so what jobs are good at the mo?

[finlay666]

As always, the biggest issue is getting experience to start with.

My gf had loads of problems with this in her sandwich year, the only positions she could get were ones that were unpaid and she couldn't afford the costs, that said she works in a lab now after months of trying after graduation

[htid]

My gf had loads of problems with this in her sandwich year, the only positions she could get were ones that were unpaid and she couldn't afford the costs, that said she works in a lab now after months of trying after graduation

Mine has a 1st from UCL in Biochem and was struggling even with that, so she's decided to just do a masters in Environmental Biotech instead...hopefully things will be looking up in 2 years!

[Rob_B]

Worth a look here?

Live Q&A at 1PM today

http://careers.guardian.co.uk/career...dustry-careers

[mkins99]

Tons of jobs in biology in the UK, despite the cut backs it's still very well funded both privately and publicly. Slightly depends which branch of biology you go into, but there's still good demand for biochemists, biophysicists, bioinformaticians etc.

That's good to hear! I really like the subject and I've got both offers for Biology and Biochemistry at pretty good universities just not sure which one to choose!

There are environmental/biological jobs out there (I'm interviewing for one today for example), but the competition is getting hotter for each post (60 applicants for the job I'm offering, of which about 40 could probably do the job to a lesser or greater extent). As always, the biggest issue is getting experience to start with.

If you can, get on a graduate recruitment programme - they can be a fast-track to success.

Actually I'm doing a gap year intern-ship at IBM then going to study Biology - Still not sure how they can interlink?! Sorry for the thread Hijack!

[jackvdbuk]

ooh its fine mkins , good luck with biology.

will scout around the agencies, forgot about them tbh and hopefully they can pick me up some menial job or something where i have to use my mind, something ive not used in the workplace yet.

will have a go at an IT apprenticship, hopefully theyll see i know quite a bit (not compared to most hexites ) considering and offer me something

[jim]

This worries me as I'm going to be studying Biology at University...

I wouldn't worry about it. I don't think biology is the issue per-say, it's just the jobs market. The idea that high-street shops, fast-food restaurants, office jobs etc are looking as his degree and thinking "Nah, biology" is crazy.

It's just that every single job he applies for, there are 3 or 4 experienced candidates and they become the obvious choice.

[Andeh13]

For future reference & maybe to give some others a thought...England is crying out for home grown engineers. India, China etc might be pumping them out at an alarming rate but due to security restrictions they can't get jobs with the big engineering (esp Defence) companies. minimum of 5 years living here and British passport.

Entry salaries from £26k - £23k, 2 pay reviews a year etc all standard. 2:1 in an engineering degree, some enthusiasm and a bit of a personality & your laughing. Might not be great to hear now, and with uni fees soon to go up nows not a bad time to start considering it. Any STEM subject & a rounded personality will sort you for life.

As for where I work, the company has increased the starting salary (by minimum £1000 a year) & in take for the last 4 years running and they are genuinely struggling to fill places with quality applicants. It is still (a bit) competitive, but a damn site less so then a lot of other degrees!


edit:
As for the lad being turned down for jobs despite having a Biology degree...that is purely because the companies know he has no intentions of staying with them. They know they will train him up, give him some experience...only for him to move on as soon as the job market improves & his degree comes back in vogue. Simple as that, a degree is counter productive in low pay/unskilled jobs.

[j.o.s.h.1408]

Yes lots of software developers are from india and china

[jim]

edit:
As for the lad being turned down for jobs despite having a Biology degree...that is purely because the companies know he has no intentions of staying with them. They know they will train him up, give him some experience...only for him to move on as soon as the job market improves & his degree comes back in vogue. Simple as that, a degree is counter productive in low pay/unskilled jobs.

True. But from his point of view, he has got himself £20k plus of debt, and all he's achieved is a tag that says "Don't employ me".

[Andeh13]

True. But from his point of view, he has got himself £20k plus of debt, and all he's achieved is a tag that says "Don't employ me".

I have all the sympathy in the world for him, I know a lot of people in a very similar position!

[Konan555]

True. But from his point of view, he has got himself £20k plus of debt, and all he's achieved is a tag that says "Don't employ me".

£20K? Can you rack that up from just the student loan now?

I think mine's around £12K and it was the full loan amount. Never had to pay any back, mind. Bless Norfolk wages

[jim]

£20K? Can you rack that up from just the student loan now?

I think mine's around £12K and it was the full loan amount. Never had to pay any back, mind. Bless Norfolk wages

Indeed. Standard, non-means tested loan is £7k per annum.

EDIT: That's pre-Tory anyway, will be rising to about £12,500 p.a. now.

[finlay666]

£20K? Can you rack that up from just the student loan now?

I think mine's around £12K and it was the full loan amount. Never had to pay any back, mind. Bless Norfolk wages

Very easily

Base maintenance loan could (old system) be up to £10k or so excluding interest
on top of that fee loan which is paid back at the same time can be £9k+

Interest charged from day 1 = lots of (not so bad) debt

I don't see how that debt is such a bad thing, it's not like they reclaim your home if you can't pay it back as it's deducted through PAYE in most cases, you would just never pay it off

For the person that still hasnt gotten a job, have they looked at teaching? IIRC they used to help pay off your loan for doing it

[Biscuit]

mine was getting on for (if not over) £20k when i finished. Its funny, when your trying to get your loan to you know, LIVE OFF they are a nightmare and are constantly late with payouts. Once you graduate they dont miss a heatbeat and are straight on your back.

[jim]

Sorry to derail the thread so much, Jackvdbuk! Hope you get something, but don't beat yourself up if you can't... don't think anyone without much experience is finding it too easy right now.

[jackvdbuk]

hi donna, thanks for bumping my year old thread even though you are based in LA youll be glad to know im no longer associated with JSA and have a job in IT. but thanks for the "not trying hard enough" comment.

mods - please close if needs be