Dear Career Advisor,

I will be graduating in December with a Bachelor of Science in biology. What is the best area for me to look for a job?

Regards,

Ingrid W

Dear Ingrid:

Congratulations on seeing your programme through to its completion.

There is a wide field of opportunities for people with specialisation in biology. However, as for many other degrees, the approach you take to your job search process is of vital importance. I will therefore suggest that your first order of business will be to determine the skills and experience you have. Your next step will be to determine to which industries your skills and experience might be of value, and lastly, ask yourself in which of these industries you have interest.

You would have developed several industry-relevant skills during your programme of study. Your list might include but not be limited to research; planning and organising; experimentation; testing hypotheses and drawing conclusions; writing scientific papers; preparing reports; manipulation of data from scientific databases, etc. Your relevant experience could include conducting field research, use of technical equipment, customer interface and service and public presentation. Having completed your list, it is time to determine where best those skills could be applied.

Some of the areas in which a degree in biology can be of value are listed below. Do bear in mind that this list is not exhaustive.

*Quality assurance

*Research

*Food sciences and

food service

*Health care

*Environment and conservation

*Teaching

*Science laboratories (research, manufacturing, medical)

* Pharmaceutical — research, development or sales

* Agriculture, horticulture and animal science

* Legal — forensic support, patent laws.

It is unlikely that because there are potential opportunities in all these areas you would have interest in each. Your next task would therefore be to determine the top three or four industries in which you have interest and to begin your research for job opportunities in each. Now is a good time to begin your search as many hiring decisions are taken to be effective at the beginning of the New Year.

All the best.

Sincerely,

Career Advisor

Carolyn Marie Smith is Interim Assistant Vice President, Student Services, Northern Caribbean University.

Submit your questions

to her at careeradvisor@ncu.edu.jm