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Alternative careers with a pure STEM degree?

14 replies

crazycatmum42069 · 04/07/2024 06:48

DD has just finished her 1st year of uni studying BSc Chemistry with Management. She’s opted for the placement year option so will start applying for placements next year, but has no idea what job she wants. She knows she doesn’t want to work in a lab or do anything research related, and would rather work in a finance/managerial position at a pharma/science company.

Her father and in-laws are not happy about this, telling her that she “should’ve done a finance degree then”, but I disagree, as I have a friend who did biochemistry who now has a director position at a big pharma company and wouldn’t have gotten there without his scientific background.

So my question really is… is there anyone here with a pure science degree doing something completely non-science related? Would love to hear some 😊

OP posts:
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PerpetualOptimist · 04/07/2024 07:43

Your DD (and DH) might benefit from reading the 'What do graduates do' report on the Prospects.ac.uk website (link below) which shows the stats on graduate destinations by broad subject area. A large proportion of chemistry grads move into roles in finance, general business, IT etc.

A chemistry degree requires you to grasp difficult concepts, be numerate, be practical, work in small teams successfully, overcome adversity (all those practical that go pear shaped!), code; the list goes on. It can also provide useful domain knowledge that can be applied in ways you might not have envisaged whilst doing the degree; chemistry, after all, is at the heart of many key processes, esp those to do with green technologies. General managers or professional advisers who understand core chemistry concepts and processes have a value.

Your DD should cast her net wide and not simply apply for (the very limited) number of finance or management type placements available specifically with chemical or phara companies. It is a chance to explore other sectors and role types. If she is somewhere like U of Bath, the uni and the department will be absolutely used to chemistry students seeking out placements in general rather than lab roles.

luminate.prospects.ac.uk/what-do-graduates-do

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TizerorFizz · 04/07/2024 08:46

Margaret Thatcher was a chemist.

As she’s doing mansgemrnt, surely that has modules which can be helpful in a non science caree? She could easily convert to law, look for any management trainee role, eg HR, finance, marketing. None of these roles take grads who have purely done a vocational degree in law, HR, finance etc. Employers like breadth so why not see what aspect of the management course she likes best and go from there? Go to careers fairs and try and get work experience. Apply for internships for y2 holidays. Then she will have a better idea of what’s available.

Your relatives are wrong! She’s got a lot of options.

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TizerorFizz · 04/07/2024 08:55

There’s also subjects like Energy Engineering and industrial management which aren’t lab based. See masters at Sheffield. As a chemist she could consider something like this.

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LoveSandbanks · 04/07/2024 10:24

I’m a firm believer that your bachelors should almost always be in a subject you love. Realistically, you can go into most careers with a BSc in anything. It’s the skills you learn as well as the knowledge gained which is valuable.

A finance career is absolutely possible with a chemistry degree.

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thing47 · 04/07/2024 14:18

@crazycatmum42069 DD's best friend did a Chemistry degree. Went to work for a global company on her placement year as, broadly, a management trainee. The company then took her on full-time after her BSc and she works in management across a broad range of functions while getting an overview of the company. 3 years after graduating she earns a good salary, gets overseas travel and, best of all for her, isn't a chemist as such.

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PeachPairPlum · 04/07/2024 21:57

Lots of ppl do pure stem degrees and then go onto other lines of work.
My dd is like yours doing a stem degree with a placement year and also will go into something financey.

I also did a stem degree and would say that many ppl who start off working in labs move sideways.

I think these days its probably more like you need an extra qualification to get anywhere in research - a masters or PhD.

In short your dh and in laws are stuck in the dark ages .

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missshilling · 04/07/2024 22:02

Going into finance is pretty normal for graduates in my STEM field (not chemistry). Banks and financial institutions come looking.

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Highlandcathedral · 04/07/2024 22:05

Yes one of my DC did a pure STEM degree (more maths based), placement year with a major supermarket, straight into their grad programme. Now a director at 30 earning a lot of money. We also have a friend who did a chemistry degree who is a patent attorney (specialising in medical field) who also is a very successful person.

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lanthanum · 05/07/2024 18:16

Lots of jobs will take people from any degree discipline, and no less from science than anything else. I know someone with an engineering degree who works in recruitment consultancy. He has often been given the contracts with companies in science fields to deal with, because he has a better understanding of science than his colleagues.

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Oversharingsonewusernamehaha · 05/07/2024 20:46

Any project management position in pharma, it's handy to have the finance and science background. It's difficult getting a starting role sometimes, so placements are great. Then the mix of skills will help more and more the higher she's promoted. I've never seen a manager in pharma without a science/ medicine/nursing background but from what I remember all start out with a clinical/ scientific role first unless project manager and have come through assistant project manager route. Many areas they spend huge amounts of time considering staffing, timings, budgets, cost forecasts etc. The mix sounds very good to me. Start of career is a hard slog, long hours, not great pay. Eventually it pays off (interesting, flexible hours, great pay).

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Psspsspssssss · 05/07/2024 20:53

I'm a software developer. There are loads in tech, both technical and non-technical role. Also management consulting.
However, your daughter's university offers this subject combination for a reason. If she doesn't know what she wants I'd strongly advice her to start researching now.
Make use of the uni career service, speak to seniors, attend career fairs.
Don't wait.

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Ozanj · 05/07/2024 21:05

My old boss in investment banking was a chemistry grad. He managed a huge pharma hedgefund. Millionaire by 30. The Management part of her degree will mean she’ll easily get the type of job she wants

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OooPourUsACupLove · 05/07/2024 21:10

missshilling · 04/07/2024 22:02

Going into finance is pretty normal for graduates in my STEM field (not chemistry). Banks and financial institutions come looking.

Yes this. I work in the City, loads of STEM grads coming through grad schemes.

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