When I first applied for the University of Aberdeen, I was so occupied with what a degree in Molecular Biology would entail that I hadn’t given much thought to what would come after. As I got to my third year at the University, we were offered the chance to get an undergraduate Master’s degree, if we secured a 12-month industrial placement at another institute or company. The idea of simultaneously getting a Master’s and work experience in just one year sounded amazing to me!
After completing my placement year at the Pirbright Institute in Surrey, I still stand by that statement, but this past year has given me so much more than just a degree. It taught me about the work environment and necessary qualities for success in the research field. So I want to share with you the top 5 things I learned through my placement year, hoping that they will prove useful in your own experience.
1. Be prepared
Nobody expects you to know everything and be perfect as a placement student, but being prepared for your meetings and presentations will help you stay one step ahead. Reading up on recently published papers from the group you are interviewing with or making sure you understand the content you are presenting at internal meetings will definitely impress your supervisors.
2. Be thorough
Research work requires extensive record keeping, experimental design, preparation, and data analysis to make sure that everything is running smoothly. Paying attention to the details can save you lots of headaches later!
3. Be resilient
Being thorough won’t always mean that things will go to plan. This is probably the main challenge of experimental science. I was often faced with it during my placement, and I won’t say it was easy, but it definitely developed my critical thinking and planning – two essential transferable skills.
4. Be social
Placement year provides plenty of opportunities to meet new people. I can say I made some life-long friendships from the other placement students and my lab group. I also engaged with people from various departments at the Institute and was even introduced to other scientists through presenting a poster at the Annual Microbiology Conference in Birmingham this year. Placement year offers a rare chance of engaging with so many different people at once, so don’t miss out on it.
5. Be confident
This is probably the biggest thing I had to overcome. Before my placement started, I was already in my head that I had to know everything about the job. No one expects this from you. Placement year is the opportunity to ask questions and try new things in a safe environment. So if you decide to go on placement, which I hope you do, take that opportunity and be confident about it!
