April 25, 2024, by brzms6

Exploring my options through employer site visits

Mia Wong, animal science student

I’m Mia and I’m in my penultimate year of studying animal science.  I decided to apply to the MediCity site visit because I am interested in working in computational biology and life sciences.

Why did I apply to the employer visit? 

I hoped to gain an insight into the field of life sciences and understand how I can apply my degree to it. When I applied for my degree, I had the intention of joining the vet school and thought that this was my only option as an animal science student. However, as I progressed through my course, my career aspirations changed and I found that I no longer wanted to work in this field, and I wanted to explore my options.

What did I do prior to the visit?

Research the companies on the internet as well as utilising social media such as LinkedIn. Reading up on the company beforehand not only gives you insight into what the company does but also helps you start discussions with other students attending the visit and with employees/employers at the company. In addition, connecting with employees/employers on LinkedIn. This helped me research their role at the company and helped spark conversation.

My advice:

Even if the organisation/company isn’t something you are interested in, I would recommend going anyway as you might find something that appeals to you that you would not have even thought of pursuing. It’s important to come prepared with some questions because this will help with creating meaningful and interesting conversation and help you show your enthusiasm and interest in the company.

What did I get out of the visit?

I found that applying for small-medium sized enterprises is now more appealing to me than applying for larger companies. Prior to the visit, I would not have considered working for small-medium enterprises as they do not have the “reputation” that larger companies like AstraZeneca and GSK. However, MediCity discussed how being part of a small company allows or you to connect and gain a better understanding of what it is like to run a company and be able to communicate with other employees laterally.

My final pieces of advice:

• Do not wait on the university to host a site visit for a specific company.
  • It is so easy to just drop an email or send in a LinkedIn message to someone that works at a company that you are interested in and ask for a visit/work experience.
  • Not only will this mean that you can make connections with people, but it also makes you known to employees at a company which means that you will be in their books! This can help you in the future when you are looking for placements and careers. 
• Do not waste time
  • If you have even the slightest interest in visiting a specific company, I say go for it!
  • Not only will it help you confirm whether the career you have been looking at is something that you want to do, it might also help you find a different career that is better suited to you. 

If you’ve had a change in career plans and looking to explore your options, visit the ‘Choosing your career webpage’ on the Careers and Employability Service website to help take the next step. Alternatively, book an appointment with a careers adviser for further support.

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