2. Skills

Unless you have completed a PhD or an advanced degree and go straight into continued research, most graduates begin their career in fairly routine lab based roles. Although such positions can initially this seem mundane, they can be a critical part of your career - especially in the private sector.

Your work experience will allow you pick up the key skills that can catapult your value as an employee way above that of a fresh graduate. An excellent example is the experience gained in to working to essential quality standards (GMP/GLP/FDA), knowledge which can be very difficult to pick up in an academic environment. Equally important are the skills that allow you to work as an effective member of a commercial organisation, such as the necessity of working within a team to tight deadlines, communication and project management experience.

With such valuable work experience under your belt, you can look at how you want to develop your career… perhaps to manage staff within the lab, or if you are keen to move out of a lab environment, QA/QC could represent an excellent opportunity. This can be a route into Quality Management or Regulatory Affairs, positions with broad remits, where senior staff can be liaising with all departments within a company, keeping up to date on the latest regulations and for the lucky ones, travelling to international conferences.