What Am I 'Actually' Any Good At?

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
No one in biochemistry will touch me with a bargepole, I just fall flat on my face with interviews and assessment centres and all the stupid crap they throw at me. It would have been easier if I'd never been to university in the first place as I am just out of my depth.

Have you considered contacting a few agencies who will try to place you to the US? I think they have a bigger market for biochem types.

Sometimes it's just luck of the draw thing.

But if you really want out, try something that you don't need to deal with humans. Hm, say, acutuary - there's big bucks in it. However, I think you need a degree in the field.

Failing that, you can always be a programmer

[Jon Miller]

to start te actuary track you just have to pass (An easy) test

Jon Miller

[Frankychan]

Hmmm,

If no specific career path fits you, why don't you become an entrepreneur? Maybe make your own business.

[loinburger]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
But if you really want out, try something that you don't need to deal with humans. Hm, say, acutuary - there's big bucks in it. However, I think you need a degree in the field.

Nah, a degree is usually sufficient. Actuary work requires a whole battery of tests in order to be accredited, but usually once you've passed one or two of them a company will take you on and pay you while you finish the rest of them. (Dunno how it works in Britain, they might take more/fewer tests than in the US, but IIRC to be an actuary in the US you'd be looking at taking about 8+ tests on probability and other assorted boring-ass trivia).

Actually, if Harrison's got a good mind for trivia and decent math skills (and I'm assuming that you can't finish university in biochem without decent math skills) then actuarial work might be perfect.

[Jon Miller]

in the US you only need to pass one test to start work (I Think)

and it is easy

Jon Miller

[loinburger]

Depends on the hiring company and the market demand, but one test is usually enough, and two tests is pretty much always enough.

[Alexander's Horse]

I think you should and go back finish your PHD. When you start something you should finish it

Sadly spamming is not a paid career. True, Apolyton keeps me here with a modest retainer but it's hardly a living.

[Urban Ranger]

Thanks for the info loin and Jon. If it is not that arse boring I would consider it.

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by Asher

You are when it comes to a career.

You've got a degree, your credentials have given you interviews, it's how well you do in the interviews which is killing you from getting a job in your field.

And if this thread is any indication, it's not a big mystery why.

Asher, I am talking to you like this because you are an irritating s**t, now stay out of my thread...

[lightblue]

I suppose this is the thread you to refer to in Pekka's thread.

When I decided to quit my PhD (bad project, horrid supervisor) I also knew that I did not want to be a bench scientist seeing as i saw how lab tech/assistants are treated, and it did not appeal to me. I realised that I needed something else, and therefore looked at MSc Conversion courses, which are courses that take someone with a previous degree and teach them a totally unrelated subject. At the end you write a thesis of some sort, which will give you Masters, if not then you'd get a PGD (post grad diploma). I applied to a number of different types of conversions (Law, Management) but in the end plumped for Comp Sci. Not sure if i'll go back to science, in silico so to speak, or do something completely different, but it is definitely helping me broaden my horizons, and opens up career paths I had never thought about let alone considered.

The main negative is that there little to no financing available. You will have to pay either from savings or by working along side, which is possible but will put alot of pressure on you. The cost varies between courses and universities but expect to pay between £800 and £2000 per term. I am at APU, which is not a particularly good university, and it costs me £2600 for a 15 month course.

Look for programs with professional accrediation (this one has with the BCS), will save you on tests later.

In short I have no regrets yet, but then I haven't applied to any jobs yet.

[Provost Harrison]

Fair enough...I will have to figure it out...hmmm...

[C0ckney]

hyave you thought about joining the services, a lot of my friends did this straight out of school (i probably would have as well if i wasn't diabetic) and it's working out ok for them. i think with a degree you can get fast tracked into officer training and that sort of thing, not sure of the specifics of that though, but still could be something to look into

[Provost Harrison]

What do you mean by 'the services'?

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Those nice young men with guns and uniforms, of course.

Actuary work in Britain requires a whopping great buggerload of exams, but the money's good at the end of it. There's loads of 'em where I work. It's not a job that would float my boat, but what the hell, eh?

[Bereta_Eder]

In a aperverted way it might do you good PH

(if ya can take da heat )