“Doing some science in Years 11 and 12 won't penalise you at all no matter what subjects you want to study at university,” says Rachel. “And all those skills you get from doing science subjects, such as problem solving and understanding the scientific method, will help you in other courses.

“Historically at UWA, the TER cut-offs for a basic BA and BSc have been very similar. As far as prerequisites go, to get into a standard BSc at UWA, you just need to pass any TER maths subject. Some specialised programs have additional prerequisites such as higher maths, physics, or chemistry.

“If you didn't do a prerequisite subject, there may be ways of bridging (that is, doing a catch-up course) when you get to uni, but this is not easy. Contact the Admissions Centre at the uni you're trying to get into and ask their advice because it is different for every uni and for every course.

“At many unis, if you look at the prerequisites across arts, sciences, and even business degrees, maths subjects are the most common (apart from English). If you haven't got maths, you're cutting off a lot more options.”

 

Anthea Roberts, People Development Advisor, CSIRO

“CSIRO has about 4 900 scientists, engineers and technicians and we hire about 1 000 a year,” says Anthea Roberts, a People Development Advisor for the bits of CSIRO that specialise in maths, physics and IT.

“Most come to us with a PhD and start on $58K plus super, at the other end of the scale we have what we call Stream Leaders on $200K packages. If you came here with a bachelor's degree you'd be earning in the mid $50s,” she says.

“Being a scientist in a place like CSIRO gives you a lot of resources to become the world's best. The downside to that is being the best in a very specialised field.

“Jobs in the future will require scientists who have management and commercialisation skills. They'll have to be able to mix with their team and engage with industry, government and the general public.

“People aren't surprised by appointments for a fixed term anymore; it's the nature of the workforce these days.”  

 

Errol Muir, Group Project Leader, Rio Tinto

“A technical background is great for getting into anything you want to do in business,” says Errol Muir, Group Project Leader of graduate recruitment and development for Rio Tinto. He ought to know: he's got a maths degree, an economics degree, and now he's doing a PhD in management. “I did maths just because I was good at it in school. I didn't really set out to be a scientist, but it's been useful ever since.

“Rio Tinto Australia hired 90 science graduates in 2004. Most of the engineering disciplines get a go (such as mining, mechanical, process and safety engineering) as well as geology, environmental science and computer science.

“Science graduates start out at more than $50K (and there can be significant site allowances on top of that) and we have experienced engineers on packages greater than $200K.

“A career in science gives you immense flexibility. You can work in technical fields or apply your training and skills to management.”

 

Linda Houseman, Senior Human Resources Advisor, ANSTO.

“ANSTO has about 500 scientists, technicians and engineers. We employ roughly 60 per year, and 20 undergraduate students come to work with us for a year as part of their studies,” says Linda Houseman, Senior Human Resources Advisor with ANSTO.

“We have mechanical engineers working on the design, operation and maintenance of our facilities, scientists who work on the accelerator and reactor, as well as chemists and physicists, materials scientists, environmental scientists and biomedical researchers, plus technical staff. "

“New graduates start out at $43K plus super, post docs at $50-55K and chief research scientists can have a package up to $150K.

“One of the drawbacks is that Australia is a small pool. Young scientists are likely to have to travel in order to gain experience. However, this really should be seen as a plus. We actively try to employ Australians who have post doctoral experience overseas.”

In Linda 's crystal ball, she sees one of the growth areas for science being nanotechnology.

 

Professor Trevor Hambley, Head, University of Sydney School of Chemistry

“We have 35 academic staff, 30 technical and administrative staff, and about 40 post docs and research assistants. We hire 2-3 staff per year, plus about 15 post docs," says Professor Trevor Hambley, head of The University of Sydney's School of Chemistry .

Even though this is a university, you don't have to have a degree to work there. "We have people with TAFE certificates in chemistry who are technical staff, looking after instruments, and support staff who set up experiments, manage the stores, handle glassware etc.

"Academic salaries have made good ground in recent years. The national average has just passed $50K and I reckon our academic staff average close to twice that. Our standard professorial package is around $135-140K and many are on packages over $150K."

If you think it will take decades before you get to call yourself ‘Professor', think again. "It used to be in the last ten years of your working life, now it's frequently a mid-career achievement," Professor Hambley says.

"The problem with working in universities is being pulled in too many ways at once. I often say the job is 50% teaching, 50% research and 50% administration. Most of our staff would work more than 50 hours a week, but it's partly self-imposed so there's reduced impact on stress.

"Being an academic is one of the few jobs where you have the freedom to say, ‘Today I'm going to do this'. There may be teaching and a few meetings which limit that, but after those are done with, the day is essentially your own.

"The enabling sciences of chemistry and physics underpin where the action is . More than 50% of people employed in biotechnology are chemists and small biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies are significant employers of chemists.

"Five years ago, the papers in Chemical Communications , one of the biggest chemistry journals, were all about biological and medical chemistry, and that's where the science is today. Now all the papers are in materials science, so that's my prediction for where the employment will be in five to ten year's time.

"To be a good scientist you need enthusiasm, energy and intelligence. You've got to have a passion for it and you have to be self-motivated.”

 

Paul Walker, Melbourne Site Manager, People Strategies, DSTO

“DSTO employs 2,200 people, 90% of whom are scientists, engineers and technicians, and there are some IT people not counted in that,” says Paul Walker, their Melbourne Site Manager, People Strategies.

“Practically all our staff are degree qualified and we have a high level of PhDs. There's about a 7% turnover, so that's 100-150 jobs per year. As well as hiring people to meet specific skill requirements, we hire people with a broad science base, those who are adaptable and flexible, then we train them into the kind of scientist we think we'll need.

“Our scientists' wages would be at least comparable with those working elsewhere with a similar academic background. The average entry-level research scientist earns in the region of $50K, although those with particularly relevant qualifications and skills may be on around $73K. Our Research Leaders earn around $133K.

“Working in DSTO gives you a real sense of contribution. For example, our work on testing the airframes of aircraft for fatigue has extended the life of some aircraft by twenty or thirty years, saving billions of dollars – and that immediate result is not something you get in every job. However, pure "blue sky" research, something with a long time scale, also has quite a high profile here.

"Some might think science at uni is ‘dead-end', but people have gone through uni and they're now doing really exciting stuff.

"A career in science gives kids who like tinkering the chance to be kids for the rest of their lives."

 

Brenda McAuliffe, Recruitment Coordinator, AIMS

“We'd have 105 science-types here, and we hire about ten a year. Most staff have some form of science qualification, whether it's from TAFE or university,” says Ms Brenda McAuliffe, Recruitment Coordinator at AIMS.

There are all sorts of scientists, including marine biologists, microbiologists, ecologists, data modellers, chemists, experts in aquaculture, Scientists in Charge (who manage science projects) and technical officers who support the scientists and are responsible for the day-to-day running of the labs.

“Graduates start out on $45K, PhDs at $59K, and the maximum you can earn at AIMS and still be doing science is $122K.

“To be a good scientist takes dedication and creativity. Most of our staff are driven by their love for science.”

As for the future: “Biotechnology is certainly one of the areas where we're growing.”

 

Fields of dreams

On this page you can see how taking science at school helps you in a wide diversity of fields, many of them being ones that don't come immediately to mind when thinking of science.

Science at high school isn't only for geniuses. It is relevant to everyone and is certainly relevant and useful in a wide range of careers.

Fashion	Studying materials science allows designers to make their clothes from high-tech fabrics. There is an ever-growing market for crease and stain resistant materials that look great as well.
Technology	Nuclear scientists irradiate the silicon chips that are found in mobile phones and computers. Working on new products like plasma TV screens requires a degree of scientific knowledge.
Environment	Want to make the world a better place? Studying science can help you to understand how to combat global warming or fight salinity problems.
Writing	Studying science along with journalism can enable you to write for a variety of science journals, newspapers or supplements. Scientists also regularly write research papers for publication.
Sport and Fitness	Medical and health related science and nutrition studies can be used to train athletes, define health problems and ensure peak performance.