From The Student Room

TSR Wiki > Careers > Career Options > Science and related work

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Thanks to Springboard for the original content of this page, now updated by TSR users.

As you read this, you might be wearing fleece (made from recycled plastic bottles) or eating something made with artificial sweetener or talking on your mobile phone. Certainly, you are using a computer!

If it weren’t for scientists, none of this would be possible - and yet not many young people consider science for a career.

Certain areas of the industry are doing well, such as the food and drinks industry (preservatives, packing, etc) and the pharmaceutical industry. With an ageing population, the search for new and effective drug treatments is likely to continue.

Opportunities available

Scientists work in many different areas, from universities and schools to government establishments and the health service.

Roles are just as varied and include research, sales and marketing, scientific journalism and teaching.

There are real shortages of science and maths teachers, so the government is trying to attract them with extra money. Up to £4,000 is being offered to newly qualified teachers who want to teach science.

Entry requirements

It’s very helpful for potential scientists to get a degree and then follow it up with postgraduate study. A postgraduate qualification is very useful to gain knowledge in a specific work area, such as environmental health management or forensic science.

Jobs do exist for people with lower qualifications but you will often be expected to gain extra qualifications whilst you work.

Future trends

Certain areas of science are extremely popular and newsworthy right now, and their importance is set to continue. Examples include genetics and environmental issues, such as global warming.

As a subject, chemistry has been in long-term decline, leading some universities to close their chemistry departments. This has led to concerns that there will be a shortage of graduate chemists in the next few years.

As more and more science-related stories appear in the media, the general public may become even more concerned about the long-term effects and morality of some scientific work (like cloning and genetically modified food).