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Asked by to Daren, Lynne, Phillip, Simon on 17 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
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anon answered on 17 Jun 2014:
If you know somebody who has a job in anything to do with science, that would be a good place to start. My next door neighbour worked in a company making steel for pipes and pumps and I did a week of work experience with him. It was nothing like the science I’ve ever done before and it was really interesting to see science that I’d learnt in school being applied to the real world.
When you’re in sixth form or college you can apply for a Nuffield research placement http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/nuffield-research-placements. Some of my friends at school did these and they really enjoyed it. You get to work in a lab with real scientists doing your own project for a few weeks over the summer.
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Lynne Thomas answered on 17 Jun 2014:
I’d reiterate what Jenny has said, the easiest way to find work experience in science is to make use of someone you already know. You can email companies you are interested in directly but there is an increased chance of you being successful if you already know someone who works there.
The Nuffield placements are really good and I’ve had a few students work in my research group through this. Sometimes it gives you a real insight into whether you will like that science subject beyond school. You can also get involved in CREST awards and these can look good on your University applications http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/crest-awardsWhen you are looking at University courses, it is a good idea to look for a course which does and Industrial Placement or Sandwich Placement. This is where you go out for a year during your degree to work in a company. A lot of the big science companies like to do this and people often get jobs with the same company after they leave University. It also lets you know if you won’t like a particular job too which can be handy before you start applying for jobs properly! I did an Industrial Placement at the ISIS neutron facility and it was that year that led to me following a path into this area of science. They pay you too!
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Daren Fearon answered on 17 Jun 2014:
If you know someone who is a scientists (or maybe your parents might) then they’d be a good person to ask. Southampton University and the Institute of Cancer Research in London have both had students come in and do a few days of work experience while I have been working there, I imagine most other universities do similar things so it depends what is close to you. If you don’t know anyone who is a scientist and know specifically what kind of science you are interested in you could always e-mail a local university and ask if they’d be happy for you to gain some experience. Most scientists are always happy to have bright enthusiastic people around who are interested in their work.
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Phillip Manning answered on 17 Jun 2014:
This all depends on what kind of scientist you might what to become. It is good to talk with your school careers office, as they can help point you in the right direction…they also often have lists of places or grants that you might apply for to undertake such work. Good luck!
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