Bioscience Careers 3

Bruce Woodcock University of Kent Careers and Employability Servicebw@kent.ac.uk

You can download a copy of this presentation at www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm

Doctor

• Very competitive

• Kent graduates have obtained places at St George's, Birmingham, Warwick, Peninsula Medical School & Exeter.

• Talk to doctors and other medical staff, and get work experience in a hospital, hospice or home for the elderly.

• Normally need at least 2:1

• Apply via by mid October of final year as an “individual applicant”

• May need to take GAMSAT or UKCAT test

Doctor• NHS means tested bursaries available in years 2,

3, and 4. Students have access to a reduced rate loan from the Student Loan Company. Tuition fees, student fee, and expenses for clinical placements etc. will also be paid. In 1st year will have access to the full student loan but no other financial support.

• Fast track (4 year) courses for  grads

• Also seewww.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin/doctor.htm

• Now also 4 year fast track courses in DENTISTRY for science graduates at Peninsular Medical School , Queen Mary and Liverpool/Lancaster

Nursing, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Dietetics etc.

• Some shortened courses for graduates (2 years)

• Occupational therapy involves work with people with disabilities to enable them to live as independently as possible.

• NHS Bursaries available – fees paid and up to £6,000 means tested bursary,www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin/nursing.htm

Science Teacher• PGCE is one-year, full-time route into teaching taken by most

graduates – 60% classroom based. Many Kent students go to Christ Church

• Need to have spent about two weeks in a school with the age range and subject you wish to teach before you apply. Best time to get this is June before your final year.

• PGCE full-time routes apply online via UCAS Teacher Training www.ucas.ac.uk. You can start applying for 2015 courses from end of October 2014

• There is now a bursary of £15k (with a First) or £12k with a 2:1 and £10,000 with a 2:2

• Also Schools Direct and Teach First routes

Science Teaching

• Applicants have three choices. Institutions have 40 working days to make a final decision or the applicant is automatically rejected.

• Applicants have ten working days from the time that they get all their decisions to decide which offer to accept.

Science Teaching

• Teaching careers page www.kent.ac.uk/careers/siteach.htm

• PGCE applicationswww.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/pgcestatements.htm

• Teacher training interviews

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/interviews/ivteaching.htm

Application Process

The smaller company process is much simpler and you can apply much later (often after final exams) but salaries are usually lower and they offer less training and less chance to specialise.

Aptitude tests and assessment centres

• Many employers give you online numerical and verbal aptitude tests when you applywww.kent.ac.uk/careers/psychotests.htm

• The final stage of the recruitment process may be a one day assessment centre involving group exercises and a presentationwww.kent.ac.uk/careers/applicn.htm#Selection

Skills gained on a science degree• Gather and analyse relevant

information from a wide variety of sources

• Identify and propose solutions to problems

• Project management• Technical skills• Work independently (individual

projects)• Communicate with others in a

clear and articulate manner• Present ideas and arguments

verbally in presentations and seminars, and informal discussions

• Sell these on your CV, applications and interviews!

“Sell” your degree• List relevant modules (plus

marks if good!)• Projects – especially if

relevant• Laboratory skills/IT skills • Soft skills – evidence of

teamwork, project management, problem solving etc.

• For non-science jobs (e.g. banking) you would need a different CV focusing on your soft skills more than technical skills.

CVs and Applications Resources

• Science CV

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/sciencecv.htm

• Science covering letter

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/placementletter.htm

• Application forms

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/applicn.htm

The best way to learn how to excel at application forms is to do the “Analyse your skills and learn to make top quality applications” assignment in the Moodle Careers Employability Award. (More about this later!)

Interview Help• Teaching, postgraduate study, scientific research practice

interviews onlinewww.kent.ac.uk/careers/interviews/mockivs.htm

• Answers to 150 interview questionswww.kent.ac.uk/careers/interviews/ivquest.htm

• Telephone interviewswww.kent.ac.uk/careers/ivphone.htm

• Streamed Videos online• On-line Applications

• Interviews

• Assessment Centres

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/IntVid.htm

Bruce Woodcock

• Deal with all Bioscience students

• An adviser is on duty for short (15 minute) consultations in the Careers and Employability Service any weekday morning 10.30-12.30 or afternoon from 2 pm to 4 pm. You don't need an appointment to see the duty adviser at these times. Just ask at Careers Reception to see them.

• Email: bw@kent.ac.uk

• Can book an interview with me at Careers reception (01227 823299) – after these talks have finished!

• These are the final careers talks I shall be giving you during your degree!

• Tomorrow: Postgraduate Study 10 am GLT1

Moodle Careers Employability Award 14 Quizzes: need 75% to pass but allowed

unlimited attemptsComplete 3 of the following seven

assignments•Employability skills quiz•Employability skills quiz: drag & drop•How to develop the skills employers want?•Test your spelling and grammar!•What makes you happy at work?•How commercially aware are you?

•Special interests topic lesson•Interview preparation•Practice interview•What are the most common interview questions?•Aptitude tests and assessment centres•CV quiz•CVs and covering letters: drag & drop quiz•Career planning drag and drop quiz

•Analyse your skills and learn how to make top quality applications

•Do you want to live to work or work to live?

•Researching careers 

•Choosing a career

•Submit a CV

•Social media

•Action planning

 

DX_CEA Careers Employability Award (2014/15)www.kent.ac.uk/careers/moodle.htm

Bioscience Careers 3

Bruce Woodcock University of Kent Careers and Employability Servicebw@kent.ac.uk

You can download a copy of this presentation at www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm