Science and Research Careers and Jobs

There are loads of career opportunities for young people with an interest in science and research, so let’s investigate some of the jobs in this massive sector.

Science is a huge subject which includes hundreds of different areas, so let’s break it down into its three main disciplines: the natural sciences, the social sciences and the formal sciences – then you can look at the major areas of employment and the sort of work you could consider doing in these fields, from entry level up to postgraduate level and beyond…

Natural sciences

Subjects under this heading deal with the methodical observation and analysis of all things natural, like biology (human, animal and plant), chemistry, physics, the earth and space. The areas of employment you could look at going into if you study any of these subjects, from entry level up to degree level include: medicine, nursing, horticulture, botany, zoology, pharmacology, chemical engineering, forensic science or geology for example. Also in this category are jobs in the power and energy industries, the environmental sector and in agriculture and the aerospace industry.

Social sciences

Social sciences are the study of human nature and behaviour and the way people and societies function. Some of the subjects which come under this heading are: social anthropology, psychology, archaeology, human geography, political science, economics and cultural and ethnic studies. Areas of employment which you could consider going into and which are directly related to the social sciences include: charity work, international aid and development, market research, advertising and PR, social work, human resources, recruitment, museum curation and local government.

Formal sciences

The formal sciences are all those which relate to maths and include subjects like applied maths, pure maths, computer science, logistics, statistics and systems. If these subjects appeal to you, you could consider a career in one of the following sectors: telecoms, construction, banking and finance, accountancy, data analysis or research and development.