Career Opportunities with a Degree in… Microbiology

Your Skills and the Employment Market

Possible Career Opportunities

Sample Jobs

Further Study Opportunities

What Past Graduates Have Done

Resources in the Careers Information Room

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Your skills and the employment market

Specific knowledge and skills: 

• Acquire, articulate and retain specialised language and knowledge relevant to microbiology.
• Predict, assess and communicate the importance of microorganisms in their interaction with other organisms or their environments.
• Acquire and demonstrate competency in laboratory safety.
• Competency in laboratory skills applicable to microbiological research or clinical methods.
• Ability to analyse experimental measurements relevant to microbiology and accurately report observations and analysis.

General knowledge and skills:

• Communicate scientific concepts, experimental results & analytical arguments clearly & concisely, verbally and in writing.
• Access information and use it in synthesis and problem solving activities.
• Critically analyse and evaluate information from multiple sources and perspectives
• Understand and use the processes of scientific inquiry, scientific method and hypothesis formulation and testing.

Transferable skills: while studying for your degree in Microbiology you acquire a diverse range of skills including:

• Communication skills
• Teamwork skills
• Leadership skills
• Management
• Organisational skills

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Possible Career Opportunities

Note: Further qualifications may be needed for certain positions. This list is a sample of positions available. Up to 40% of graduate employment opportunities are open to graduates of all disciplines.  In most cases, however you will need further postgraduate study or professional training. 

Microbiologists are in demand in various sectors including:

• Pharmaceutical Industry
• Biotechnology Industry
• Food & Drink Manufacturing Industry
• Hospitals
• Cosmetic Industry
• Water / Environmental Control
• Agricultural Industry
• Industries where hygiene is an important factor

Call to the Career Development Centre and have a consultation with a career development advisor to explore your career opportunities.

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Sample Jobs

Some jobs advertised that may suit students / graduates (these jobs are NOT currently available and are shown here for illustration purposes only).

Environmental & Microbiological Control Specialist, Abbott Diagnostics. BSc Microbiology. .

Assistant Scientist Microbiology & Sterilisation, Johnson & Johnson. BSc Microbiology with oral and written communication and presentation skills.  .

Trainee Microbiology Technicians, Westgate Biological, UCD. Suit new graduate with basic skills in microbiology. .

Medical Representative, Greencross. Req. Science degree and commercially aware of healthcare industry. .

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Further study opportunities

For certain career choices, employers may look for candidates with further qualifications and training.  Some of the range of opportunities available in NUI Galway include:

• MSc or PhD by research
• HDip in Applied Science [Microbiology]
• MSc Biotechnology
• MSc Biomedical Science
• MSc Neuropharmacology
• HDip in Education
• HDip in Business Studies

For a full list please visit www.nuigalway.ie/courses .

The Careers Information Room has sections on Ireland and the UK (including individual prospectuses), USA (with guides to applying, funding and lists of courses), studying in EU countries as well as further afield.

Further study links:

http://www.postgradireland.com/ contains useful information on postgraduate courses in Ireland

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/ is an excellent site for researching opportunities in the UK

http://ec.europa.eu/ploteus covers the EU

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What past graduates have done

It is always interesting to know what fellow graduates have done after obtaining their degree at NUI, Galway.  Here is a sample of job titles and employers six months after graduating with a BSc Microbiology.   

• Contract Laboratory Technician
• Compounding Technician - Braun Pharmaceuticals, Longford
• Lab Technician - Galway
• Nutrition product specialist - Nutricia, Dublin
• AQA - Quality control - Abbott, Longford
• Microbiologist - Arstellos, Kerry
• Lab Analyst - Elan, Athlone
• MSc Toxicology - Athlone I.T
• MSc Degree Biotechnology - NUI Galway
• Master of Biomedical Science - NUI Galway
• Master of Science (Regenerative Medicine) - NUI Galway
• PG Immunology and Global Health - NUI Maynooth
• Masters in Medical Science - University of Ulster

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Resources in the Careers Information Room

 We have valuable information resources, experienced career development advisers and information staff on hand to help you with your queries.

Reference material in the Information Room includes:

• Gradireland
• ’Options with Microbiology’ leaflet
• V: Scientific Careers incl. careers with Microbiology
• First Destinations of Science Graduates
• New Scientist Magazine
• Careers with a Science Degree
• Careers in the Pharmaceutical Industry
• Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Jobseekers Guide
  

Drop into our information room and we will be happy to assist you.

For useful links see www.nuigalway.ie/careers/students/virtual or www.delicious.com/careersinfo/microbiology .

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