I’m currently completing an industrial placement in science communication at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), part of UKRI (and loving it!). Here is my experience and some advice on finding a placement.
Why I chose to do a placement:
As much as I love my degree course (biology is the best area of science- I’m sure you agree!), I’m not the biggest fan of poring over textbooks and study notes. I didn’t attend university immediately after my A-levels, choosing instead to work for a year. This year taught me a lot, including my preference for working (and getting paid) over studying all day. So, at the end of 1st Year, I knew I wanted to do an industrial placement and gain more valuable work experience.
Searching for placements:
I am the first to admit that I got really lucky with my placement. It was my top choice, a reputable UK national laboratory with state-of-the-art facilities. And it happens to be a 30-minute drive away from my family home (cheap rent- yay!).
Before finding this placement, I wasn’t aware that science communication was a real industry. I just knew that I love science and I enjoy writing. It was April of 1st Year when I started researching placements and came across an advert for summer internships in science communication at STFC. “Well” I thought “If they have summer roles surely they have year long ones!”. A quick LinkedIn stalk confirmed this for me. Which brings me on to my first few tips…
Tip 1) Make a LinkedIn (if you haven’t already).
It’s a great way of networking and learning more about the career opportunities open to you. Most organisations also share their job vacancies (including placements) on here too.
Tip 2) Ask current students for advice.
After creating my LinkedIn profile, I messaged a couple of students currently in roles I was interested in for their tips on applying and they were incredibly helpful. Even throughout the interview process later in the year. If you are interested in a science communication placement, feel free to contact me through the Biology department.
How I got my placement:
Even though I knew this was the placement I wanted the most, I continued to apply for other roles. It’s a long process, with applications open for months sometimes, and often various tests and interview stages.
After countless redrafts and many emails, I was finally happy with my CV and cover letters.
Tip 3) Make your CV and cover letter specific to the role.
This is key to show employers a real interest in the role. It’s a lot of effort, particularly if you are applying for a wide range of roles, but it’s worth it. Some of the roles I applied for were communications based, but some were STEM public engagement, animal science and plant science
I also signed up to the placement mentor scheme run by the Biology department. My mentor was a huge help, offering advice and carrying out a mock interview with me.
Working in science communication:
It’s not a science career that is talked about as much as some others – but that doesn’t make science communication and engagement any less important! The more I learn about it, the more I feel science communication is the career path I want to continue on. If you think it might be for you too, I have one final tip…
Tip 4) Experience/evidence!
It’s not enough to say how much you would like to work in a job, you need to show an active interest. Do the social media for a society at uni. Start a blog. Join a university newspaper. I even reached out to a company for some (unrelated- ecology in fact) work experience and wound up getting a paid role making content for their Instagram account. All of this helped me get my role by showing how much I loved communicating science.
It’s worth it:
It feels like there are a lot of hoops to jump through to get a placement. It can be stressful to do alongside uni (particularly if your final interviews are during exam week like mine were!). But now, just over a month into my placement, I’m so relieved I did it. I work in a department called ISIS Neutron and Muon Source which has scientists from all over the world coming to use the facilities. It’s part of my role to speak to these researchers about their work and I have learnt so much already! I look forward to coming to work every day- which has never happened before!
Leave a Reply