When I started my degree, I knew that I loved learning about ground-breaking scientific discoveries, but always wondered: what is it like to follow that discovery from start to finish? That curiosity is what led me to try and land a year in industry.
I knew that I wanted to develop upon the skills that I had learnt from my biology degree, and to gain invaluable experience of day-to-day life in the lab first-hand. University projects rarely last more than a couple of months, and so a year-long project seemed like the perfect challenge.
Preparing for application
Before starting my applications, everyone warned me that placement years are notoriously competitive, and they were right. For the first term of second year, I felt I was doing nothing but being in the library: researching positions, sending off applications and preparing for interviews. Each application had to be specifically tailored to that role, and so I found that I really had to reflect on my experiences and skills. Whilst this was exhausting at times, it really made me discover how far I had come on my academic journey.
My application for my position at the Francis Crick Institute required a lot of research for my project, as well as a full day for the interview, for which I travelled and stayed in London. This day was extremely nerve-wracking but such a great opportunity and learning experience. When I got an interview for my current position, I instantly felt terrified yet excited.
Even discussing with the researchers about the project was interesting, and I felt that I forgot my nerves as I became increasingly immersed in the project. When I got offered the job a few days later I felt so excited, feeling like all my hard work and preparation had paid off.
My Year In Industry advice
If you are thinking about applying for a placement year my one piece of advice would be: just go for it! Be proactive and apply to all the positions you find interesting as you never know which one you are going to land. Don’t underestimate the power of showing genuine enthusiasm or be put off by rejections. You’ll be surprised at how much you learn from it before even starting! My placement so far has already been one of the most informative experiences of my degree so far. If I had let my earlier rejections affect my confidence, then I certainly wouldn’t be doing the project that I am now.
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