Biochemistry : Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree

• Clinical biochemist - Clinical biochemists analyse and interpret data related to patient samples. This assists with the investigation, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. They advise clinicians and GPs on the use of tests, the diagnosis of disease, and planning and progress of treatment.
• Biomedical scientist - Following basic training, most biomedical scientists specialise in one aspect of medical laboratory science. The main areas are: medical microbiology; clinical chemistry; transfusion science; haematology; histopathology; cytology; immunology; and virology.
• Forensic scientist - Forensic scientists are primarily concerned with examining contact trace material associated with crimes. This follows the principle that 'every contact leaves a trace', which will offer potential evidence to link a suspect with the scene of the crime, the victim or the weapon. Although there are degrees in forensic science, biochemists with the appropriate skills are also considered for forensic science posts.
• Research scientist (life sciences) - Research scientists work in universities, institutes, industry (large and small companies), hospitals and government organisations. They are employed to carry out research in the laboratory, so technical skills are important. As they progress they take on more and managerial roles where additional personal skills become more important.
• Clinical research associate - Graduates without previous experience are more likely to enter the field at a lower level, e.g. as a clinical data co-ordinator or clinical trials administrator. Experience in this type of work will generally qualify you to move on to a full clinical research associate (CRA) position.
• Higher education lecturer - Higher education (HE) lecturers carry out research and teach students in universities and some colleges of further education (FE). You would need to undertake a PhD and then conduct research for at least three to five years before you would be able to progress to this level.
• Toxicologist - Toxicologists plan and carry out laboratory and field studies to identify, monitor and evaluate the impact of toxic materials and radiation on human and animal health, and on the health and current status of the environment, as well as the impact of future technology.

Jobs where your degree would be useful

• Health and safety inspector - Health and safety inspectors work to protect people's health and safety by making sure risks in the workplace are properly controlled. Postgraduate qualifications and experience are needed to get into this profession.
• Patent examiner - A patent examiner studies applications for patents to ensure they do not infringe the rights of inventors. The job requires good technical understanding, accuracy and the ability to work under the pressure of deadlines.
• Science writer - Writers need to be able to understand and communicate complex scientific information, theories and practices in a clear, concise language that can be understood by people who may be not experts in these fields, while also maintaining accuracy.
• Chartered accountant - Chartered accountants provide trustworthy information about financial records. Many employers in the financial sector are interested in scientists who are numerate with well-developed personal skills. This includes chartered accountancy as well as many other jobs in the financial sector.

Other options

As the statistics show that many biochemists want to forge a career in the biosciences, you should to try to gain practical and technical experience during your degree course as this will equip you well for a research or technical position. Your final year research project and other associated practical work will definitely help towards this and if you can secure a vacation job in a laboratory, it will definitely go in your favour when you approach employers. Whatever your career plans (or even if you don’t have any as yet), it is important to enhance your degree with extra skills and experiences which show that you are a proactive person engaging with the world around you.

Although some of the jobs listed here might not be first jobs for many graduates, they are among the many realistic possibilities with your degree, provided you can demonstrate you have the attributes employers are looking for. Bear in mind that it’s not just your degree discipline that determines your options. Remember that many graduate vacancies don't specify particular degree disciplines, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here. Look at your degree... what next? for informed advice on career planning and graduate employment, or login/register with My Prospects to find out what jobs would suit you, a helpful starting point for self-analysis.

Explore types of jobs to find out more about the above options and related jobs.