Exploring your transferable skills

Molecular bioscience graduates can be found almost everywhere, from the lab to in law, and from microbiology to media.

With a molecular biosciences degree, you can count yourself amongst some of the most employable graduates, with a wide range of skills under your belt that need not limit you to working in science in the future. However, you must effectively demonstrate these skills to employers in relation to the specific job you apply for. You can use every part of your CV to further sell yourself as the perfect applicant for the job.

Analysing and developing your transferable skills

Problem solving

Essential for any scientist and for careers both scientific and non-scientific, the ability to look at a problem from many angles and find an optimal solution is highly valued by employers in any field. Biosciences degrees provide a large amount of problem solving experience from having to adapt and modify an experimental protocol to the results of lab and practical work.

Interpersonal, teamwork and leadership skills

Independence, managing others, responsibility. Useful in any profession where you work with a team, your previous experiences working in a lab, giving group presentations and mentoring other students place you in the perfect position to tackle any career which requires you to work as part of a team and independently.

Intellectual skills

Skills such as research skills and analytical techniques: Interpreting lab data, examining reports and understanding statistics gives you key analytical experience when compared with other graduates applying for similar jobs.

Organisation, planning, and time management

Working to tight lab deadlines with fragile reactants gives you an above-average sense of timing compared to other graduates. Being able to plan and organise your time, essential in those hectic lab situations during your degree, shows employers that you are cool-headed and an efficient worker.

Creativity

Creativity can be nurtured by previous work experience, presentation skills and even personal interests. From practical work and presentations carried out during your degree, employers know that you have the mental tools to find novel solutions to many problems, and to adapt with ease.

Technical skills and computer literacy

Data handling and technical knowledge gained from using a variety of biochemistry-related and generic computer programmes.

Communication skills

Required by almost all employers, your previous experience in writing reports, giving oral presentations and listening to complex instructions and lectures provides you with the communication skills essential for many professions.

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