I’m Navin, a York alumni from India. I recently completed my Masters in Biology and I now work as a research technician.
Moving to the UK
Studying abroad was a very last-minute decision for me. For most of my life, I imagined I would stay in India. With the uncertainty around exam schedules and the general upheaval caused by COVID-19, I reconsidered my options. The UK and the Netherlands were the main countries I considered, but I preferred the UK because it had a very easy, centralised undergraduate application system. In a few weeks, I was given offers at all the universities I applied to!
York was very highly ranked for Biology and it was a Russell Group University, so I knew I was getting a lot of funding for research. It also offered genetics as an integrated Masters, which many other universities did not. My parents were happy I was in York because it’s a safe city.
Careers support
During my time at York, I had quite a few opportunities to participate in activities that helped enrich my skills and prepare me for the workplace. I first completed the York Strengths Programme, which focused on helping students identify their attributes and strengths—things I might have otherwise overlooked. It showed how these qualities could be applied to both academic and professional contexts, especially in terms of employability. It was genuinely useful in helping me understand how to frame my own skills in job applications and interviews.
Another fantastic opportunity was York Leaders, a cohort-based leadership programme in which you’re placed in a team of around 14 students to design and deliver a collaborative project. It was a lovely experience that taught us much about leadership, teamwork, and communication.
By participating in these activities, I became eligible and secured the York Award in my third year as proof of participating in extracurricular activities that enriched my personal growth.
Student life
York has a collegiate system, which meant we were all assigned to different colleges on campus. That made it easier to meet other students. There were a lot of events, and I had a bunch of flatmates.
I learned that it can be quite a humbling experience to meet people from all these corners of the world and realise that we’re all so similar. It’s fascinating. It helps broaden that perspective, and it’s very important for us to realise we are part of a global network of people.
After graduation
Job hunting is… tough. Luckily, I gained a decent amount of experience during my degree. I did internships almost every year, which gave me the chance to learn new, relevant skill sets.
I had done microscopy and image analysis work during one of my internships, and around the time I was finishing it up, another lab happened to be looking for someone with that exact skill set. So I was at the right place at the right time and secured my current role as a research technician.
The biggest tip I’d give anyone job hunting is: make connections. Talk to people, at your university, at your internships, anywhere. These networks matter. You never know who might refer you or tell you about an opportunity.
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