Careers in science
Options for science graduates seem limitless (see job roles below) and so the skills required vary immensely. But your scientific training will hold you in good stead whatever your choice of work, and opportunities to travel are plentiful.

Jobs in the scientific field
Medical scientists
Medical scientists can work in analysis, testing and investigation jobs usually in hospitals, academic environments and private, public and industrial laboratories. In clinical hospitals, medical scientists investigate, diagnose and monitor treatment of the causes of infection by studying samples. Clinical scientists (genetics graduates) analyse and detect genetic diseases and abnormalities.

Biosciences
A specialism growing in demand is bioinformatics, which uses maths, computation and IT skills to analyse biological, biochemical and biophysical data in fields of study such as the human-genome mapping project. A postgraduate qualification is essential. A related field, biotechnology, is concerned with understanding and manipulating the structure and function of DNA. It can be applied to a diverse range of business areas, such as drug development, food processing and production, agriculture and the environment.

Research and development (R&D)
Opportunities are open to virtually all science graduates and exist in academic and industrial fields. A career in R&D usually requires postgraduate study but mobility between academia and industry is high. There is also an ever-increasing degree of collaboration between industry and academia, and multidiscipline team working is normal.

Electronics and microelectronics
A range of career opportunities is available for science graduates who have specialised in physics and mathematics. Physics graduates are employed in management and research roles in telecommunications, optical-fibre communications, internet technologies, nanotechnology, the software industry and precision engineering for sectors such as medical and health physics. Postgraduate degrees are often essential.

Environment
Concerns are becoming high on the political agenda, there are widening opportunities for science graduates to look at issues such as climatic change, carbon dioxide emissions, renewable energy, water pollution and genetically modified food. Relevant disciplines include environmental science, the geosciences and biological/chemical sciences.

Processing and production
A huge area of employment for science graduates as there are opportunities in a wide range of industries. The work involves the management of basic raw materials and processes to produce a final product which includes everything from research and development to finance. Some graduate schemes are available.

There are also broader opportunities that use scientific skills, such as work in the patents office (obtaining, protecting and granting legal monopolies on products and processes), in technical writing and scientific publishing and in technical sales and marketing.