Graduated with a 1st class Biomedical degree but still unemployed
So I graduated with a first class degree in biomedical science and I know that a degree is pretty much meaningless nowadays without experience which is clearly showing as I have just been getting job rejections left right and centre.... I initially wanted to apply to work in the NHS as a Biomedical Scientist as my degree is IBMS accredited but as I missed out on my placement year due to covid, it's extremely difficult to get experience in a laboratory setting. Most Band 2 MLA jobs require experience which I don't have. I have been applying for entry level laboratory technician jobs at various different companies to gain some lab experience but I'm still not getting anywhere. I got to an interview stage for one position but messed up really bad on a few questions and let my nerves get to me and now I just feel really hopeless. So now I was thinking of doing a masters in physician associate as the whole reason I wanted to do this degree was because I initially wanted do graduate entry medicine before realising that it was insanely competitive. But for PA you need care experience which again I don't have and I have been rejected from jobs that involve care work. So I'm really lost and idk what to do anymore. I feel like I have to resort to general supermarket/ warehouse/retail jobs which don't relate to my degree which makes me feel extremely depressed because it feels like 3 years of hardwork during a covid pandemic has gone to complete waste because I couldn't get any experience during uni...And I feel like I'm running out of time to decide what I even want out of life anymore....
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Try getting some experience first. Even if it voluntary experience or shadowing is valuable. I remember I was unemployed for a year after graduating from my BSc in Biomedical Science.
Please say your degree is IBMS accredited, if not, you will have issues becoming a Biomedical Scientist as you need a HCPC certificate to become one and in order to get the HCPC, you need an IBMS accredited degree to do the IBMS portfolio.
If you need a more broad answer, I’m happy to explain.
Right now I’ve been working in the NHS for last year and a half and just started my IBMS portfolio. So, I don’t know that much about it yet I’ll admit.
But don’t go straight into a PA or MSc just yet, it is much easier but with experience, it is much easier to relate the knowledge to the experience and experience is much more valuable, especially in a clinical setting.
Please say your degree is IBMS accredited, if not, you will have issues becoming a Biomedical Scientist as you need a HCPC certificate to become one and in order to get the HCPC, you need an IBMS accredited degree to do the IBMS portfolio.
If you need a more broad answer, I’m happy to explain.
Right now I’ve been working in the NHS for last year and a half and just started my IBMS portfolio. So, I don’t know that much about it yet I’ll admit.
But don’t go straight into a PA or MSc just yet, it is much easier but with experience, it is much easier to relate the knowledge to the experience and experience is much more valuable, especially in a clinical setting.
Original post by SongBird2020
But for PA you need care experience which again I don't have and I have been rejected from jobs that involve care work. So I'm really lost and idk what to do anymore.
If it's anything like medicine, I don't think you need care "work" as in paid employment. You just need work experience/volunteering in a care/medical role. Think hospital work experience or care home volunteering. I looked up QMUL MSc PA and that's what they ask for.
Original post by Scienceisgood
Try getting some experience first. Even if it voluntary experience or shadowing is valuable. I remember I was unemployed for a year after graduating from my BSc in Biomedical Science.
Please say your degree is IBMS accredited, if not, you will have issues becoming a Biomedical Scientist as you need a HCPC certificate to become one and in order to get the HCPC, you need an IBMS accredited degree to do the IBMS portfolio.
If you need a more broad answer, I’m happy to explain.
Right now I’ve been working in the NHS for last year and a half and just started my IBMS portfolio. So, I don’t know that much about it yet I’ll admit.
But don’t go straight into a PA or MSc just yet, it is much easier but with experience, it is much easier to relate the knowledge to the experience and experience is much more valuable, especially in a clinical setting.
Please say your degree is IBMS accredited, if not, you will have issues becoming a Biomedical Scientist as you need a HCPC certificate to become one and in order to get the HCPC, you need an IBMS accredited degree to do the IBMS portfolio.
If you need a more broad answer, I’m happy to explain.
Right now I’ve been working in the NHS for last year and a half and just started my IBMS portfolio. So, I don’t know that much about it yet I’ll admit.
But don’t go straight into a PA or MSc just yet, it is much easier but with experience, it is much easier to relate the knowledge to the experience and experience is much more valuable, especially in a clinical setting.
Hi, how would I go about getting some voluntary experience or shadowing? I have tried to contact labs around my area and they don't take anyone for voluntary work. May I ask, did you do a placement year during your degree? If not, then what did you apply for first after graduating?
Original post by utilitymaker
If it's anything like medicine, I don't think you need care "work" as in paid employment. You just need work experience/volunteering in a care/medical role. Think hospital work experience or care home volunteering. I looked up QMUL MSc PA and that's what they ask for.
I don't even have any of that though. The only way I would get care experience is through employment.
Original post by SongBird2020
I don't even have any of that though. The only way I would get care experience is through employment.
When I applied for medical school I emailed/called up everywhere I could find. I also searched online for clinical work experience and volunteering roles. Ended up with 2 weeks at an Orthopaedic hospital, some months of volunteering at a dementia care home + some other minor stuff. Ideally you should have looked for this stuff in your final year of uni - which I understand would be difficult because of covid.
If you're in a medium/large city, it shouldn't be hard to find. I don't know if you have enough time for 2023 entry though, since applications for next year open soon.
Original post by SongBird2020
Hi, how would I go about getting some voluntary experience or shadowing? I have tried to contact labs around my area and they don't take anyone for voluntary work. May I ask, did you do a placement year during your degree? If not, then what did you apply for first after graduating?
I'll admit, I somewhat got lucky as I graduated in 2018 (albeit only with a 2.2), just before the plague hit in 2019. Immediately after graduating, I went onto a PGCE course (Science Secondary School training course) and spent a year and a bit before deciding it wasn't for me before leaving in December 2019.
Anyway, as I'm sure you're aware, the world shut down in early 2020 (got offered the job in December 2020), essentially meaning EVERYONE who had a job was holding onto it for dear life and no one was hiring. So, it took me around a year to find a new job (managed to get a job in the mass COVID testing labs as an MLA). After working there for a bit (3 months), I was promoted to a Associate Practitioner, however, the lab wasn't HCPC certified meaning whilst my degree was accredited, I couldn't obtain it as the lab couldn't give it to me and it isn't something you can obtain at uni, only in a professional environment and not many hospitals offer it. However, when the lab opened up again, they offered us our IBMS portfolios and further training at other sites in the BSPS network meaning I'm not able to obtain and am currently working towards my IBMS portfolio.
So, in short, this is what's required in a list;
1. A Biomedical Science or similar degree (which you have, classification is not relevant) which is IBMS accredited
2. With the IBMS accredited degree, this makes you a more sought after candidate than those who are not accredited as you fulfil the criteria for membership of the Institute of Biomedical Science.
3. Once you have membership and IF your hospital is HCPC certified, you can then request if they have the time and funding, to train you in your IBMS portfolio (from what I've been told, it can be done in 4-5 months). However, some hospitals will already have people in training, meaning if they say yes, you'll be put at the back of the queue.
4. Once you have completed your IBMS portfolio, you can apply for HCPC membership.
The reason why the HCPC membership is so important it's a LEGAL REQUIREMENT to have it to hold the title "Biomedical Scientist" and essentially, if you want any job Band 5+ in the NHS, you pretty much need to have it or they will simply ignore your application.
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by SongBird2020
Hi, how would I go about getting some voluntary experience or shadowing? I have tried to contact labs around my area and they don't take anyone for voluntary work. May I ask, did you do a placement year during your degree? If not, then what did you apply for first after graduating?
Back to your original question, with regards to the job experience, see what you can find and apply for literally any and all jobs as it's all that you can do. Maybe polish it up a bit and ALWAYS read the job spec then use your experience (uni experience counts) towards the job application itself.
Also, use what you learned from your interview to your advantage. I've been to around 4 trainee BMS interviews before and was turned down for every single one, 3 for me not knowing stuff.
In my first interview I was questioned about the "IBMS code of conduct", didn't have a clue at the time what it was!
In my second interview, I was questioned about some graphs I'd never seen before and asked what they were, didn't know and simply guessed. Was then told their significance afterwards being Levy Jennings graphs.
Third interview I pretty much nailed it but was described as "too technical" and didn't get offered the position... didn't think that would happen!
Yeah, I know the whole "apply for every job you see" is kinda generic advice but, tbh, it's all you can do and learn from experience, failure isn't failure, it's learning another way on how to not do something. =)
Original post by Scienceisgood
Back to your original question, with regards to the job experience, see what you can find and apply for literally any and all jobs as it's all that you can do. Maybe polish it up a bit and ALWAYS read the job spec then use your experience (uni experience counts) towards the job application itself.
Also, use what you learned from your interview to your advantage. I've been to around 4 trainee BMS interviews before and was turned down for every single one, 3 for me not knowing stuff.
In my first interview I was questioned about the "IBMS code of conduct", didn't have a clue at the time what it was!
In my second interview, I was questioned about some graphs I'd never seen before and asked what they were, didn't know and simply guessed. Was then told their significance afterwards being Levy Jennings graphs.
Third interview I pretty much nailed it but was described as "too technical" and didn't get offered the position... didn't think that would happen!
Yeah, I know the whole "apply for every job you see" is kinda generic advice but, tbh, it's all you can do and learn from experience, failure isn't failure, it's learning another way on how to not do something. =)
Also, use what you learned from your interview to your advantage. I've been to around 4 trainee BMS interviews before and was turned down for every single one, 3 for me not knowing stuff.
In my first interview I was questioned about the "IBMS code of conduct", didn't have a clue at the time what it was!
In my second interview, I was questioned about some graphs I'd never seen before and asked what they were, didn't know and simply guessed. Was then told their significance afterwards being Levy Jennings graphs.
Third interview I pretty much nailed it but was described as "too technical" and didn't get offered the position... didn't think that would happen!
Yeah, I know the whole "apply for every job you see" is kinda generic advice but, tbh, it's all you can do and learn from experience, failure isn't failure, it's learning another way on how to not do something. =)
Thank you for that extremely useful advice, I guess I'll just have to carry on applying to whatever I can find, deal with rejections and carry on...
Original post by SongBird2020
Thank you for that extremely useful advice, I guess I'll just have to carry on applying to whatever I can find, deal with rejections and carry on...
Before I forget, if you want to do your IBMS portfolio and be a BMS or some form of clinical scientist, if your degree isn't IBMS accredited, you'll have to do top up modules in order to get it accredited (basically do a module or however many you need to do) at an accredited university. This can cost anywhere from £600-£800 a module.
Sorry if this applies to you but I would rather you find out now and plan accordingly than find out further down the line like I did about the IBMS portfolio. I just got lucky that my degree was accredited and can jump straight in rather than doing the top up modules.
EDIT:
Just to provide an example, I went to the University of West England, Bristol to study my degree (Link to their BMS page: https://courses.uwe.ac.uk/C980/biomedical-science) and if you notice, it has this small logo on it which is very valuable for the course, if you can find a uni offering professional accreditation as well (these are almost unheard of, wish I'd known before starting and these are typically done through placement...) even better.
Personally I got EXTREMELY lucky when applying to UWE as I got onto the BMS course through the Foundation route and took the first uni which would accept me, meaning, yep, you guessed it, I completely failed my A levels (my best grade was a D) after going through clearing and phoned UWE as it was the first google search I found.
So, if you wish to do top up modules to get your degree accredited, do it now before inflation hits (if you can afford it) and uni fees soar again.
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by Scienceisgood
Before I forget, if you want to do your IBMS portfolio and be a BMS or some form of clinical scientist, if your degree isn't IBMS accredited, you'll have to do top up modules in order to get it accredited (basically do a module or however many you need to do) at an accredited university. This can cost anywhere from £600-£800 a module.
Sorry if this applies to you but I would rather you find out now and plan accordingly than find out further down the line like I did about the IBMS portfolio. I just got lucky that my degree was accredited and can jump straight in rather than doing the top up modules.
EDIT:
Just to provide an example, I went to the University of West England, Bristol to study my degree (Link to their BMS page: https://courses.uwe.ac.uk/C980/biomedical-science) and if you notice, it has this small logo on it which is very valuable for the course, if you can find a uni offering professional accreditation as well (these are almost unheard of, wish I'd known before starting and these are typically done through placement...) even better.
Personally I got EXTREMELY lucky when applying to UWE as I got onto the BMS course through the Foundation route and took the first uni which would accept me, meaning, yep, you guessed it, I completely failed my A levels (my best grade was a D) after going through clearing and phoned UWE as it was the first google search I found.
So, if you wish to do top up modules to get your degree accredited, do it now before inflation hits (if you can afford it) and uni fees soar again.
Sorry if this applies to you but I would rather you find out now and plan accordingly than find out further down the line like I did about the IBMS portfolio. I just got lucky that my degree was accredited and can jump straight in rather than doing the top up modules.
EDIT:
Just to provide an example, I went to the University of West England, Bristol to study my degree (Link to their BMS page: https://courses.uwe.ac.uk/C980/biomedical-science) and if you notice, it has this small logo on it which is very valuable for the course, if you can find a uni offering professional accreditation as well (these are almost unheard of, wish I'd known before starting and these are typically done through placement...) even better.
Personally I got EXTREMELY lucky when applying to UWE as I got onto the BMS course through the Foundation route and took the first uni which would accept me, meaning, yep, you guessed it, I completely failed my A levels (my best grade was a D) after going through clearing and phoned UWE as it was the first google search I found.
So, if you wish to do top up modules to get your degree accredited, do it now before inflation hits (if you can afford it) and uni fees soar again.
Yeah I understand that thanks, my degree is IBMS accredited so that's not a problem for me. It's just I can't find any labs which will take me in for some experience just so I can see if I would actually enjoy lab work or not. And now I feel like it's too late because I'm a graduate and competition is more fierce compared to students.
Original post by SongBird2020
Yeah I understand that thanks, my degree is IBMS accredited so that's not a problem for me. It's just I can't find any labs which will take me in for some experience just so I can see if I would actually enjoy lab work or not. And now I feel like it's too late because I'm a graduate and competition is more fierce compared to students.
It’s not necessarily too late, so don’t think it won’t happen but it will take time.
Just don’t go shooting for high end jobs, otherwise you’ll get loads of rejections, yes right now the NHS is prioritising experience but I don’t know where you live, if in a high density area, the competition will be more difficult.
So, it may be worth factoring into account some long distance travel if it’s in your budget (where I work takes about an hour to get to via bus but costs £194 for a 3 month travel card) and when you get a NHS job, opt for a Blue Light Card as it can save you some money, especially in travel as National Express offers an £18 anywhere to anywhere return which in a lot of cases, is much cheaper than trains because say I was to get a train from my local station to Bristol, it would cost around £40, even with rail discount cards.
Keep going, you can get it!
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by Beecar98
Just for reference, you don’t need experience in the NHS for a Band 2 MLA job. Yes, they will more than likely prioritise those that have it, but it is not a requirement, so honestly you just have to keep putting in applications. Good luck!
Most of the posts say that they do require experience as essential criteria. I'm just not sure if University lab experience counts or not but then again most graduates would already have that.
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by SongBird2020
Most of the posts say that they do require experience as essential criteria. I'm just not sure if University lab experience counts or not but then again most graduates would already have that.
I don’t know where you’re looking. I’ve looked at 10 Band 2 MLA job postings. All have said laboratory/NHS experience is desirable, not essential.
Original post by Beecar98
I don’t know where you’re looking. I’ve looked at 10 Band 2 MLA job postings. All have said laboratory/NHS experience is desirable, not essential.
The ones around my area (Manchester) usually ask for experience. For example in this band 2 MLA posting the first question they ask you in the application form is whether you have healthcare/patient experience. If you answer no then your application can't be progressed any further.
https://mft.nhs.uk/careers/search-apply/#!/job/UK/Manchester/Manchester/Manchester_University_NHS_Foundation_Trust/Histopathology/Histopathology-v4508428?ref=Indeed&
Original post by SongBird2020
The ones around my area (Manchester) usually ask for experience. For example in this band 2 MLA posting the first question they ask you in the application form is whether you have healthcare/patient experience. If you answer no then your application can't be progressed any further.
https://mft.nhs.uk/careers/search-apply/#!/job/UK/Manchester/Manchester/Manchester_University_NHS_Foundation_Trust/Histopathology/Histopathology-v4508428?ref=Indeed&
https://mft.nhs.uk/careers/search-apply/#!/job/UK/Manchester/Manchester/Manchester_University_NHS_Foundation_Trust/Histopathology/Histopathology-v4508428?ref=Indeed&
Hmm. That is interesting. However that does seem to be the exception, as I clicked to apply on a number of them and none of them asked that. If you were interested in that specific one though, it’s worth emailing them to ask if they’ll consider you and explain that that question prevents you from progressing.
Not entirely the same, but when I was applying for my Band 5 jobs I had a question like that (was about HCPC registration which hadn’t come through at the point) and I emailed them and they said it was fine for me to say yes to the question and they would still consider me.
Just a thought if you were really interested in it
In the same position as you, but my degree isn't accredited and I managed to get an MLA role however was not given the opportunity to do portfolio. I recently left due to health reasons and now my parents are encouraging to do masters, even though my heart isn't fully into it. I applied to other jobs but keep getting rejected so I understand the struggle and was considering PA as well. as of now I've applied for a masters and if its not for men then will leave and keep looking for jobs I guess.
Original post by ameenatariq
In the same position as you, but my degree isn't accredited and I managed to get an MLA role however was not given the opportunity to do portfolio. I recently left due to health reasons and now my parents are encouraging to do masters, even though my heart isn't fully into it. I applied to other jobs but keep getting rejected so I understand the struggle and was considering PA as well. as of now I've applied for a masters and if its not for men then will leave and keep looking for jobs I guess.
Honestly I just feel lost in life and idk what I'm doing anymore. I feel like I'm just existing with no true purpose on what I want to do. May I ask how did you get the band 2 MLA job? I've been applying for several and I keep getting rejected no matter how hard I try. Do you have any tips or advice for me? Thanks
Original post by SongBird2020
Honestly I just feel lost in life and idk what I'm doing anymore. I feel like I'm just existing with no true purpose on what I want to do. May I ask how did you get the band 2 MLA job? I've been applying for several and I keep getting rejected no matter how hard I try. Do you have any tips or advice for me? Thanks
same i feel so so so lost in life and i have so much pressure from my parents. i’ve had several breakdowns over this because i’ve never had an aim in life. honestly it was by luck and my friend got me in, but the job made me miserable and the pay was so ****. i’ve applied to several other MLA jobs but didn’t get them even with experience. i regret doing my degree honestly.
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