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Faculty of Life Sciences

Career Options

www.manchester.ac.uk/lifesciences

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“I think it’s probably fair to say that the placement completely changed and made my career plans!”

ContentsIntroduction

Maximise your chance of success

Careers in the lab

Careers outside the lab

Careers outside the life sciences

Find out more

Contact detailsAll mail should be addressed to the relevant person via our Admissions Team

The Admissions OfficeFaculty of Life SciencesG683 Stopford BuildingOxford RoadManchester, M13 9PT

Tel: +44 (0)161 275 5032

Fax: +44 (0)161 275 5456

Email: ug.lifesciences@manchester.ac.uk

Alternative FormatsIf you require this brochure in alternative formats please contact The Admissions Office using the contact details above.

DisclaimerThis guide is prepared in advance of the academic year to which it relates. Consequently, details may vary with staff changes and exceptional circumstances.

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“Transferable skills that I developed during my degree such as problem solving, team work and communication have been central to my career progression.”

IntroductionChoosing to go to university isn’t just about getting a great degree – it’s about discovering opportunities. The right university not only offers you a full and stimulating student life, but also helps you secure a promising future. This guide will help you find out more about what it means to graduate from The University of Manchester, not only in terms of your course, but also in terms of your future career. Read on for a taste of the many exciting opportunities that await you as a student – and a potential future graduate – of the University’s Faculty of Life Sciences.You can find out what options you could choose for further study, which companies recruit graduates from your course, and discover the broad range of career choices open to you.

Our reputation for research excellence attracts individuals who aspire to a career

in life sciences research. A research focused curriculum including:

‘Frontiers of Science’ lectures, comprehensive training in laboratory skills, experimental design and academic writing, and the opportunity to undertake a research project in our research labs all ensure that we equip you for success at PhD level and beyond, if this is where your interests lie.

However, many students choose a life sciences degree simply out of interest in the subject and see their degree as a stepping stone to graduate employment. Around half of our graduates choose careers that are completely unrelated to the life sciences. We therefore ensure that we help you develop the abilities and characteristics that are required not just in research but also in the wider jobs market.

Where could your degree take you?

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Maximise Your Chances of Success

To give yourself the best chance of securing a great job in an area you find interesting you will need to have more than a degree. Make the most of opportunities to add impressive and relevant items to your CV. In the Faculty of Life Sciences we provide a wealth of opportunities for you to do extra things that will make you stand out from the crowd when applying for graduate jobs:

Placements

We offer the option for you to spend the third year of a four year degree undertaking a placement in a variety of professional settings.

Industrial/professional experience placements give you experience of project management and provide valuable research skills alongside work experience. We have a very successful programme of laboratory

and field research placements with over 300 partner organisations all over the world including pharmaceutical companies, research institutes, hospitals and nature reserves. We have recently expanded our range of placements to reflect the growing range of science careers outside of the laboratory in science enterprise, education and communication. We provide a uniquely wide range of placement types.

Language placements have the added advantage of increasing your linguistic ability and exposing you to another culture. Summer placements are often available in our research labs allowing you to add something extra to your CV.

“My placement was at the Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica which is essentially a small, family run centre dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of the two species of sloth found out in Costa Rica. The sanctuary really needed to have a reliable set of baseline data on many aspects of simple captive sloth biology and behaviour, with the idea that this info could be used for comparisons with wild sloths in the future.

I think it's probably fair to say that this placement completely changed and made my career plans! I have started my PhD back out at the sanctuary since graduation, using the same technology as in this project, but furthering the work onto wild sloths.”

Becky CliffePhD Student – University of Swansea (based at the Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica)BSc Zoology with Industrial/Professional Experience

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AstraZeneca

Paterson Institute for Cancer Research

Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew

GlaxoSmithKline

Aigas Field Centre Scotland

National Institute for Medical Research

Novartis

Newquay Zoo

Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, Greece

Mayo Clinic, USA

Medical Research Council, the Gambia

Jatun Sacha Foundation, Ecuador

Island Conservation Society, Seychelles

Thomas Jefferson University, USA

Valencia University Hospital

Over 300 placement partner institutions

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Work for Us

The Faculty also provides many opportunities for you to work in a salaried or voluntary capacity in challenging roles, which require the ability to problem solve, use initiative and communicate well with a range of audiences.

Student Ambassadors represent their course and the university to prospective applicants and their parents. Peer Assisted

Study Scheme (PASS) Leaders facilitate the learning of first year undergraduates, and Course Representatives represent the views of their fellow students to staff.

Experienced ambassadors and PASS Student Co-ordinators gain valuable public speaking skills and many lead and manage their own teams of students.

“Transferable skills that I developed during my degree such as problem solving, team work and communication have been central to my career progression. To give an example – my presentation skills were honed whilst working as a student ambassador, presenting to three hundred students fortnightly about the city.

Now in my day to day job I am able to put myself forward and present confidently which has helped boost my profile

in the company. I really feel like my career with Reckitt Benckiser has got off to a great start. The company is expanding into the developing markets at the moment, and with my international mobility and experiences it looks like I might be getting posted to India for a couple of years!”

Fran Barker Research and Development Assistant, Reckitt BenckiserBiochemistry with Industrial/Professional Experience (2010)

Final Year Projects

In your final year you will carry out an independent in-depth research project. If you are interested in a career in research, lab based projects are available where you can contribute to cutting edge science as it happens.

We also have education, science communication and enterprise projects,

which are great experience if your interests lie outside the lab. If you choose science communication, for example, you will produce a portfolio of communication materials including articles for scientific magazines, a presentation to a scientific audience and a creative piece such as a video, podcast or poster.

Maximise Your Chances of Success

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“If you are applying for jobs in science communication, be aware that it is VERY competitive. Saying you are a “good” or “excellent” communicator isn’t good enough. You have to stand out from the crowd! I would recommend doing the Science Media project as your final year dissertation. For me it was excellent preparation for my new job!”

Vicki EllisScience Communicator for Holdsworth AssociatesBSc (Hons) Zoology (2012)

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Employability Initiatives

We work closely with The Careers Service to provide a range of events that showcase the numerous career paths for an individual with a science degree:

XING Business Game: An afternoon event where students are split into groups and given a business concept. They liaise with experts in finance, income revenue, marketing and PR to produce a business plan and present their idea in front of a panel of experts for the chance to win a prize (HEAR accredited).

‘Meet the Professionals’ Networking Event: Students have the opportunity to network (in the style of speed dating) with a number of Faculty of Life Sciences

Alumni in a range of industries outside of research to gain an insight into opportunities outside of academia.

Work Experience Talk and Workshops: Hour-long talk from The Careers Service on the importance of work experience, how and where to find work experience and a section dedicated to summer research opportunities in institutions and organisations worldwide.

Alumni Panel Event: Six Alumni give presentations on the career routes they have taken since graduating from a Faculty of Life Sciences degree and the experiences they had whilst at university that helped them secure new jobs. This is followed by question and answer session and networking for students to gather as much information as possible.

“As a student, a lot of these employability initiatives definitely helped to give me an idea of the variety of careers available to me after graduating.

Now, I work as the Employability Intern and this has really allowed me to appreciate how important student employability is in the Faculty! We arrange regular events and activities that involve our alumni and

staff – I am able to apply my experiences and unique perspective as an ex-student to develop and create more opportunities for students to enhance their employability, and so that students are thinking about their careers from Day 1!”

Jayesha Chudasama, Employability Intern BSc Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology (2014)

“As a student, a lot of these employability initiatives definitely helped to give me an idea of the variety of careers available to me after graduating.”

Maximise Your Chances of Success

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Careers in the LabScientific Research

A degree in a Life Sciences subject will prepare you for a career in scientific research and development where you could contribute to breakthroughs in a range of areas of significance to our health, the planet and our economy such as: biomedical science, biotechnology or biofuel development.

Where could you work?

You could undertake research in a not-for-profit organisation such as a research institute or work in a university combining scientific research with teaching undergraduate students.

You could work for a commercial organisation such as a pharmaceutical company or a biotechnology company undertaking research to help them develop new products or refine existing ones.

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Institute of Molecular

and Cell Biology,

Singapore

Cancer Research

UK

University of Oxford

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Mount Sinai

School of Medicine,

USA

University of Nevada

London School of Hygiene

and Tropical Medicine

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University of Oxford

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Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology,

Japan Un

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Postgraduate study

A career in scientific research requires significant postgraduate study. The usual route after your first degree is:

Masters degree – a postgraduate course usually taken full time over 12 months. A Masters can provide training to allow you to specialise in a specific area of biology

or it may focus more specifically on the development of research skills across one or more disciplines.

PhD – a postgraduate programme which allows you to undertake in-depth study in a specific area. A PhD usually takes three or four years, depending on your background and the project.

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Graduate Profiles

Michael is currently spending the first rotation of his PhD in a lab working on lymphomagenesis – the development of cancerous tumours in lymph nodes.

2013 Graduated BSc (Hons) in Genetics with a Modern Language (Japanese)

Research Assistant University of Colorado, Denver - Regenerative Medicine Division

Wellcome Trust PhD in Immunity and Infection at the University of Cambridge

“One of the most important aspects of my degree was probably the placement year that I spent in Japan. This gave me the confidence and independence necessary to do research in an advanced degree.”

“One of the things that I really enjoy about this job is knowing that the research I do will have some significant real-world application. In general though, I love the challenge and problem-solving required in primary research. It’s interesting to see the story unfold as you collect more data and begin to understand the unknowns of what you’re looking at.”

Michael Harris – PhD student

Ben’s role as an Antibody Engineer involves isolating and modifying antibodies that will hopefully one day be used to treat various diseases and conditions for patients around the world.

2010 Graduated BSc (Hons) in Medical Biochemistry

PhD at the Cancer Institute, University College London

Antibody Engineer at MedImmune

“I’ve always enjoyed science from an early age, and after loving the degree I did in Manchester, I always wanted to stay in a career related to science, and especially in an area that I enjoyed studying as an undergraduate. My PhD at UCL allowed me to increase my knowledge and skills further.

As an antibody engineer, I need to have knowledge about the structure of antibodies, protein properties, amino acids, genetic manipulation and receptor-ligand interactions, most of which I gained as part of my Medical Biochemistry degree at Manchester.”

Dr Ben Grimshaw – Antibody Engineer

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Where could you work?

You may choose to apply your knowledge of human biology in a career in healthcare working for example as a biomedical or clinical scientist in NHS or government laboratories.

Specialist knowledge in microbiology would enable you to work in safety

or quality control for organisations as diverse as food and drinks companies, medical supplies manufacturers, cosmetics companies or utilities companies.There are also opportunities in forensic science, once you have gained relevant experience and undertaken further postgraduate training.

Clinical and Technical

You may enjoy working in the lab but decide that scientific research is not for you. The lab skills and biological knowledge that you will develop mean you will be well equipped for a range of clinical and technical roles.

NHS Cardiac

Physiologist

Health Protection Agency

Toxicologist

McVitie’sQuality Assurance

Royal Brewery Master Brewer

UnileverTechnician

South West Water Waste Water

Scientist

The Food Standards Agency

Microbiologist

Lancashire County Council

Lab Technician

Careers in the Lab

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Graduate Profiles

Jessica reports cases involving biological material including DNA and assesses cases from the police. She decides which examinations will be undertaken and what samples to send for DNA analysis. She also routinely attends court to present her evidence.

1999 Graduated BSc (Hons) Biochemistry

DNA Awareness Trainer for Forensic Science Service

Forensic Specialist for Forensic Science Service

I can use my scientific knowledge to advise police officers. I have also found it useful in court when given technical questions not wholly addressed by my reports to the police. My background knowledge has certainly helped during some awkward times in court!To anyone interested in a career in this area I would say obtain a good science degree then specialise later with a Master’s degree – preferably at an accredited university. Get some lab experience or work experience with the police and read background papers on advances in forensics.”

Jessica Adby – Forensic Science Reporting Manager

Zoie is the link between the ward/surgical staff and the laboratory, communicating results to the clinical teams and advice on appropriate antibiotics/infection control as well as participating in research projects.

2003 Graduated BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Sciences

Completed Clinical Scientist training programme at the Royal Free Hospital

Completed a PhD at University College London“We are now seeing patients infected with bacteria

that are resistant to all of our first, second and third choice antibiotics and so we are now having to use older classes of drugs that have not been used for decades because of their toxic side effects, new drugs that we have limited information about, or drugs that will have a limited therapeutic effect. I find it interesting working out how to treat these patients, how we can detect these organisms in the laboratory quicker and how we can stop them spreading and in my current role I feel that I am making (a small) contribution towards this.

Zoie Aiken – Clinical Scientist in Microbiology

Clinical Scientist in Microbiology department at Nottingham University Hospitals

Higher Specialist Scientist Training position at the Manchester Royal Infirmary

Forensic Science Reporting Manager for Key Forensic Services Ltd.

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Careers outside the Lab

Many of our graduates enjoy the study of science and want to apply their knowledge in a science related career outside of the laboratory setting.

Where could you work?

Graduates with a passion for plant science, zoology or the environment have taken on roles in the field for example in ecology or conservation.

If you would like to use your scientific knowledge in a creative way you could enter a career in scientific publishing. Or how about communicating science to the public in the media, on websites, in museums or for outreach or educational organisations?

There are lots of administrative, sales and management roles in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and biological or healthcare supplies companies where your scientific knowledge will give you an advantage.

If you are interested in improving government science policy, there are opportunities for graduates to work as scientific advisers in the civil service or campaigning organisations.

A significant number of our graduates go on to teach science at schools or colleges.

Kalahari Meerkat Project Research Assistant

Teach First

Secondary Science Teacher

The Cabinet Office Policy

Analyst

NHS Christie Hospital

Clinical Trials Coordinator

Nature Publishing

Editor

BBCAssistant Producer

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Liz is combining her role as a Conservation Officer with completing an MSc part-time.

2006 Graduated BSc (Hons) Zoology

Volunteer for various conservation projects

Worked as secondary school teacher“I love the variety I get in my job as we have to be

the jack-of-all-trades. I get to do a bit of survey work, practical conservation, budget management, management planning and education. There will always be something new to learn so I’ll never get bored! I am also amused when members of the public are surprised to see me, a small girl, wielding a chainsaw and bossing groups of older people about!I need a lot of organisational skills with the workload I have to manage and have to work to short deadlines. Whilst I didn’t expect it, I’ve also needed to use the statistics from my degree to analyse survey work amongst other things.”

Liz Vango-Smith – Conservation Officer

Jackie is now a Senior Science Policy Officer at the Society of Biology, and has given evidence on forestry research to a joint meeting of the parliamentary Science and Technology Committees. She currently works on providing an evidence base for policy developments across the Biological Sciences, such as skills development, research funding and equality and diversity issues.

2006 Graduated BSc (Hons) in Zoology

Volunteer for Colobus Trust Primate Conservation in Kenya

Researcher at Frontier Society of Education and Explorationand Chester Zoo

“Studying Zoology at Manchester really cemented my interest and passion for the natural world; the teaching was excellent – I left with a well-rounded understanding of the discipline, and the field trips and the industrial placement gave me the confidence to put this knowledge into action in my jobs since.”

Jackie Caine – Senior Science Policy Officer

Apprentice Project Officer at Lancashire Wildlife Trust

Conservation Officer at Lancashire Wildlife Trust

Helpline Officer at the Bat Conservation Trust

Policy Intern at Wildlife and Countryside Link

Policy Officer at Society of Biology

Senior Science Policy Officer at Society of Biology

Graduate Profiles

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Careers outside the Lab – Graduate Profiles

Wiesia now manages 75 clinical trials staff at the Christie Hospital in Manchester which is a specialist hospital, concerned with the treatment of cancer and associated diseases. Her role is key to ensuring that the testing of potential new treatments for cancers runs smoothly.

2004 Graduated BSc (Hons) Biology

Project Manager for Adelphi Communications, a Medical Communications agency

“As my career has been in a research focused setting within medical research, a prerequisite for most roles has been a life sciences degree. Employers in this field are always looking for science graduates that have a solid medical/science grounding, coupled with the IT, presentation, planning and analytical skills that are usually consolidated as part of a degree programme.”

Wiesia Woodyatt – Clinical Trials Manager

During Andrew’s career he has produced hundreds of hours of network programming, including the award winning shows Wonders of the Solar System and Wonders of the Universe, and landmark series such as Inside the Human Body and Planet Dinosaur. He has also contributed to long-running favourites including Horizon and Tomorrow’s World.

1994 Graduated BSc (Hons)Physiology and Pharmacology

Completed an MSc in Science and Communication from Imperial College

Research and Assistant Producer of ‘Tomorrow’s World’ programme at the BBC

“It was the passion with which the science was taught that really stuck with me during and after my degree. I’ve used a lot of what I learnt in physiology right through my career.”

Andrew Cohen – Head of Science at the BBC

Clinical Trials Support Manager at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust

R&D Service Improvement Manager at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust

Editor of ‘Horizon’ programme at the BBC

Head of Science at the BBC

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“The skills I learnt in my degree that help me in my current role were communication, analysis, and a logical and detailed approach to problem solving.”

Kate GrimoldbyBSc (Hons) Genetics 2007

Associate Director in Acquisition Finance

Careers Outside the Life Sciences

Many students choose a life sciences degree out of interest for the subject but decide over the course of their degree that they are interested in a career in a different area. Life Sciences graduates are in demand across a range of sectors due to their well developed skills in research and data analysis.

In the last few years, Manchester students have been rated amongst the most employable in the country by those companies and organisations that regularly recruit large numbers of graduates. No doubt this is helped by the University’s Careers Service, which regularly tops the polls amongst employers and students as the best in the country.

Where could you work?

The possibilities are endless! Our graduates have secured jobs in sectors as diverse as law, the Civil Service, business, finance, charities, social services, marketing, sales, advertising, the media, IT and the armed forces.

PriceWaterhouseCoopers JP Morgan SonyMinistry of Defence BBC Barnados

HSBCRolls RoyceBUPAGoldman SachsBarclays

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Find out more

Our award winning Careers Service offers a wealth of opportunities to our students and graduates.

What can the Careers Service help you with?

• Exploring your career options and ideas.

• Looking for part-time or vacation work.

• Finding out about specific jobs and sectors.

• Specific advice for students looking for life science work experience.

• Starting your own business.• Developing and improving skills

employers look for. • Finding graduate jobs, internships

or postgraduate study. • Applications and interviews.

Information, advice and guidance services

They offer a range of services including appointments to discuss career planning, and practice interviews to help you improve your technique.

Online and interactive services include Blogs, Facebook and Twitter – where you can find insider tips and ask questions.

Information resources are available such as books, journals and free guides as well as access to resources such as downloadable handouts, videos and online psychometric tests.

The Careers Service works closely with the Faculty to organise activities and events specifically for Life Sciences students including:

• Support for students applying for industrial placements.

• Events to help students explore their career options.

• A dedicated careers Facebook page.• Life Sciences specific drop-in

sessions.

Events

The Careers Service also organises many events throughout the year where you can meet hundreds of potential employers. In addition to general careers fairs, specialist events are tailored to specific sectors such as Engineering, Science and Technology and careers in specific countries.

If you would like to find out more about how the University of Manchester can kick start your career why don’t you visit their website:www.careers.manchester.ac.uk

Careers in Biology:www.societyofbiology.org/education/careers

Academic Careers:www.academiccareer.manchester.ac.uk

Careers in Pharmaceuticals:http://careers.abpi.org.uk

NHS Careers:www.nhscareers.nhs.uk

Microbiology Careers:www.sgm-microbiologycareers.org.uk

Useful Websites

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“The careers adviser gave me constructive advice on my CV and how to draft my covering letter targeting the job I was interested in. The leaflets about postgraduate degree programmes and graduate employment gave me timely information to make insightful decisions for my future.

This service is definitely an invaluable asset to students at the University of Manchester.”

Angela Li Final Year BSc Pharmacology

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Admissions OfficeLife SciencesG683 Stopford BuildingThe University of ManchesterManchesterM13 9PT

Tel: 0161 275 5032Fax: 0161 275 5456email: ug.lifesciences@manchester.ac.ukwww.manchester.ac.uk/lifesciences

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