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Have you considered the possibility of being an intellectual property attorney? I would not suggest this unless (1) you do a lot of research into the position and are actually interested in it, (2) have the financial ability to devote to 3 years of expensive law school, and (3) have the grades/scores to get into a good law school. If all those are true, intellectual property attorneys generally make good money and have some job security because most attorneys don't have the science background needed for the patent bar.
If you want to hear of a really big change, listen to this: My cousin got a B.S. in biology, decided she didn't like it, then went back to school and got a Ph.D. in history. She's done well with it: She's now a tenured professor of history at a small college in New England.
Interesting suggestions ... I'm open to looking into many different areas. Unlikely I will get a graduate degree in history - but it is a good reminder that teaching positions/education are a possibility.
My plan has been narrowed down to a very detailed excel sheet. In (short) summary:
-No on anything with real estate, it's too tough to break into with no experience. And it's unstable pay, long hours, and overall a tough job. Still very interesting to me and I hope at some point in my life I have the funds to own an income property or in the least work in a real estate office for awhile.
-PA school still an option, since if I really worked hard at it ... I think I could get all the requirements in order and get into a school. Still don't love the idea of direct patient care, and that is the whole point of the job. :/ .... yet I really like the idea of a psychiatric PA.
-Other jobs on my list that somewhat use my science background include environmental consultant, education, quality assurance (within the food industry - or going back to a food science type job), pharmaceuticals (no idea about that now, need to start research).
-For business related jobs I need to look into market research analysis positions and management. Being a personal financial analyst would have been great if I had down my undergrad in a related field.
Even though before in this thread I've said my heart isn't in science anymore and that I want out, I still work in the field around scientists/professors/lab technicians. Today I went to a large life science company to train to use some new equipment. The instructor was a young tech with a BS in biochem, very intelligent and well spoken....and for a moment I caught myself thinking, perhaps I should rethink my "no science" plan, here is an example of a person my age without a grad degree who is enthusiastic about science and working a great company. Then she mentioned she was planning on getting her MBA and taking the GMAT this weekend. Once again, a wake-up call! Just like the lab coordinator with the PhD, so many signs to get out of this field. :P Ah well, doesn't mean I won't enjoy my current science jobs while I have them and figure this whole career thing out!
Even though before in this thread I've said my heart isn't in science anymore and that I want out, I still work in the field around scientists/professors/lab technicians. Today I went to a large life science company to train to use some new equipment. The instructor was a young tech with a BS in biochem, very intelligent and well spoken....and for a moment I caught myself thinking, perhaps I should rethink my "no science" plan, here is an example of a person my age without a grad degree who is enthusiastic about science and working a great company. Then she mentioned she was planning on getting her MBA and taking the GMAT this weekend. Once again, a wake-up call! Just like the lab coordinator with the PhD, so many signs to get out of this field. :P Ah well, doesn't mean I won't enjoy my current science jobs while I have them and figure this whole career thing out!
It's quite likely you'll find with most every job that there is something you don't like about it.
Someone will tell you they want to get the hay out of every field possible you can imagine. The only ones where people don't typically make a move out of is MD, because they just get paid so damn much and had to devote so much time to get there, it seems silly to change careers. Other than that, people switch out of every career you can imagine in droves.
I'm not trying to be negative. Just trying to alert you to the fact that just because people you work with want out of that field doesn't mean a thing really.
I agree you don't want to persue a career in science. There really is no future in the USA for science grads. Here are your options:
1. Best option professional school, Med, Pharm, Dental, PT, OT, Physician's assistant etc.
2. Get a grad degree in a more business relevant field. Accounting, Finance, HR, computers.
A science grad degree will only dig the hole deeper for you. Tons of PhD's out there doing endless dead-end post docs and they will have to do a career change around age 40 and try to get around the double stigmas of age discrimination and people assuming someone with a PhD is overqualified and will leave when they get a science job.
Getting a job with a Chemistry MS degree was a 3 year nightmare for me and it is 10X worse for biology majors especially with just a BS.
I am so glad I am done with the sciences so I won't have to worry about this crap anymore. I changed careers too. I was getting nowhere and hoping from temp agency to temp agency. Got kinda boring and useless.
Could part of the problem be that science grads don't understand the job market or how to find a job?
Science is very needed in the world and in the US. I see jobs all the time needing chemistry or other science degrees. However, they are not traditional lab jobs.
Perhaps too many science grads are under the false expectation that a PhD and/or post doc mean automatic employment. It would have been better to stop at the bachelor's level to test the job market before spending the time and money to get a PhD.
Seriously, there are a ton of new innovations being made in a variety of scientific areas. The jobs are just with the commercial companies that hire science grads.
if nothing comes to mind then you are probably stuck, if you are stuck and pinned to just biology as an option then it might be advantageous to get more education.
Could part of the problem be that science grads don't understand the job market or how to find a job?
Science is very needed in the world and in the US. I see jobs all the time needing chemistry or other science degrees. However, they are not traditional lab jobs.
Perhaps too many science grads are under the false expectation that a PhD and/or post doc mean automatic employment. It would have been better to stop at the bachelor's level to test the job market before spending the time and money to get a PhD.
Seriously, there are a ton of new innovations being made in a variety of scientific areas. The jobs are just with the commercial companies that hire science grads.
Level 10 on the BSometer
I look at indeed and chemistry all the time and the results are Aerotek, Kelly, Lab-temps and Indian Recruiters looking for suckers to work for $15 and hour no benefits. Heck even the American Chemical Society's career website the last time I checked was loaded with Kelly's temp crap. I would never let anyone else in my family consider getting a science degree. Chemistry and Biology consistently make the list on Forbes for worst degrees for jobs. They are one of the few media outlets being honest about it. I am one of the few people I graduated with still in the field.
Almost every industry that hires science grads is in huge decline. Govt, Pharma, the chemical industry.
I look at indeed and chemistry all the time and the results are Aerotek, Kelly, Lab-temps and Indian Recruiters looking for suckers to work for $15 and hour no benefits. Heck even the American Chemical Society's career website the last time I checked was loaded with Kelly's temp crap. I would never let anyone else in my family consider getting a science degree. Chemistry and Biology consistently make the list on Forbes for worst degrees for jobs. They are one of the few media outlets being honest about it. I am one of the few people I graduated with still in the field.
Almost every industry that hires science grads is in huge decline. Govt, Pharma, the chemical industry.
Whether the industry is in decline or not is irrelevant. You are one person and all you need is one job. Is there at least one chemistry job open?
I did a quick search and I found chemist jobs at Johnson & Johnson, Monsanto, Bristol-Myers, etc.
Additionally, you keep forgetting that even with a science degree, one can find jobs in other fields at science related companies.
Are you currently employed? What type of work are you looking for? What's on your resume?
I have a good job now. It only took me 3 years of fighting like heck putting out tens of resumes a day and interviewing on every chance I got.
That the industries are in decline is very relevant. While we already have an excess of science talent the fact that the primary industries that hire science grads are not only not hiring but putting tons of experienced chemists on the streets in layoffs makes the chances of getting that job slim and the pay for that job pathetic.
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BTW feel free to ask others on this board how well that transferable skills argument works at getting a job in today's world.
Michelle Amaral wanted to be a brain scientist to help cure diseases. She planned a traditional academic science career: PhD, university professorship and, eventually, her own lab.
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Last edited by 7G9C4J2; 11-11-2013 at 04:26 PM..
Reason: Deleted off-topic (political) remarks, deleted excessive quote (copyright violation)
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