Sci-tech jobs: happy applicant
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How to nab yourself that elusive sci-tech job

18 Nov 2016

The sci-tech jobs market is rife with opportunity, but how can you go from frustrated applicant to successful hire?

The Irish sci-tech jobs market is starting to swing back into action. This week saw announcements coming from MetLife, XSellco and DocuSign.

Those jobs are pretty good and all, but they’ve got nothing on some of the others we looked at this week.

In the midst of Science Week Ireland, we found seven of the coolest science jobs around, from space psychologist to sexologist. Slightly less cool – but only slightly – were Hays’s five hottest jobs in life science.

But what can you do if you want one of those jobs, or indeed, one of those announced this week?

Well, according to some of the science grads we spoke to, it’s never too early to start prepping: start networking as soon as you can, don’t be afraid to upskill and – of course – apply, apply, apply.

And if your application is successful? What next? Hays gave us a glimpse at some of the questions asked in life sciences interviews, and offered guidance on how best to respond.

Over on the tech side, we looked at Hack Your Career, an event run by Code First: Girls and Bank of America Merrill Lynch to encourage women to start working towards tech careers before even leaving college.

We spoke to Mark Kelly, a graduate at Version 1, who gave us some insight into his work and offered recent graduates some pointers on what they should look for from graduate programmes.

And finally, all of these tips, tools and announcements should be welcome news for the US denizens who are now eyeing up Ireland as a destination for work following last week’s election results.

As always, for more on any of these stories, follow the links below.

1. MetLife to open new global tech campus in Galway

Insurance giant MetLife has announced plans to expand its Irish operation with the opening of a new global technology campus in Galway, creating 200 jobs in the process.

2. Ray Nolan’s XSellco to create 40 new jobs

Ray Nolan’s e-commerce company XSellco has beefed up its management team, and is to hire 40 new staff by the end of 2017.

3. 7 of the coolest science jobs in the world

There’s a whole world of careers that you can pursue with your science degree. You could be a forensic anthropologist or a biochemist or a marine biologist. Not cool enough for you?

4. Want to know the 5 hottest jobs in life science?

To celebrate Science Week, we wanted to look at the kind of jobs available to those pursuing a career in the scientific sector. Hays highlights the five top jobs in the life sciences industry.

5. 10 pieces of advice from science graduates

New graduates have probably heard plenty of sage advice, received guidance and gotten insider knowledge from members of the science community. But they still might not know what it’s really like out there for fresh new science graduates.

6. 6 life science interview questions and how to respond

You can spend years perfecting your scientific skills, and weeks perfecting your CV and applying for jobs, but when you get an interview, how do you make sure you land the job? Hays knows the common life science questions and how to answer them well.

7. Interested in working in tech? Hack Your Career

With a widening skills gap in the technology sector, what can be done to ensure that there are enough qualified people to fill open roles? Code First: Girls and Bank of America Merrill Lynch have an idea.

8. ‘Version 1 provided a clear training path for me,’ says graduate

Mark Kelly had never worked in the IT sector before coming to Version 1. The graduate programme’s focus on training is what drew him to the company after his studies.

9. US jobseekers’ searches in Ireland double in week after Trump victory

Globally, Ireland saw the third biggest surge in job searches from the US following Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election. New Zealand saw the biggest increase, followed by Canada.

Looking for jobs in tech or science? Check out our Employer Profiles for information on companies hiring right now.

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Kirsty Tobin
By Kirsty Tobin

Kirsty Tobin served as careers editor of Silicon Republic from 2015 up to August 2017. When she was younger, she had a dream where she started and won a fight with a T-Rex, so she’s pretty sure she kicked butt at this, too. Passions include eating all the cake, watching more TV than is healthy and sassy comebacks.

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