Work experience??

GlasweJen

I'm looking to get some sort of work experience/internship/placement thing in a lab environment. I have an honours degree in toxicology, i'm half way through an msc with open university and i'm looking for jobs but there aren't many for graduates who haven't even looked at a lab for a year and a half.

My current jobs are full time so one day per week would be perfect but i'd also be able to take up to a month off and work full time.

Does anyone know how I can go about arranging this? I live in North Lanarkshire and I'm within commuting distance of Glasgow but I also have friends in Livingston who could put me up for a month and could travel to Edinburgh from there.

kingfisherblue

Could you write to any relevant employers and offer your services on a voluntary basis? If you tell them why, it's just possible that one might give you an opportunity to do some short term volunteering.

ETA - Good luck x

misskool

What sort of experience? Research, commercial, hospital?

What do you expect from the work experience that will help in your career? You need to be more specific.

Oldernotwiser

Have you looked to see if there's anything suitable on Prospects?

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/work_experience.htm

GlasweJen

Prospects seem to be quite abysmal when it comes to science, everything comes back as general placements in HR and the like.

In terms of what type of lab, preferably a hospital lab but these seem to be very difficult to get into.

I can do leukocyte identification and counts (honours project), work a flow cytometer and carry out HPLC, GCMS and all the basic cell staining etc in a uni lab so mostly wanting to train these skills towards a real lab.

diable

Not sure if its your field but check out what Kings College London have on offer.

Oldernotwiser

Although this site looks geared to younger people (you need to register to get in), it may offer some ideas for you.

http://www.stepintothenhs.nhs.uk/work-experience.aspx

This might also be useful.

http://www.whatcanidowithmydegree.nhs.uk/

misskool

GlasweJen wrote: »

P

I can do leukocyte identification and counts (honours project), work a flow cytometer and carry out HPLC, GCMS and all the basic cell staining etc in a uni lab so mostly wanting to train these skills towards a real lab.

What's a "real" lab?

The easiest place to get an actual placement would be in a research lab where you write to the supervisor and ask nicely that you would want to work for free. Explain your strengths and what skills you expect to gain and why you're going to be motivated in doing so.

Placements in the NHS have schemes that run throughout the year, but many jobs in the NHS require you to be state registered, thus more qualification time (think you are on a lower pay grade until you are registered).

Commercial testing labs will do some of the work you can do but require state registration so will be impossible.

Think carefully what you want to gain from this experience. If you're after a commercial/NHS job, they will train you if they place you in the position.

GlasweJen

The problem is that in our area any positions that do come up seem to already be earmarked for someone and advertising the post is just a box ticking exercise.

I've posted on here before about my friend who had a less relevant degree with a lower mark than me and no experience with the machines he was going to be using getting a job when I never even got an interview despite us both using the same recruitment specialist to write our applications. The only advantage he had was that his mum worked for the same NHS hospital that he was applying to.

misskool

GlasweJen wrote: »

The problem is that in our area any positions that do come up seem to already be earmarked for someone and advertising the post is just a box ticking exercise.

I've posted on here before about my friend who had a less relevant degree with a lower mark than me and no experience with the machines he was going to be using getting a job when I never even got an interview despite us both using the same recruitment specialist to write our applications. The only advantage he had was that his mum worked for the same NHS hospital that he was applying to.

So how will a short term placement enhance your chances of getting a job? You need to have a proper long term goal and work towards it.

If your friend is now working in the NHS hospital working for the job you didn't get an interview for, you now have a contact. Use that to your advantage.

What is your long-term goal of this placement? I have asked this a few times on this thread and have had no response.

GlasweJen

I thought it was obvious, my long term goal in general is to get a job in a hospital lab preferably as a biomedical scientist though I have been applying to biomedical assistant positions as well. My degree is accredited by IBMS so theoretically I already have the skills required to do that but there were no trainee positions available when I graduated and now I need to keep my skills fresh to compete with new graduates and also a placement would help me build contacts (and from what my friend is telling me about work he's not in any position to vouch for anyone else).