Finding your feet in the field: Lessons from those in the life sciences
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
“I recently applied for a job that only required A-Levels, yet four of the five candidates being interviewed had a master’s degree. I was the only one with just a bachelor’s degree. The bar keeps getting higher and higher.”
Honor graduated from University College London in 2025 with a degree in Natural Sciences. However, despite her qualifications and experience, Honor’s attempts at finding work have been nothing short of exhausting—and she’s not the only one.
The National Office of Statistics estimates that UK vacancies between May and July 2025 were down nearly 17% compared to the same period the previous year.1 This is the 37th consecutive period where vacancy numbers have dropped lower than the previous three months.
Those on the ‘job hunt’ are facing an oversaturated and fiercely competitive market, with many feeling hopeless and demoralised about the opportunities available. Aspiring professionals are struggling to access industries they have been working towards for years—and the life sciences are no exception.
You’re in good company
For those feeling overwhelmed by the journey of job seeking, it is vital to remember that you are absolutely not alone. When I spoke with Honor about her search for work as a lab technician, she explained how she too has experienced frustration and dejection, making it hard to stay optimistic about the future.
Honor says; “The prevailing emotion is hopelessness. You look at a job description and think ‘I know I could do that, but I know I’ll never get hired, because I’ve never done this exact role before’. It makes it hard to diversify and learn new skills because you are only allowed to do jobs that you’re already fully trained in.”
The desperation of Honor’s situation became even clearer when she revealed that she had taken unpaid work for a lab. “I was doing paperwork, putting together workshops for students, designing policy and safeguarding, and all for free, because the alternative was just no experience at all.”
With the increasingly cutthroat market, experiences like Honor’s are only becoming more standard, and several others are echoing similar feelings of discouragement. A science graduate from the University of Nottingham explains, “It’s pretty demoralising getting rejections, it feels never ending, and the uncertainty can be scary.
All the roles out there are very competitive and having a degree just isn’t enough anymore. Obviously, it’s great that more people have access to a university education now, but it creates new challenges when trying to get jobs.”
These feelings are supported by a 2023 report from the Organisation of Economically Developed Countries (OECD)2, which claimed that nearly 4/10 employees in England are overqualified for their jobs. This is the highest rate amongst OECD countries.
Such conditions are forcing people to fight for positions outside of their desired field and below their level of skill, understandably leading to low morale and feelings of hopelessness.
It all gets better though… right?
Whilst the statistics might feel scary, the take home here is that no one is alone in their struggle to find a job. The market can be intimidating, but a challenging journey into the workforce does not mean that you aren’t good enough.
Looking to those who once stood in your shoes can be a great source of comfort and inspiration, which is why I recently spoke with Jasmine Acharya, who works at the Department of Science and Technology. A self-described “convener of scientists”, Jasmine aims to predict how new technologies will affect people at both a societal and individual level, helping to build regulations.
Though Jasmine is now happy in her job, her road to reach it wasn’t always smooth, and she too faced hurdles and uncertainties over what her career would look like. Jasmine shares: “Honestly, it was really hard getting off the school train and entering the professional world. There’s so much pressure to get the perfect first job that’s going to send you in the right direction. But the truth is, any first job is valuable, even if it just teaches you what you don’t want to do.”
Jasmine spoke of how career paths can be unpredictable, and that even if a first role isn’t exactly as you imagined, that doesn’t mean that you’ve gone off course. “They often say that the career you want hasn’t been invented yet, and that was definitely the case for me.
I originally dreamed of becoming a journalist, and this hyper-focus caused me to ignore opportunities for other positions that I might have really enjoyed. After a very gruelling job hunt, I realised that I just needed to get my foot in the door.”
Jasmine explains how despite straying from her original plan, she is immensely passionate about her work, and is now motivated by serving the public, and by helping to keep people safe in the wake of new technologies. A sentiment she captures perfectly in saying: “I have ended up in a different place than I first imagined, but that’s perfectly okay, because I’m happy.”
Words of wisdom
Whilst Jasmine’s story may resonate with many, there are countless other ways to make it in the industry, and there is no such thing as a ‘normal’ way to build a career. To gather more perspectives, I reached out to Deanna Barac, who works in science and healthcare communications, to see what words of wisdom she had to offer.
Deanna says: “Be open to your goals changing. The choice you make at the beginning isn’t final and as you gain more experience you’ll learn what you want out of your career.
Three years ago, I was in an area I had no interest in, and now I work in showcasing the stories of patients and families, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Deanna also emphasises that whilst the process of job hunting can feel deflating, sometimes it’s only in hindsight that you realise those missed opportunities were blessings in disguise. “There were roles I really wanted, and looking back, I realise they wouldn’t have been right for me at all. I once got to the final interviews for a job I was completely fixed on and was so disappointed when I didn’t get it. But then, a few weeks later, I got the job that I’m in now and I love it. Younger me would be so proud.”
You’re doing just fine
Whether your job search began yesterday, or you’ve been looking for as long as you can remember, the purpose of this piece is to communicate one clear message: you’re doing just fine. The job hunt might feel like a lonely pursuit, but there are others right alongside you, whether you see them or not.
It seems fitting to end here with a quote from my conversation with Jasmine, which I hope will bring as much solace to readers as it did to me:
“People might tell you ‘that will be really hard to achieve’, and of course it’s going to be hard. But your dreams don’t all have to happen in one year, because then, what would you do with the rest of your life?”
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References:
[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/jobsandvacanciesintheuk/april2025#:~:text=The%20estimated%20number%20of%20vacancies,the%2033rd%20consecutive%20quarterly%20decline.
[2]https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/do-adults-have-the-skills-they-need-to-thrive-in-a-changing-world_b263dc5d-en/full-report/executive-summary_a5a26276.html#execsumm-d1e2057-732ab278c7
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