No such thing as a well-paid career for a biology graduate?

Someone told me that biology a biology graduate is the least employable graduate there is, and unless you're willing to go into teaching or research there aren't that many job oppurtunities out there. I was also told that the sort of jobs biology graduates do get are poorly paid esp. those in research. Can anyone dispell any of these myths for me? At the moment i am really keen to apply for biology at university, but i want to be sure that there will be a career at the end of it, and preferably one which, over time, i can climb to the top of. Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me.

Reply 1

Mr_Deeds

I don't think that biology is related to any particular career other than teaching and research of which you have already mentioned. Of course there are many other degrees that may be worth considering that have a biology content and greater employment prospects, biosciences in general are definitely worth consideration, this includes biochemistry and biomedical sciences for example.

Reply 2

mortderire

well once i read in the newspaper, sum guy got a biology degree and then became a plumber earning more than £60k a year... altho i dnt think he gt his skills from the bio degree

Reply 3

nikk

There are thousands of jobs in industry and healthcare, as per any science graduate. There is also teaching, research, and lectureships as previously mentioned. As well as all these, you are also obviously eligible for the graduate-entry pool of jobs.

Reply 4

Lofty

Generally speaking you would do that sort of thing because you enjoy it? And want to do more research. Thats what i'm planning on anyway :p:

Reply 5

Roll-The-Dice-And-Win

I took some biology modules as part of my 'Computational and Mathematical Biology' undergrad degree. Most of the graduates are actually seeking a career in a non-biological field. Some are starting there own business, some are working at Marks & Spencer. Biology degree is useful if you for example intending to do further research and follow it up with a PhD. But you could always use your biology degree as a stepping stone by doing a different masters.

Reply 6

rosy123

Lofty

Generally speaking you would do that sort of thing because you enjoy it? :

yeh, of course i find biology really interesting and enjoy it, but i just want to know that i won't be struggling with my finances after uni in my first job (money management has never really been my thing :p:

) or worse unemployed for ages, altho i would probably quite like to do a phd and research does sound interesting.

Reply 7

NViasko

You don't HAVE to go into a Sciency profession if you don't want to. You could use the transferable skills you have acquired to gain entry to another profession.

Reply 8

nikk

Yes, a science degree will give you access to the usual pool of graduate jobs which most BA type degrees give you, but also with the bonus of the scientific jobs and research.

Reply 9

shinyhappy

Surely it depends on the university. For example nearly any degree from Oxbridge, or the top London Unis, or Edinburgh or Bristol etc, is going to give you fairly good job prospects?

Reply 10

Cirsium

I can't understand why anybody would want to take such an applied subject if they didn't love it? And if they loved it then why they wouldn't want to continue researching it?

Reply 11

Lofty

^^^ Exactly Bekaboo. Something that really interests me is the Natural and 'Manmade' methods of coral propagation, so if i get a degree in Marine Biology, it would put me in good stead for researching it!

Reply 12

redserene

Same. Except I don't want to spend my whole life in lab-based research, and I'm going into Biology knowing that I'm not ever going to earn much money :wink:

That said, mussy123 has a good point. Many biology graduates do go on to open businesses, biology-related or not. Someone I know is working in a small life science entrepreneurial company that prepares and sells kits for schools. And imo it's a degree that gives you quite alot of flexibility, like you can choose to concentrate on something (like marine biology) or to do something more general.