Woman working in a lab

May 22, 2023, by Leah Sharpe

Possible Career Options for Life Sciences Students

By Peter Kay, Senior Careers Adviser

From our recent Careers Check-in survey we know that a large proportion of our life sciences students are interested in working in the following sectors after graduation:

  • Science and research
  • Science and pharmaceuticals
  • Healthcare
  • Environment 

While there are many more opportunities open to graduates, in this blog we will explore these four areas and share a few key links that might help you move forward in your career planning.

Laboratory work

What matters here is the use of search engine terms. We find that if you use the term ‘laboratory technician jobs’ in a LinkedIn search you will find lots of potential vacancies advertised. Laboratory technicians can be recent graduates all the way up to postdocs. Here’s some further ready on this option:

Pharmaceutical biotech and contract research organisations

If you want to find roles in particular organisations who may have opportunities for immediate start and graduate schemes for 2024 then take a look at these lists of relevant company websites:

You can also find useful information and resources on our website.

Clinical trials

If you are interested in science, improving patient choices and treatments, and enjoy working as part of a team, there are many specialist disciplines within clinical trials that may interest you, some of which have entry-level roles.
There is a range of roles available in areas such as:

  • Trial management
  • Quality assurance
  • Information systems
  • Statistics
  • Data management  

To search for jobs, use the term ‘entry level clinical trials jobs’ on sites such as LinkedIn or Indeed.

Find out more about working in clinical trials.

Conservation and the environment

If you are interested in conservation and the environment here are some useful websites where you can find out further information about the sector and opportunities.

NHS

There are many job roles advertised in the NHS, a lot of which require specific qualifications and experience. That said there are still numerous jobs that can be accessed as a graduate across science, administration and much more.

The best place to look is the NHS Jobs website.

Explore roles within the healthcare sector via Prospects and the NHS website.

Opportunities are endless

Graduate schemes and jobs advertised for a graduate to fill are advertised all the year round. So if these sectors aren’t of interest to you, there’s plenty more opportunities to choose from.  Why not try searching vacancies on MyCareer to see which employers are recruiting Nottingham students. You can also set up job alerts by subscribing to Jobs by email to get roles relevant to your preferences emailed directly to you.

Finally, if you would like to discuss your options or get support with decision making or writing applications you can book a one-to-one appointment on MyCareer.

Posted in Careers AdviceChoosing Your Career