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2020/2021 BIOLOGY CAREER GUIDE Biology2 AboutSuccess at School Success at School is a national careers website for students aged 11-19, as well as their teachers, careers advisors, parents and other influencers. Young people can learn about their future career options through no-nonsense careers advice related to their own experiences. As well as covering topics such as career paths, industries, apprenticeships, university and employability skills, we connect schools and students to employers and universities through opportunities on our site and our interactive forums. Millions of young people and their influencers have visited our site for advice and information to help them plan for the future. Go to successatschool.org for more information. Copyright Success at School Ltd 20203 BIOLOGY CAREER GUIDE 05 What is biology? 06 How will biology prepare me for work? 10 Should I choose biology? Contents 12 T-levels 15 Why work experience matters 18 How to future-proof your career 14 Job roles 30 Everything you need to know about gap years 20 Spotlight job 32 University 22 Interviews 26 Apprenticeships 34 Your action plan4 Every breath you take, every heartbeat, every movement or decision you make is ultimately down to the biological processes happening inside your body. Biology connects us to every other living thing as well. All of the many different species of animals, plants and bacteria are directly related – go back far enough, and you share a common ancestor with every organism on Earth. Studying biology helps us discover new things about the world around us. For example, Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier used biology to figure out how the bacterial immune system can be used to modify DNA – knowledge we will use to treat disease in the future. As living things, we depend on biological processes to survive, making biology relevant to lots of areas of everyday life. It is biomedical scientists who are leading the way in the search for a coronavirus vaccine. Many medicines come from or are inspired by plants or fungi, making the protection of our natural world paramount. You will also develop many skills which are useful outside science, including observation, the ability to read technical information and critical thinking. This makes biology important in careers as diverse as tourism, sports, manufacturing, food safety, environmental protection and farming. Whatever you choose to do in your career, studying biology will help you excel – and I wish you all the best for the future. Dr Alex Heyam Experimental officer in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy Department of Biology, University of York Foreword5 If you’ve ever wondered why the leaves on plants were green, been intrigued by how fish breathe or wanted to find out why your parents tell you to eat your 5-a-day, biology will have the answers. In fact, biology is essential for dealing with some of the biggest issues in the world today, from the Covid-19 pandemic to the climate crisis. In the simplest terms, biology is the study of life. You’ll explore life at a cellular level, learning about the common chemistry that’s shared by all life on Earth. You’ll also look at topics such as biodiversity and natural resources, studying the opportunities and threats in different biomes and all the organisms that live there. As you can see, there are many fields for biologists to work in. If you discover that you have a passion for life on a micro level, you could become a microbiologist. Of if you’re more interested in the bigger picture, you could use your understanding of biology and ecology as a policy advisor to governments or other large organisations, working to encourage positive change. Knowledge of biology is important for careers in medicine, such as becoming a doctor. It will also equip you with a host of transferable skills, including critical thinking and data analysis. These will be especially helpful if you go into a career as a software developer or construction engineer. What is biology?6 5 workplace skills you’ll learn in biology Communication In class: Communicating is an important part of any scientific discipline. In school, you’ll learn how to describe the results of an investigation and explain the biological reasoning behind it. You might work as part of a team to carry out research too, which will mean collaborating with your classmates. At work: If you become a bioengineer, you’ll be part of a wider design team that is working on new products that combine biological knowledge with engineering. You’ll need to communicate with different experts and work closely with people from different fields to solve problems. Communication is also essential if you become a secondary school teacher and need to explain biology concepts clearly to your students. Curiosity In class: You’ll learn how to ask scientific questions that can be answered through experiments and field work. You’ll be encouraged to be curious and explore topics on a deeper level. That might be through reading other research, carrying out your own experiments or discussions with your teacher and classmates. At work: There is still so much we don’t know about the natural world. As a nanotechnologist you’ll develop new drugs, materials or procedures at a nano scale. You’ll often work across scientific disciplines, so you’ll be learning all the time. Sustainability consultants are constantly on the lookout for the latest developments in the field to ensure they can give the best possible advice to businesses. Data analysis In class: You’ll gather data through your experiments and fieldwork, but data isn’t helpful unless you can analyse it. You’ll learn how to handle qualitative and quantitative data, as well as how to find correlations and causal relationships. You’ll also learn to assess data for reliability, validity and anomalies. At work: The digital world means we all generate considerable amounts of data each day. Data scientists use their skills to turn raw data into meaningful insights that can inform decisions in businesses and government. If you work as a digital marketer, you’ll use data to help you evolve and improve online campaigns to encourage greater engagement with your audience. Critical thinking In class: You’ll learn how to think critically about a theory or process. You’ll also be encouraged to evaluate the methods and data that have been used in specific research to help you draw appropriate conclusions and spot any errors. At work: If you work as a clinical biologist, you’ll be looking for new treatments or even cures for diseases. You’ll need to think critically about the implications of different medical procedures. Health promotion specialists help people to lead healthier lives. This means you’ll always need to consider the most appropriate interventions to recommend, as well as the best way to share that information. How will biology prepare me for work? Observation In class: Small things can make all the difference and you’ll learn how to observe changes in practical experiments, paying attention to detail and taking accurate measurements. You may also get outside of the classroom to observe the organisms and populations in an ecosystem. You’ll need to accurately record what you see to help you draw conclusions. At work: If you become a forensic scientist, you’ll look for evidence and clues that can help the police solve crimes. A building surveyor also needs excellent observation skills to spot damage or potential problems with buildings. Botanists need to make observations about plants to see how human activity affects the environment. 7 BIOLOGY CAREER GUIDE ...and 2 you may not have thought of Making connections In class: You’ll quickly realise how interconnected the living world is when you study food webs, the systems in the human body and the interactions of microorganisms. You’ll learn to work with those connections and understand the impact a single activity can have. At work: Being able to make connections will help you in any job where you need to bring together different ideas. A civil engineer will need to consider the impact of their designs on people and communities. An aeronautical engineer will bring together technology from different industries. Precision In class: You’ll often be observing or investigating things on a micro or cellular level, which means you need to be precise. You’ll learn to be accurate in your experiments, but also in how you record your findings. That might mean drawing a detailed diagram of what you see, creating graphs or taking precise measurements. At work: Precision is essential if you work as an architect, where you have to draw precise diagrams of new buildings and small imprecisions can be the difference between something fitting or not. Surgeons need to be incredibly precise when they are performing operations. A product designer will need to be precise when creating plans for a new product or making a prototype. 8 Gain an understanding of genetics and evolution, including how genetic information is transferred from one generation to the next and how species adapt and evolve. Learn about genetic variation within a species, as well as how new species are formed. Explore new gene technologies and discuss how these can be applied to design new medical and industrial processes. Geneticists study genes, often looking at how they play a role in the development of disease and our overall health. They’ll use this knowledge to help them gain a better understanding of a condition, or to search for new treatments. Genetic counsellors help families and patients better understand rare genetic conditions to help them make decisions about their treatment. KnowledgeHow will it help me at work? Learn about ecosystems, from the very large to the very small. Understand what can affect the dynamic equilibrium in an ecosystem and what impact this has on populations. Gain knowledge of vital processes within ecosystems, such as biomass transfer and how microorganisms play an essential role in recycling chemical elements. Consider the impact that human activity is having on the health of our ecosystems. Everything in this world is connected. Understanding these connections is essential if you work as an ecologist, where you’re helping to protect and restore the natural environment. Being able to explain the characteristics of ecosystems and the creatures within them is important if you’re an environmental education officer. Environmental engineers need to consider how interventions might affect the environment. Learn about the basic features that all cells have in common, as well as the additional features cells can have. Understand how cells reproduce via processes such as binary fission, mitosis and meiosis. Find out about the structures of different types of cells. These include eukaryotic cells, prokaryotic cells and viruses. You’ll also build up your knowledge of the different methods used for studying cells. All life on Earth is made up of cells. Immunologists research the immune system and help to diagnose and treat patients with immune system disorders. Toxicologists explore how toxic substances can impact human or animal health, ecosystems and plants. Zoologists study animals and their behaviour. Some of their work may involve analysing cellular samples in the lab. 5 ways your biology know-how will help you at work9 BIOLOGY CAREER GUIDE Explore the concept of biodiversity and why it is important. Develop your knowledge of the classification systems used to organise a variety of life, as well as how these classification systems have changed over time. Learn about how biodiversity can be significantly affected by human activity. We’re increasingly understanding the importance of biodiversity for life on this planet. Helping to maintain high levels of biodiversity is essential for creating sustainable ecosystems and combatting climate change. A biodiversity officer will survey an area’s biodiversity and actively work to improve it. International biodiversity advisors help shape government policies on environmental issues and tackle global issues such as the climate crisis. KnowledgeHow will it help me at work? Develop your knowledge of biological molecules. These include monomers, polymers, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, ATP, water, and inorganic ions like calcium. Learn about their functions within cells, such as for energy transfer, metabolic reactions and carrying genetic information. Biomedical scientists test the samples taken by healthcare professionals for signs of disease. In this role you could even specialise in cell sciences by becoming cytologist, who specialises in cell-level analysis, such as that collected during smear test, or a histopathologist. These professionals carry out microscopic examinations of diseased tissue samples. Next >