Posted on 3 January, 2014
A scientist has the option of working in academia or industry. While many scientists would want to work in research and make ground breaking discoveries that would effect mankind forever, there are also many important jobs and research to be done in industrial science that mean many important life changing discoveries. A career in industrial science may mean working in either the government or private sector and can be involved in research or manufacturing. Working in industrial science is a good career move for a scientist as they could find themselves inventing or improving equipment, such as the Particle Size Analyser. Be prepared As a scientist, if you have never worked in the private sector, you need to be prepared for the difference in outcomes of your research as it will become more profit driven and that your research will be geared towards the development of a product rather than just searching for answers or gaining knowledge. This may mean that you become limited with your research, and most likely the research topics you do have are chosen by the company or the marketing department, and that you will be required to work to a definite time limit. Be prepared for your research to be abandoned if it does not meet company targets or that you have a limit to the amount of funds that you can spend. You may also find that if your research doesn't meet it's expected objectives that the whole project could be shut down. There will also be pressure to come up with results and that deadlines to produce a product will be fixed to the marketing timeline rather than to the progress of your research. Benefits There are, however, benefits to working in industrial science rather than academia. A main benefit is actually seeing your research directly influence people's lives, and generally more quickly than any research done by academics. When working within a company you will have more resources available, in terms of money, research tools and databases. The success of a companies product starts with your research, and as the success of the product leads to sales for them, the company is going to insure you are well funded in your research. You can also find that research within industrial science can be very rewarding as your input will be highly valued. A valuable benefit is that a career in industrial science generally pays better than research in academia and that it affords a better work/life balance as you have more structured working hours, and do not have to commit time to applying for grants, teaching or advising students. Choosing the right career There are a variety of different fields within industrial science and some of these include environmental engineering, industrial microbiology, chemical engineering, nanotechnology and academic research. These careers can be found in various industries, such as biological sciences, agriculture, information and technology, within mining and mineral exploration, within the food industry or pharmaceutical companies. Work out what it is that interests you and what industry will best suit your scientific needs. Think about where your areas of interest in science will be satisfied by undertaking research in a particular industry. |
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