Careers Service Occupations

Life Science

Life Science

About

There are nearly 5,000 life sciences companies in the UK, employing an estimated 175,000 people.

The UK is a leading life sciences producer and exporter, with many world-class companies specialising in research and development and biotech products. Much of the research is healthcare-related, such as developing new treatments to extend life expectancy.

In the North East, life sciences is a key sector, with more than 140,000 people working in biotechnology, healthcare and life science companies, and the NHS. The region’s dominance in the biotechnology sector is particularly significant, with the number of biotech companies doubling in three years.

Careers advice

Industry news

New Scientist and The Lancet are leading publications for life/medical sciences.

The Nature Publishing Group is also a good source of news. 

PMLiVE provides pharmaceutical industry news. 

Laboratory News covers a range of sectors including biotech, pharmaceutical news.

Professional bodies

These represent people working in the sector, providing training and networking opportunities. They often provide careers support for students and graduates.

They also provide development for people already working in the sector. Follow them and sector skills bodies on LinkedIn, or visit their websites for news, contacts, work experience and vacancies. 

Research councils

Sector skills councils/industry associations

Find professional bodies outside the UK on GoinGlobal by selecting ‘Professional and Personal Networking’ on each of the individual country guides.

Making contacts

Talking to people working in the sector can give you an insight into roles and can be useful for networking and making speculative applications.

You could start with: 

Social media, particularly LinkedIn and Twitter, can also be useful for making contacts, finding employers and opportunities. Find out more about how to use social media for your career and subscribe to our Science Twitter list. 

Events

Recruitment fairs, open-days, talks and events give insight and opportunities to make contacts. Regular events for this sector include Employer & Sector Insights and Recruitment Events.

The Royal Society of Biology run an annual Bioscience Careers Day, usually in October/November, with talks from experts working in a range of careers and a chance to meet with bioscience professionals and other students from across the UK. 

Nature, international journal of science, organises an annual Careers Live event in October aimed at science graduates and researchers. It's free to attend and features exhibitors from academic, life and clinical science organisations, plus talks and workshops. 

Related sectors 

You may also be interested in Healthcare or Science careers outside the lab.

Or see Explore Occupations for more options.

Roles & Skills

There are lots of opportunities open to you with a degree in life sciences. These range from academic research and healthcare science, to research and development and product development.

A postgraduate qualification is not essential for some roles, though a Master’s in a clinical or medical subject can be useful. However, for other roles, such as in academic research, you may need either a research Master’s or PhD.

The following job profiles include descriptions of typical duties and entry requirements. 

Life science

Research scientist (life sciences)

Research Scientist (medical)

Microbiologist

Biotechnologist

Nanotechnologist

Scientific laboratory technician

Clinical research associate

Neuroscientist

Pharmacologist

Product/process development scientist

Teaching laboratory technician

Forensic scientist

Toxicologist

Cosmetic scientist

Healthcare & clinical science

Biomedical scientist

Clinical scientist, audiology

Clinical scientist, clinical biochemistry

Clinical scientist, clinical embryology

Clinical scientist, genomics

Clinical scientist, haematology

Clinical scientist, histocompatibility and immunogenetics

Clinical scientist, immunology

Clinical scientist, physiological sciences

Skills employers look for

Employers in this sector look for skills including:

  • good practical laboratory skills and manual dexterity
  • an analytical and investigative mind and the ability to organise and carry out research
  • the ability to prioritise tasks, meet deadlines and work with minimum supervision
  • flexibility and the ability to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams
  • strong written and oral communication skills and the ability to communicate scientific information to non-experts
  • attention to detail and a logical and methodical approach to problem-solving

In a recent analysis of the life science labour market in the North of England, companies were asked to list the employability skills they felt were lacking in science and technology applicants. Commercial awareness came top with over 30% highlighting it as a key issue, while work experience (28%), problem-solving skills (20%) and communication skills (19%) were also considered to be lacking in candidates.

The skills and qualities employers felt would be most valuable for applicants to develop in the coming years included empathy, drive, ability to see the bigger picture, communication skills, commercial awareness, work experience and IT skills (particularly in data analysis and artificial intelligence). 

Gaining Experience

Getting into life and healthcare science is extremely competitive. Work experience can be invaluable in developing relevant skills and demonstrating your commitment to recruiters.

Finding work experience

Several large employers, such as Unilever, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and P&G, offer internships and industrial placements. Applications generally open around September, with closing dates as early as October and November. For advertised opportunities, see Internships, placements & shadowing.

Smaller companies often don’t advertise opportunities. You may need to contact them with a speculative approach. Do this early, as it can be very competitive.

Several academic institutions and research institutes offer summer research projects to students. See scholarships and awards for funded research opportunities. 

Professional bodies and research councils also advertise opportunities, including clinical research, funding and studentships. See About for a list of organisations.

Internships

Specialist recruitment agencies

Recruitment agencies sometimes advertise placements and internships. They also have a wealth of industry knowledge. The following are all based in the North East:

Finding companies

Find organisations that interest you and get in touch - always with a named contact. Be specific about why you are writing to them and what you’re looking for.

Show your enthusiasm for the sector and highlight any relevant skills. Don’t give up if you don’t get a reply – follow up with a polite phone call or email to show that you’re keen.

You can also find lab-based work experience through contacting university departments. Check School noticeboards and contact science departments. They may be looking for any support staff or assistants during vacations or term time. The School of Biomedical, Nutritional and Sport Sciences at Newcastle offers development opportunities, including paid part-time lab assistant posts within research laboratories to stage 2 students. These run during term-time from October to the end of semester two. 

Hospitals sometimes offer lab-based placements. Try approaching the principal clinical scientist in your local NHS trust hospital. You may have to go through the HR department.

Other ways to gain experience

All work experience is valuable so if you can't find lab-based work experience, why not try some of these alternative ideas for gaining skills and experience:

For more advice on gaining experience in a non-lab based environment, see Science careers outside the lab.

Scholarships & Awards

A limited number of funds are available to support science students in gaining related experience. Bursaries and funding for lab-based work experience have strict and often very early deadlines.

If you’re interested in a summer research project, you’ll need to first find a potential supervisor. This is usually someone in a university or research institute.

You could start by talking to your tutor or to a member of academic staff whose research you find of interest. In most cases, the application is made by your potential supervisor and not by you.

Newcastle University Research Scholarships provide opportunities for undergraduates to gain research experience.

You can also apply to external funded schemes. Examples of these include the Harry Smith Vacation Studentship offered by The Microbiology Society. The Society also gives grants to members for specific purposes, including attending conferences. Deadlines vary depending on the type of grant applied for.

The Royal Society of Biology also lists undergraduate studentships. 

The British Neuroscience Association also lists external organisations who may be able to offer funding for undergraduate summer research placements.

Deadlines listed here were accurate at time of writing but are subject to change. Check websites for specific details and for eligibility criteria.

December deadlines

Kupcinet-Getz Program is an eight-week international science summer school in Israel for outstanding science students. Students will become part of a research group, attached to a laboratory or theoretical research project under the supervision of an experienced scientist. Accommodation and a small weekly stipend is provided.

January deadlines

John Innes Research Centre offers a funded 8 week international summer school. It provides UK and non-UK students with the unique opportunity to spend the summer on their research programme in plant, microbial and computational biology. 

February deadlines

The Physiological Society offer Research Springboard Studentships. These give undergraduates the opportunity to undertake a research project on an area of physiology over their summer break.

The Wellcome Trust offer biomedical vacation scholarships. Applicants should apply directly to one of the universities running their vacation scholarships. They also offer summer internships to undergraduates.

Amgen Scholars provides undergraduate students the opportunity to engage in a hands-on summer research experience at some of the world's leading institutions.

The Francis Crick Institute offers summer placements for life sciences students in their penultimate year of study.

The Biochemical Society provides summer vacation studentships for penultimate year undergraduates. Applications must be made by society members on your behalf.

The Society for Applied Microbiology (SfAM) offer a Student Placement Scholarship. This enables full society members to apply for fully funded studentships on behalf of students. See their website for details of additional grants and awards.

The Universities Federation for Animal Welfare offer animal welfare student scholarships. These are open to students from a range of disciplines including agricultural, biological, psychological, veterinary or zoological sciences, interested in carrying out a project in animal welfare. 

The British Pharmacological Society offer vacation studentships and a number of other study awards.

March deadlines

Undergraduate summer studentships are available from the Medical Research Council's London Institute of Medical Sciences. Students in the middle years of their undergraduate degree are eligible to apply. Successful applicants are matched with a research group to work and study in for the duration of their studentship, gaining laboratory experience and contributing to the work of the lab.

The Genetics Society gives financial support for undergraduate students interested in gaining research experience in any area of genetics.

The Society for Reproduction and Fertility offer vacation scholarships to enable particularly promising students to work during the summer vacation in university departments or research institutes. This is to work on research projects related to reproduction, fertility and lactation in humans and other animals. 

April deadlines

Financial help is available from the British Society for Cell Biology for high-calibre undergraduate students to help gain research experience in cell biology during the summer vacation. Applications must be made by your prospective supervisor.

Undergraduate student bursaries are available from the British Mycology Society to give experience of research in any branch of mycology. The application must be made by the person who will supervise the research and not by the student.

Finding Jobs

Use the following resources to find advertised vacancies and also research employers for speculative applications.

Employers in the life science sector use a wide variety of methods to recruit staff. A recent analysis of the life science labour market in the North of England found that:

  • 45% advertised their vacancies through recruitment agencies
  • 26% used university vacancy sites, such as MyCareer, to recruit graduates
  • 24% recruited from speculative applications

A further 17% of employers advertised on graduate vacancy sites, such as the ones listed below, and 7% used social media to recruit.

Several large employers, such as Unilever, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline, offer structured graduate programmes, typically lasting 1- 2 years. Applications generally open almost a year ahead, around August or September, with closing dates as early as October and November. These tend to be advertised on university or graduate job sites.

Smaller companies often don’t advertise opportunities. It’s worth contacting them with a speculative approach - see the section Finding companies below to help you get started.

For sources of vacancies in universities and research institutions, see Research in Academia. 

Professional bodies and research councils also advertise graduate opportunities, including clinical research. See About for a list of organisations.

To find opportunities outside the UK, see GoinGlobal and International Jobs.

NHS Scientist Training Programme (STP)

To work as a healthcare scientist in the NHS, you need to complete the NHS Scientist Training Programme (STP). This is a graduate-entry training programme that leads to more senior scientist roles in the NHS.

Trainee healthcare scientists are employed by NHS Trusts on a three-year programme. This includes study for an approved and accredited Master’s degree in your chosen science specialism.

Entry on to the STP is highly competitive and you will need a first or 2:1 degree, or a 2:2 with a relevant Master's or PhD. Relevant work experience is helpful, as is involvement with research projects.

You apply for the STP through the National School of Healthcare Science (NSHCS). Recruitment usually takes place in January, but check the NSHCS website regularly for details. 

Specialist recruitment agencies

Recruitment agencies often advertise graduate and entry-level positions. They also have a wealth of industry knowledge.

North East-based

(Though also advertise across the UK and overseas)

UK and overseas

Finding companies

Not all jobs are advertised. You could also approach organisations with a speculative approach or find work through networking in the industry.

Find companies that interest you and get in touch - always with a named contact. Be specific about why you are writing to them and what you’re looking for.

Show your enthusiasm for the sector and highlight any relevant skills. Don’t give up if you don’t get a reply – follow up with a phone call or email to show that you’re keen.

In the North East/North

UK Science Park Association – includes Newcastle Helix, the Wilton Centre and the National Innovation Centre for Ageing in the North East.

The North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC) has a members directory including chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. 

BioNOW lists biomedical and life science companies in the North of England in their member directory.

In the UK/overseas

Becoming HCPC Registered

How to become an HCPC registered Biomedical Scientist

To work as a biomedical scientist in the UK, you must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). For this, you need to show that you meet their standards of proficiency for biomedical scientists. You can demonstrate this through a combination of academic qualifications and clinical laboratory training. 

To become registered, your undergraduate degree must meet all the necessary academic criteria set out in the HCPC standards of education and training.

If you've completed an Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) accredited degree or HCPC approved degree in biomedical science, you meet the relevant standards to register as a biomedical scientist. 

The Biomedical Science degree at Newcastle University is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology, but not the IBMS, to allow for a broader curriculum, so you would need to apply for a degree assessment. This is done on an individual basis and the IBMS will tell you whether you need to do any additional top-up modules. It can take up to 12 weeks to get your degree assessed. The assessment fee is £309 and is non-refundable.  

You can find more detailed information about the application process and links to the application forms on the IBMS: Degree assessment for HCPC registration page. Their current guidance on applications includes information on the documents and information you would need to supply with your application.

Top-up modules    

Your assessment outcome letter will tell you if you need to complete any top up modules and which ones they are.    

To enrol on top up modules, you need to email course tutors on the IBMS accredited providers list. Attach a copy of your assessment outcome letter and ask if they offer the modules you need and how much these would cost.    

After completing all necessary modules, you’ll receive a confirmation letter, which you can use as evidence to show you’ve met the academic standards needed for the Certificate of Competence.    

As well as the academic side, to achieve the Certificate of Competence, you’ll also need clinical laboratory training, which means completing an IBMS Registration Training Portfolio in an IBMS approved laboratory.    

More information is available on the IBMS Registration Portfolio page.  

Clinical Training  

 Clinical training is compulsory for anyone applying to register with the HCPC as a biomedical scientist, regardless of whether your degree is accredited.  

You would need to arrange this experience yourself – see the section on Finding training opportunities below, to help you get started.    

Your lab experience must be completed in an IBMS approved laboratory, as it will be structured to make sure you achieve all sections of the IBMS Registration Training Portfolio.    

The IBMS Registration Portfolio explains the process of arranging and completing your training opportunity. This includes: 

  • researching and contacting IBMS approved laboratories
  • submitting an application for the lab to be issued with a training portfolio for you, which costs £133
  • being assigned a training officer to ensure you're properly trained and assessed
  • having your completed portfolio verified and signed off by the IBMS

Finding training opportunities   

Finding lab experience is very competitive.  To find out more about clinical training, we would recommend contacting some IBMS approved labs (most NHS labs are). The IBMS website doesn’t publish their database of approved labs, due to data protection reasons. Instead, they advise graduates to contact laboratories to ask if they offer training and if there is an opportunity for completion of the Registration Training Portfolio as part of the job role. 

If you’re approaching labs directly, we would suggest also asking them:    

  • how often training opportunities become available 
  • how competitive they are
  • where do they advertise posts (eg are they linked to an approved training provider, or will they become available for everyone on NHS Jobs)  
  • do they accept speculative applications (ie you can approach labs directly, not in response to an advertised vacancy)
  • what they look for in an applicant      

Many biomedical scientists start in roles such as trainee biomedical scientist, biomedical laboratory assistant (Higher Healthcare Technical Officer), Medical Laboratory Assistant (MLA), healthcare science assistant or biomedical support worker, then start on their portfolio. You can search for opportunities on NHS Jobs, or you could contact NHS Trusts directly to ask if they can provide work experience.  You can find contact details for Pathology Departments on the hospital’s website. If no contact details for pathology departments are available, try contacting the hospital’s Training Lead. You can also find vacancies with other laboratories, such as Health Services Laboratories.  

Work experience in a private lab could also be useful for demonstrating your skills and making your application stand out. Equally, there could be opportunities in university research institutes. You could also try contacting recruitment agencies for advice, or temporary work. The IBMS offers advice for graduates and we have information on vacancy sites, recruitment agencies and employers on our Gaining Experience and Finding Jobs pages.

Scientist Training Programme (STP)

An alternative way to become a clinical healthcare scientist in the NHS is through the NHS Scientist Training Programme (STP). This is a graduate-entry programme that leads to senior scientist roles in the NHS.  See our Finding Jobs section for more details.