a degree in Medical Science

Postgraduate study (Diploma / Masters /PhD)
A career in the lab (Clinical Research /STP)
A career in health care (Physicians Associate/ Allied Health professions, NHS Graduate Scheme)
Work in pharmaceuticals or Biotechnology (Research & Development)
Careers in science outside the lab (Science Communication / Medical sales / Teaching)
Non science careers (Law, Journalism, Consulting, Finance)

Career Focus on Medical Sciences - Career Options (google.com)

What can I do with a medical sciences degree? | Prospects.ac.uk

MENTI What do medical sciences graduates do?

Sliding scale – how much are you interested in ? Next slide the typical choices

What do medical sciences graduates do? Destination data

79.5 % in a grad level job - Mix between public, private and third sector and different sizes of employers….

27.5 % go into a career in science

12.8 % Retail, catering, and customer service

9.4 % Business, HR, and finance

38.6 % Other sector areas e.g. protective and security services charity & voluntary sector

Employed 45.9

Further study 27.9

Working and studying 13.1

working as a Biochemist or biomedical scientist (12%) and lab technician (7%) are included in the top three popular MS destinations.

Nursing auxiliaries and assistants (4%), biological scientists (3%), secondary education teaching professionals (3%), PR professionals (2%), medical and dental technicians (2%), and teaching professionals (2%) are also among the top ten jobs.

Key message – options are diverse and wide reaching ….you are only limited by the scale of your imagination. Future career pathways include*:

Teaching
Sales and marketing
Consultancy
Finance and banking

Recent graduates from Exeter have gone on to*:

Postgraduate Medicine or Dentistry
NHS Scientist Training Programme
NHS Graduate Management Scheme
Finance and Banking graduate training schemes e.g., KPMG

And now working for*:

Universities, pharmaceutical and biotech companies
food and drink, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical industries - offering roles in research and development, quality assurance and sales
forensic, charity or government-funded laboratories
Health Careers - NHS
Medical Research Council (MRC)
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT)
private pathology laboratories
publishing companies and the specialist press employ medical science writers and editors
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
university academic departments.

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What helps to inform career choice…..

Learning about yourself

- Identifying your skills

- Knowing your strength

Learning from experience

- Reflecting on what you have and haven’t enjoyed

- Making informed decisions based on personal motivations & values

Researching options

- Reliable resources

- Career conversation with professionals in practice

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Skills with a degree in Medical Science

Most definitely scientific knowledge, research expertise, lab skills

In addition to these, you'll also develop useful transferable skills, which will be valued by employers in a variety of different roles. These include:

effective and concise oral and written communication
analytical and problem-solving skills
the ability to critically appraise your findings
computing and the use of statistics
data analysis, evaluation and interpretation
observational skills, with a focus on detail and accuracy
project management
Numeracy

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How to identify your skills & strengths

Strength

___________________

“An attribute carried out on a regular basis, that is performed well and energises you.”

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What resonates with you ?

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Map your Evidence

Mind map all the skills & attributes you have developed to date. Remember to note down brief examples of when the skill was used.

What did you value about these experiences?

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Help with... | Career Zone | University of Exeter

Useful Resources

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What more could you consider?

Identify what kind of knowledge you want to use?

Explore your passions and interests – examine why these things are important to you

Consider what skills you want to use?

Explore the kinds of working environment you are most happy in?

What priorities do you have for your future. Is there a work – life balance?

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It’s all about the PROCESS

Detail on your mind map the following

P – Purpose

R – Roles & Responsibilities

O – Organisation

C – Career motivation

E – Environment

S – Sector

S - Skills

Write your own job description

Imagine you have opportunity to recruit the ideal candidate in to a newly created role for the organisation you would love to work with - what would that advert say ?

Be as creative as you need to be. This is your chance to invent your perfect job, and identify new areas to explore.

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Be curious …..start to research different types of job roles:

Research possible options with your subject

Research sectors/job roles of interest

www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/research/sector/

Find out what a day in the life of that profession is like

Icould Videos and www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles

Opportunities

Exploring types of work

different employers

further study

gaining work experience

what's available

(Expect the unexpected)

How and where to start ?

www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Remember you are more than just the sum of your degree

Sometimes it might be better to start with ‘ what can I do with my degree – to evoke ideas

Or look to see where Alumni have gone – this is why the alumni panels are so great to help broaden your thinking

Sometimes start with a sector and explore that one sector in more depth

Message, keep an open mind be curious – beware other pitfalls and barriers that inhibit our choices.

Don’t be envious of those who might have a singular focus ‘I’ve always wanted to be a nurse since mending my teddy bears broken paws from the age of 5….” it might be that choice has been informed by the cognitive bias we see via TV programmes or ‘my family are in the medical profession , so I should go down the route too.’ ! That maybe the case, but don’t allow lack of knowledge or disinformation limit your ideas. Be mindful of other limitations in your thinking..

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Confused career thinking

Authority bias Are you giving too much weight to an option because you like or respect the person who told you about it?

Wishful thinking How much are your decisions based on what you hope the job will be like rather than a real understanding?

Focusing effect Are you relying too much on using only one factor to evaluate career options (e.g. money, use of languages, etc.)?

Availability heuristic Are you giving too much weight to factors that are easy to think about? Are you assigning too much importance to an experience just because you can remember it easily?

Mere exposure effect Are you just considering career options that you happen to have heard of rather than trying to uncover other ideas?

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Informing your research

Information Interviews

Purposeful questions

Curiosity

Recommendations

Researching Employers

Websites

Social Media

Events

Insider Insights

News

So, you’ve arranged a meeting – what should you ask?

Careers coach John Lees recommends a structure called REVEAL

Recap: “I am here because...” refresh their memory about who you are and what you’d like to chat about.

Explore: “I’m here to find out as much as I can about...” This is your chance to ask those burning questions you have about them and what they do, how they got into their work.

 What do you do during a typical day?

 What are the most and least interesting parts

 What kinds of skills /experience is needed/useful

 Are postgraduate qualification essential

Vision: Find out how the profession is changing, so that you can think about how to prepare to meet those changes.

Entry routes: “How do people get into this line of work?” Probe for the conventional and unconventional ways.

Action: “What should I do to find out more?”

Links:. Thank them and , ask if there is anyone else you can talk to.

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aka Career Conversations�www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/research/helpwith/helpwithnetworking�

Personal contacts – close ties, friends , family
Ask an Alum and LinkedIn Alumni Tool
Career Mentor Scheme
Attend employer presentations, careers fairs, employer skills sessions
Follow companies/industry leaders on social media Twitter, Facebook – join groups

Information Interviews

www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

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The Art of Asking Good Questions

If you could interview anyone about their job, who would it be and why? (no constraints literally anyone; famous, fictional, someone you admire – what attracts you to what they do?)

Write 3 things that motivate you to want to do that role.

Imagine you could speak to someone who does that or a similar job. How would you turn your three motivations into questions to ask that person, and test if their job would meet your expectations?

Write those three questions down.

What other questions would you want to ask them? Think - why , what , where , who, how, when

Activity

Now that you have read some suggested questions why not use the activity and table below to consider what is important to you and write the questions you need answers to. Activity: Asking critical career questions – meeting your expectations  If you could interview anyone about their job, who would it be and why? (no constraints literally anyone; famous, fictional, someone you admire – what attracts you to what they do?)  Now write down three things that motivate you to want to do that role. 1. 2. 3.  Now imagine that you could speak to someone who does that or a similar job. How would you turn your three motivations into questions to ask that person, and test if their job would meet your expectations? Write those three questions down. 1. 2. 3.  What other questions would you want to ask them? Think, why , what , where , who, how

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Will this job match the type of lifestyle I would like?
What are the benefits of this career?
What are the downsides?
Am I willing to put up with the downsides for a sustained period of time?
Am I willing to invest time learning more?
Could this opportunity provide a springboard to other things?

Ask yourself these questions for each of the jobs you have identified – if they don’t meet your criteria….where are you prepared to compromise or not !

Reflect & review

www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

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Adding to your experience

Help with gaining work experience | Career Zone | University of Exeter

Employability Schemes Employment sectors | Career Zone | University of Exeter

Year Out
Shadowing
Project work
Volunteering
Part Time work
Courses and additional qualifications
Graduate Business Partnership

All experience is good experience

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Increased sense of security?
Reduces risk of losing sight of own priorities.
Many underestimate time required and level of competition when making a career move.
Employers look for more than academic success

Benefits of thinking ahead

Helps to identify and spot opportunities.
Makes effective use of your time and helps to know when to say ‘no’.
Increased sense of security?
Reduces risk of losing sight of own priorities.
Many underestimate time required and level of competition when making a career move.
Employers look for more than academic success

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Research the opportunity (pick up the phone)
about the recruitment process (know what to expect)

3 C’s -

Working on your career strategy

How can I research this role further?

- list ideas, people, organisations & specific resources

- what do I want & need to know?

What do I already know about this opportunity?

- what skills / attributes/knowledge/experience/contacts I could research?

What are the barriers/obstacles that could prevent a successful move?

- what could be done about them?

- which skills or experiences do I need to build on & how can I do this

Where could I find more information about vacancies or potential employers?
What could I do to organise work shadowing, experience, information interview?
Do I already have useful contacts?
What questions could I ask?
What training, courses, research , reading could help me to improve my chances of success?
How could the Career Zone help me?
What else can I think of?

Exploring Career Choice – next steps

Not sure on your next step, have no definite career goal in mind? Follow these six golden rules for career success:

1. Don’t plan – navigate�If you’ve always thought of your career as something you could plan, a fundamental shift in mind-set is the best investment you can make. Think direction, not destination. This means just starting somewhere (ideally in a job that plays to your strengths) and having faith in your ability to make smart decisions as you go along. Remember, since no jobs (or industries) are ‘recession-proof’, your flexibility is your number one asset. Keep your options open and an eye out for exciting opportunities that come your way.

2. Shorten your timeframe�Instead of asking “What do I want to do for the next 40 years of my life?” try asking “What do I want to do for the next two years of my life?” It’s a far more manageable – and sensible – question. The buzzwords here are flexibility and opportunism. Whatever you choose isn’t going to be your career for life – it’s just going to be your first job after university.

3. Start with you, not your degree�Graduates who ask, “What can I do with my degree?” are looking at their situation back-to-front. A far better question is “What do I enjoy – and what am I good at?” The sort of job that’s most suited to you will be one that plays to your personal strengths, motivations, and interests, not just your academic qualifications.

4. Be bold�Scared of making a career mistake? Don’t be. The only mistake you can make is to wait for your ‘dream career’ to miraculously ‘come to you’. It won’t. Instead, get out there and have faith in your ability to learn as much from your first job as you can – before making a smart decision about where to go next. Don’t worry about getting ‘stuck’ – remember, nothing is set in stone. If your first job doesn’t work out, you’ll just do something else. And even a duff job teaches you something (and looks better on your CV than nothing!)

5. Look for good people – not the ‘perfect’ job�It’s easy to fixate on finding the ‘perfect’ job – but if you don’t have a particular calling it can be a smarter idea to seek out a great company run by interesting people (as long as you don’t hate the day-to-day job, obviously). ‘Dream’ jobs have a habit of turning into nightmares if the boss turns out to be Satan – and less-than-promising jobs can turn out to be winners if you have an inspiring manager.

6. Whatever you do, do something�Recruiters agree that the worst thing to see on a candidate’s CV is a big gap – and any experience is good experience. It’s a really good idea to do at least do something short-term, while you’re getting your act together looking for longer-term work. A day a week volunteering is better than nothing. Plus, you’ll find it helps keep you motivated.

The Career Zone offers many resources and opportunities to help you develop your ideas. The following suggestions are not exhaustive; you may want to add your own and discuss these further with an Employability & Careers Consultant.

Try the following if you’re struggling to get started or focus your thinking ….

Build a scrapbook

Build a scrapbook of ideas– job adverts, blogs, organisations, career profiles, articles.
Keep a record of your knowledge, skills, and experience. Revisit your Create Your Future activities.
Discuss your experiences and possible career ideas with people you trust and ask for feedback on your strengths.

Prioritise your needs

Ask yourself ‘What do you enjoy and what are you good at? Is there a pattern to how you like to work? What motivates you to do your best?’
Rate your interests on a scale ranging from essential to unimportant.
Talk to a careers consultants who will help facilitate your thinking about next step plans.

Start exploring ideas

Try Prospects Planner www.prospects.ac.uk for possible careers that match your skills and interests.
Try and choose one new idea every month to research in more detail.
If you’re struggling for ideas or feeling overwhelmed, choose any one and get started – you’ll quickly get a sense if you are on the right track.
Thinking direction rather than destination can help if you’re struggling to relate your ideas to specific job titles.
Review your experiences and use a mind map to identify possible sectors and generate further career ideas.

Explore sectors

Use occupational Information on the Careers Zone website to learn more about different sectors and opportunities within them.
Identify key websites and resources for further research.
Use your contacts and those on LinkedIn to talk to graduates working in an area that interest you.

Try something new….

Volunteer or attend ‘Events’ advertised on our website to try new experiences that take you outside of your comfort zone.

Try the following if you know what you want to do ……

Regularly reflect on new experiences and re-assess your understanding of the work to identify any gaps in your knowledge and experience

Regularly read relevant professional publications and other media to keep abreast of current issues in the field.
Write down your reasons for your career choice(s). Be specific and review regularly as you develop your understanding of the work.

Build and use your networks

Arrange to speak to three different people, ideally at different stages of their career who are currently doing this type of work
Ask them the questions you have identified are important to you.
Identify what contributes to their success – can you learn anything to develop your career?
Arrange to work shadow people doing the job.
Share your career plans and ask for further advice on how you might improve your chances of success.

Gather a body of evidence to improve your chance of success

Identify your development needs and seek opportunities to address them – perhaps further work experience in a new setting, training, project work, and volunteering, gaining accreditation of existing skills?
Seek feedback from others and record evidence of your capabilities.
Take every opportunity that is offered to you to develop your career.

Raise your profile

Update your CV, and appropriate social media such as LinkedIn, as you develop your skills and experience.
Find new ways to raise your profile – volunteering, project work, employer presentations and workshops, joining a professional body, or attend regional events in the sector?
Secure referees and ensure you keep them informed about your plans and any applications.

Start your job search

Monitor opportunities well in advance of when you intend to apply to get a sense of market trends and employer needs
Don’t wait for opportunities to be advertised – identify potential employers and research how they recruit and what they look for.

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1-1 appointments to explore career choice – email careers@Exeter.ac.uk

Book via Handshake:

Skills Workshops
Finding a graduate level job,
Finding work experience,
CV / application / interview advice / LinkedIn Lab.
Employer Events

The Career Zone is here to support

www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

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Preparing for your future?

“Employability is the capability to make well informed, realistic plans for the future and to be able to execute these in a changing world”

Bob Gilworth

AGCAS

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Research the opportunity (pick up the phone)
about the recruitment process (know what to expect)

3 C’s -

Next time

How to convince an employer to employ you

Date TBC

What exactly is it that employers need to know about you? How do you stand out in your application?

This 50-minute session examines the principle of Can, Want & Fit, and provides practical suggestions to help make you stand out on both your written applications and at interview. The session will explore the value of LinkedIn to add to your career research and to your impact. Planning and preparation are critical in any job search. This session will leave you prepared to make those plans.

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Thank you for taking part

Any questions ?