• Question: Do you like your job?

    Asked by candy125 to Sarah, Ivan, James, Jessica, Nicola on 11 Nov 2013. This question was also asked by ibraheem786786.
    • Photo: Sarah Tesh

      Sarah Tesh answered on 11 Nov 2013:

      Yes I definitely do. It’s never the same everyday, you work with some great people and I really enjoy using the high tech pieces of equipment. It also feels great to know I am developing new technology that, in the future, will help people and hopefully save lives.

      My job is also fairly flexible in some ways – it’s up to me what I do from day to day and, as long as you get the work done, you can shift your working day. For example, I’m really rubbish at waking up quickly in the morning so instead I go in for 10am and make up for it by working later. Yet some people in my lab do the opposite, they go in for 8am (yuck) but go home early. Its great how everything to do with this kind of science can be tailored to you, what work suits you best and what you are interested in. 🙂

    • Photo: Nicola Potts

      Nicola Potts answered on 11 Nov 2013:

      Yes!

      I can make my own hours, I do something I love and am really interested in! It makes such a difference wanting to go to work because you enjoy your day (means Monday mornings aren’t so bad).

      There are times when it can be annoying – if an experiment doesn’t work (or a weeks worth of experiments don’t work). Deadlines which sneak up on me (Grrr….). There can also be some … interesting … people in science but overall I consider myself extremely lucky to have my job!

    • Photo: Jessica Liley

      Jessica Liley answered on 12 Nov 2013:

      Yeah I really like my job!

      There’s always a lot to do but it’s nice keeping busy and I get to be in the lab every day doing my own experiments. It’s really satisfying when you’ve been working on something for a whole week (or even months…) and then things start working finally and you’ve discovered something new! I’ve got good friends working in the same building and we always go for lunch together and have tea breaks, so it’s quite fun really 🙂

      On longer experiments, work can be really stressful with long hours (20 hour days!), but that’s not very often at all, and it’s great when it’s all done and you have loads of data to play with!

    • Photo: James King

      James King answered on 12 Nov 2013:

      A popular question!

      This is the main reason I am a scientist! I love almost all aspects of my job! Working in science brings interesting and new challenges everyday that if you are prepared can keep you happily employed for your whole career!

      I spend about half my time in my office and the other half out on fieldwork travelling to all sorts of cool places (and get paid to do it!). That being said scientists have to work very hard to keep up to date in their fields and to be employed by top institutions. I have worked in the US, Canada and here in the UK and they are all quite different places to work! If anyone has further questions about what specifically you need to do to get a job in science or in academics, please just ask!

Comments