During your biotechnology degree you gain a wide variety of course-specific knowledge as well as a range of transferable skills. Biotechnology courses equip you with a mixture of skills ranging from technical to interpersonal including: - research skills;
- information handling, analysing and evaluating skills;
- ability to work methodically, efficiently and accurately;
- good decision-making and problem-solving skills;
- adaptability and experience in working within a team;
- highly developed IT skills;
- ability to create concise and detailed written reports and presentations;
- laboratory experience covering good lab practice and health and safety.
As well as covering course content it is also important to incorporate other aspects of the degree in any job application, so include projects, presentations, research topics, group work, case studies and employer visits. The skills, knowledge and experience gained from your course will be a key component in the application process but it is important to include work experience, placements, voluntary work and any extracurricular activities that you may be involved in. This will add weight to your application and show that you can work well within a team and have good social skills. Having work experience within the science-related field will help to enhance your application. This type of experience will provide an opportunity to develop both technical and interpersonal skills in a work-based environment. Other work experience, part-time or voluntary, will also be very useful as it shows that you are motivated, hard-working and reliable. Consider the skills developed on your course as well as through your other activities, such as paid work, volunteering, family responsibilities, sport, membership of societies, leadership roles, etc. Think about how these can be used as evidence of your skills and personal attributes. Then you can start to market and sell who you really are, identify what you may be lacking and consider how to improve your profile. Take a look at applications, CVs and interviews for some useful tips.
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