How to secure a science graduate job or internship

Careers fairs, employability lectures and company visits are all signaling a transition here at Warwick. We’re past the excitement of a new year, new modules, and a new house, and now it’s time to remember that the Warwick bubble won’t last forever.

We will soon have to go back into the real world, and start working. You may have noticed a trend in the sorts of companies that come to Warwick – investment banks, law firms, accountants – but what about us scientists? There are plenty of options out there, but the process can be a little bit different.

The application usually begins online, with a form asking questions about your ‘transferrable skills’, such as leadership, organization and time management. As with every career path, it’s important that you have a good range of extracurricular activities. Having a 1st in all your modules is fantastic, but if you can’t give an example of a time that you have worked in a team, you won’t even get past the first stage! Clubs and societies are a great way to start building these employability skills, and being an exec is even better. Science-related societies, such as Maths & Physics, Chemsoc or Engineers Without Borders are great places to start, but don’t feel as if you’re restricted. Being involved in any society that you’re passionate about will give you the experiences you need to shine in the skills questions.

Most of the big science companies will invite applicants who are successful at the application stage to complete at least one online test. Most commonly, this is a basic maths test, though many organisations will also add in a logical or verbal reasoning test. A quick google search will bring up loads of examples for you to try out, so you can practice before committing yourself to the real thing. SHL and Kenexa are both very commonly used recruiting companies, who offer practice tests.

If you make it through the online tests, there are two options – some places will have yet another screening, often in the form of a telephone interview. Others will invite you directly to an assessment centre. This is where the big difference between science and other career paths comes in. Whether you go to telephone or face-to-face interviews, you will have so-called ‘technical’ questions. This means that you will have to be prepared to use the science that you’ve learnt during your course and apply it directly to the sector you will be working in.

The best way to prepare for these sorts of questions is to research the company and their operations well – there’s no point in learning how an aerofoil works for a Shell interview, though it may come in handy for Rolls-Royce! Make sure you have a good knowledge of your specific area, but a general overview of the science used in other departments won’t hurt. You will undoubtedly be asked about the company as a whole, so a good all-round understanding of the business is key.

Assessment centres often include a group activity as well as personal interviews. It’s very important to speak up in these tasks, and take an active role, though trying to be too controlling and bossy doesn’t come across well. It’s all about striking the balance between leadership and teamwork.

All-in-all, science applications are not all that different from the more common banking, accountancy or law applications. However, rather than knowing stock prices or politics, we need to understand nuclear decay or the uses of a particular compound. When it comes to the technical questions, we just need to do what we do best: science.

There are many online resources for science internships, such as gradcracker.com, targetjobs.co.uk and ratemyplacement.co.uk. Signing up to myadvantage will also alert you to any careers events on campus.