Home > News and views > View all

Your careers advice

Published: Feb 25, 2020 4 min read

STEM learning

Ahead of National Careers Week, 2-7 March, we asked on LinkedIn and Twitter for your best pieces of careers advice, and you certainly delivered. Thanks to everyone who contributed - your input is always appreciated. Here is a selection of what you offered. A common theme is making sure you enjoy whatever you do

Text reading 'What is your best piece of careers advice?' alongside an illustration of a lightbulb

 

Always be ready to learn and willing to embrace change.

Derek Holmes, Career Services Advisor at Cheshire College - South & West

 

Follow your skills and passion, not the money. Happiness is not financial.

Lisa Cobble, Helping retirees & returnees to work

 

Do not underestimate the power of doing something you enjoy!  Don't disregard careers because you don't know what they are, research them and see what elements fit what you enjoy doing.  You will be surprised! 

Mark Wood, Regional Network Lead, STEM Learning

 

Early on, have a broad and balanced view of career opportunities and when you finally decide on what you enjoy most get someone to pay you for doing it!!!

Ajay Sharman, Regional Network Lead London & South East at STEM Learning UK

 

Whatever stage of life or work you are in never stop learning!

Judith Payne, STEM Manager at Leicestershire Education Business Company

 

Change the question.... instead of asking yourself what do you want to BE... ask yourself, what do you want to DO? You are the creators of your own future and career!!

Laura Giddings, 2019 Engineering Ambassador of the Year (BEEAs) STEM Education Manager, Northern Europe at RS Components

 

Engineering is a great career, creative and imaginative with a diverse range of choices. Also, don't be afraid if you don't make the grade school-wise or fail in a university application. Consider an apprenticeship, on the job training coupled with university and qualifications - it doesn't get much better than that !

Ben Zabulis, Chartered Engineer, occasional teacher and part-time writer

 

I think, for scientists, I've always said:

Careers are Brownian motion, not geodesics

And if you look those up and get the idea, then I am afraid you truly are a scientist

James Weston, STEM champion

 

I would say don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Be open to new things. The job I thought I wanted, I hated and wasn’t suited to me, but I ended up in a different science-based career which I now love.

Donna Matthews, QC Batch Chemist at PPG Aerospace

 

Pick A level subjects you enjoy studying.

Catherine Weir, Science Presenter at Mad Science Group Inc.

 

Do a job you enjoy

Chris Surplice MIET, Senior Project Engineer at Boulting Ltd

 

Don’t be swayed. If you want to follow a profession or career, whatever it is, go for it. If you love something and you’re passionate, you will succeed.

Bev Reardon, Senior Arts Academic at the University of Derby & Freelance STEAM/STEM Consultancy Services

 

Your passion plus committed mentors will help drive your future!

Lisa Pearcey, BSc (Hons) MRICS, Asset Management Consulting

 

Whatever job I have done ...from making next generation loo roll, through designing ICT systems for banks, in large scale engineering, or what I do now in hospitals ...one thing always needed is

People who can think scientifically AND talk with others about what that means. So, don’t think being book smart is everything ...if you are the one in the playground enthusing about the science even the bits you find hard to understand. Then you are exactly what we need out here.

the STEM ginger, @MADSciJim

 

Never give up. Even if people say you can’t do it, don’t stop, and think of ways of getting over your barriers.

Navaratnam Partheeban, @navaratnampart1

 

Be interested in things, find something you are passionate about, and show the interviewer that. It will get you surprisingly far, and shows you are willing to put in the effort

Ryan Smith, @TheIndieG

 

Stay in the game. That's often all you need to do - don't quit. Stick around. Don't be a quitter.

STEM Carol3, @AudiC