Kat, scientific information officer, PhD in developmental genetics

Occupation: Scientific Information Officer

Sector: Charity

PhD subject: Developmental Genetics

Why did you do a PhD?

Partly because I was interested in the subject, and partly because I thought that a PhD was what you had to do to be a scientist. I had not seriously contemplated any other career options, and had been convinced by my tutors that academic science was the thing for me because I was doing well at University.

Describe your current job briefly:

The best description of my job is science translator. I translate the charity’s research from “science-ese” into plain English. This is then used for fundraising, marketing and media purposes – for example, writing up our current projects in an interesting way to persuade charitable trusts to support them. We also answer science enquiries from the public, ranging from curious or misguided to plainly mad.

Why did you decide in this career?

After my PhD I spent nearly 2 years as a postdoc and became increasingly unhappy and despondent. At the same time, I had been doing a fair bit of freelance science writing and radio work. I wanted a career where my writing and communication skills could be better used, and a job where deadlines and results were measured in days rather than years! But I also wanted a job where I could be really immersed in science – the subject that I love.

What was your job search strategy and how were you recruited?

I spent quite a lot of time working on my communication skills, getting articles published and building up my CV in that area. My plan was to build up an extensive network of contacts and experience in science communication/media (helped by Psci-comm and the ABSW), then leave my lab job and try to get a job through them or start as a freelance.

At the same time I was also applying for “normal” jobs in science communication/writing, although these are fairly rare and very competitive. My main sources of job adverts were the New Scientist and Guardian websites, and I applied for several writer/editor jobs as well as my current post. I only got one interview- and that was for this job. I had an hour-long interview, which was more like a friendly chat. Then came a long written test which was pretty gruelling as they didn’t give me any coffee (my essential writing tool). I had to write up two scientific grant applications in such a way that they could be shown to potential donors.

Why do you think you got the job?

As soon as I saw the job description, I knew this was the post for me. I had the right mix of academic and communication experience, and I just “clicked” with the people who interviewed me (who are now my fondly regarded colleagues). My manager has since told me my writing test was very good, and I’m sure that’s because writing news stories for the web and radio had taught me to get the key points across in an engaging way. I do sometimes wonder if I got the job because during the interview I got out and waved around the bright pink piece of knitted DNA that I was working on at the time!

The only down-side is that I have had to take a pay cut to come here, even from academia. But regular working hours, no weekends and the joy of doing a job I love more than makes up for it.

Do you think a PhD has had a positive impact on your career?

Absolutely. A PhD gives you an enormous depth of knowledge and understanding of how science works. It also taught me how to digest and regurgitate enormous amounts of complex scientific information, as well as how to organise large projects, manage my time and troubleshoot problems. Plus as a writer it gives me scientific credibility, even though I may be writing about something I know nothing about!

What advice do you have for PhD students to boost their employability?

If you are doing reasonably well in your academic career, you may fall into the trap of thinking that you are just a scientist and cannot do anything else, especially if those around you are telling you this. For me, the breakthrough came when I realised that all the writing and other stuff I was doing was just as useful as my ability with a pipette, and was a real and important skill. Get as much experience as you can in the area you want to move into, before you make the jump, and get advice about your CV so you can really sell yourself. I also realised that my own sanity was more important than anything else. Even if you are a good scientist, there’s no point staying in research if it makes you miserable.