A science degree can be incredibly versatile, opening the door to an array of different career paths and industries.
It’s pretty well-established that science and other STEM degrees are a valuable thing to have in your back pocket, yet you may not even realise just how many possibilities are available to you.
Science can offer a varied career path, so varied that you may even be surprised at the kind of sector you could end up in. These five people all utilised their education in perhaps unexpected ways.
Working on next-generation sequencing at Genomics Medicine Ireland
How would you feel about developing the next generation of gene sequencing? Scottish scientist George Penman felt so strongly about it enough that he moved from Scotland to Ireland to work with Genomics Medicine Ireland.
“I love the challenge of not only building and creating a world-leading sequencing facility within Ireland, but also the fast-paced work environment and watching the company grow and develop,” Penman explained.
If this sounds like the kind of career path you’d be interested in, the firm has a number of job openings, including in its laboratory.
Navigating the evolving world of insurance at Aon
Jennifer Cruise is head of data science at the Aon Centre for Innovation and Analytics (ACIA). She initially focused on mathematical science, studying at both NUI Galway and New York University.
She then became an analyst, which eventually led her to her current role. She feels that though insurance may not immediately strike people as a deeply exciting industry, she is constantly energised by the creativity and ingenuity of her team.
“The most rewarding thing for me is working with people who genuinely get a kick out of solving problems and watching all the different skillsets at play,” she said.
You can check out the roles available with the firm here.
Helping researchers access R&D funding at EY
If you are passionate about life sciences but don’t necessarily want to end up in a lab, have you considered consulting? Before joining EY, Anna Kirwan undertook a PhD in University College Dublin in the School of Agriculture and Food Science.
During her studies, she became more interested in the industrial and business side of science, and now her role primarily involves helping companies determine what kind of funding is most suitable for their needs. She helps them access publicly available grants, bursaries and other funding so that they can continue their work.
Interested in finding out what else EY has to offer? You can go to the company’s website to take a look at its current vacancies.
From galaxy evolution to data science at Liberty IT
Brian O’Halloran currently works as a data scientist at Liberty IT, working with natural language programming and managing stakeholders. Prior to this, however, he spent 10 years studying astrophysics.
While these two fields are, in many ways, worlds apart, O’Halloran noted that skills of analysis and problem-solving that he developed during his PhD and postdoc have served him well in his current role.
Liberty IT has a broad array of roles up for grabs right now.
Moving from zoology to analytics at Accenture
Sometimes, your life turns out very differently than you initially envisioned. You may think you want a particular future for yourself but then, when it begins to come into focus, it’s not the right option for you at all.
This is exactly what happened in Natasha Kelly’s case. Fortunately, however, a career with Accenture’s digital intelligence team proved to be an ideal fit.
You can find out more about the career opportunities at Accenture via its Careers portal.
