Careers in Science - The real deal

Scott Burgess works with the Australian Institute of Marine Science as a benthic ecologist (studying the ocean floor).

“I don't like being stuck in an office,” says Scott. “So the best part of my job is going out to sea. I spend 80-100 days per year monitoring the long-term health of the Great Barrier Reef . I identify corals, their abundance and cover, and I collect data on things that kill coral, such as disease, crown-of-thorns starfish and snails that eat the coral.

“I got into marine science because I spent a lot of time surfing and sailing. People kept asking why I'd want to do marine science when there were few jobs. That annoyed me because I really liked doing it, so it drove me to try hard at school and uni.

“Even if you don't want to be a scientist, having a science background really helps you understand how our world works and teaches you how to think about and solve problems, which are skills you use in everyday life and whatever career you choose.

“When I was at school I hated maths, I thought it was useless. Now that I've worked around a bit, I can see all the applications where I could use maths.”

Dr Chris Griffith is a chemist with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation.

“I work on decontaminating nuclear waste using specially designed materials,” Chris says. “These materials remove the few radioactive atoms of one element out of mixtures which contain several million non-radioactive atoms. However, being a scientist doesn't condemn you to life in a white coat!

“Through science I've seen a reasonable portion of the world, which has certainly helped me explore my water skiing, hiking and canyoning interests! In high school, I was always pretty inquisitive, so studying science was a good way to find out how things work.”

Renee Lucas is a metallurgical engineer with Rio Tinto Technical Services. She looks for new ways of getting minerals out of ore bodies. She also has a degree in business administration.

“When I was in Year 10 I enjoyed science and I was chasing a challenging and different job that was well paid,” says Renee. “What I've learnt is that job satisfaction is more important than anything else. You have to go into what you love and what you're passionate about.

“Science is challenging and it opens doors up for you at uni and in later life.”

Phil Valencia is part of the robotics group at CSIRO 's Information and Communication Technology centre in Queensland . He's involved in a project linking sensors into networks that behave intelligently.

“We have a greenhouse full of pot plants where the plants can not only tell if they need more water, but will do something about it,” says Phil. A system that knows how to look after itself would come in handy on, say, a space station…“I had a lifelong dream to work with NASA, and I kinda thought it would never happen, but when I finished my double degree in electronic engineering and IT, I went to work with CSIRO and within six months I was working on a project with NASA.

“A lot of it is hard work, we've got client deadlines just like any one else, but there are a lot more positives than negatives. It's intellectually stimulating and it's something I really look forward to – and I'm not sure too many people can say that about their job.

“I wish I'd known that maths was going to be useful. When I was in Year 10 I thought there's no chance I'd ever be using this stuff again. I was so wrong!”

Suzana Turk is a materials engineer with the Air Vehicles Division of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation.

“I get broken or deteriorated aircraft components and have to find out how and why they broke and make recommendations to stop it happening again,” says Suzana. “I also do research: for example, into heat-damaged aluminium alloys, such as might happen after an aircraft fire, so we can figure out if the plane is safe to fly.

“I'd always loved science from when I was a little kid, but I had no idea what I'd do. When I didn't get a high enough mark to go straight into uni, I did a TAFE materials engineering course, which was very hands-on rather than full of maths. After a year I transferred to uni and did engineering.

“With my work, each job is totally different to any done previously, so you have the satisfaction of working it all out. It's very fulfilling and challenging.

“Any science you do can help in some way, no matter what you end up doing.

“I wish I'd known about all the different jobs I could do with the subjects I'd studied. ”

Inger Morgan is a radiographer and sonographer with Mayne Health. “I get sent around to different practices to do ultrasounds,” she says.

“One of the good things about my job is the constant contact with patients. The worst aspect is when I find out that one of them has something horrible.

“The other thing is being able to get a job anywhere you like. There's a real shortage of radiographers and sonographers at the moment. I spent two years in London working at a flash hospital where my patients were film stars and TV personalities.”

You probably know Suzy Balogh from the Athens Olympics when she became the first Australian woman to win a gold medal in shooting. Her day job is as an Agricultural Protection Officer with the NSW Department of Primary Industries. Suzy is responsible for giving out advice about pest animals – including locusts – and training her colleagues and farmers to control them.

“One of the best bits about my job is that I'm helping the environment, agriculture and people. The bad part is when you're so close to solving a problem that it can frustrate you when other things get in the way.

“When I was in Year 10, I told my mum that I didn't know what I wanted to be. She said to look around, see what I was doing now and do that. I was working part-time with a vet, so I did agricultural science, physics and chemistry, then I went on to study rural science at the University of New England .

“There's definitely a career path. There are so many things I could do in the environmental sciences.”

Suzy says not to worry about being bored doing science at school: “You'll be doing so many topics in one subject, there'll be something new every day and the practicals are great.

“One of the best things about doing science is that when I watch things like CSI, I get it.

“Even in clay target shooting, I'm using physics all the time.”

Jason Farrugia is a polymer chemist who builds binders to go in water-based paint (so the pigments stick to the surface being painted) for Dulux, part of Orica Consumer Products.

“I did chemistry and accounting in high school and enjoyed them both,” says Jason. “It made sense to keep going, so I did a double degree in chemistry and commerce. I applied for jobs in both and, when I was being interviewed for the finance ones, they were quite interested in my science skills because of how scientists break down problems.

“I would have liked to have known that there can be limited opportunities (Orica took on five graduate chemists at the time I was employed) and that it wasn't going to be highly paid. To be a chemist, you might have spent three years doing a degree, a year in honours and three more doing a PhD, and you could come out earning not much more than someone with a three year commerce degree. The compensation is that as a chemist you get to discover new and interesting things.

“Even in the commercial world, analytical thinking is valuable."

“When it comes to real high-end economics, people employ mathematicians, statisticians and physicists, not just people with commerce degrees.”

Matthew Coleman is an credit rates derivatives trader with the Commonwealth Bank, but he started out by earning a PhD in neurophysiology.

“I spent more than ten years teaching and researching science at university, fulfilling a boyhood dream to be a scientist,” says Matthew. “However, when I looked at the people I admired – the ones running their own labs – and thought about what I'd have to do to get there, I found that access to funding would be much more difficult, and promotion much rarer, than when those people were my age, so I decided to switch careers.

“I knew my specific technical skills would not be transferable, so I turned to my generic skills – gathering information from disparate sources, drawing logical conclusions from them, crunching numbers and driving spreadsheets – and searched around for industries that need those skills, and that's how I got into finance.

“Science teaches you independent thinking skills – it is thinking training – and today more than ever you need to be able to cut through marketing hype to find the truth.

“It never hurts to be as numerate as you can be – take figuring out whether a home loan interest rate is good value.”

Frank van de Loo is a partner in a winery at Mount Majura , near Canberra . He gets to do everything from planting the cuttings, establishing the vines, producing the grapes, bottling the wine and, finally, taking it to market.

An ex-research scientist, Frank began his studies in Agricultural Science at Adelaide University . Inspired by a research project for his Honours degree, Frank went on to complete a PhD in plant molecular biology in the United States .

When he returned to Australia Frank worked as a research scientist for CSIRO. However he felt that wasn't the career that suited him. Being heavily involved in a narrow topic for years at a time left him lacking the motivation he desired. Frank then discovered the second love of his life, wine-making.

“The most satisfying part of wine-making is being able to take the whole process from beginning to end,” says Frank. “Having a great science background allows me to look at the process from a different perspective. Wine will make itself, but understanding the chemistry and microbiology helps in guiding it to the best outcome, and avoiding problems like oxidation.”

Frank did a wine-making degree via correspondence but found that his background in plant biology was invaluable in producing a great vintage.

“I really enjoy the sense of freedom in my career,” he says. “One day I'm running around town organising things, the next in the office and the next day out in the paddock.”

Gus Wanganeen is a technician with CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, based in Darwin . He works on a number of projects that look at the important roles that termites and other soil bugs play in keeping tropical savannah landscapes healthy.

Having grown up in South Australia in a small, Aboriginal farming community, Gus has always wanted to work outdoors and with nature.

Gus completed a Certificate in Agriculture at Urrbrae Agricultural High School in South Australia . Urrbrae specialises in students looking for a career in agricultural sciences.

“When I first joined CSIRO I worked as a field assistant with the Division of Forest Research,” said Gus. “I then transferred to wildlife research working at Kakadu National Park , where for 15 years I was involved in fauna surveys and research working with small mammals. My training was largely on the job which was challenging and very rewarding, I am now doing other interesting work and projects that are satisfying and involve the outdoors lifestyle that I love.”

A lot of Gus' current work can be lab-based, such as using microscopes and sorting and labelling samples, for example. He also goes out into the field where he samples bugs using a number of different methods. These bugs help to recycle nutrients and water.

His work also looks at the effects of cattle grazing and fire, with a view to improving current land management practices. He enjoys the challenges of identifying different species of termites and is in the process of producing images and reference collections on the different types he identifies.

Some Science Related Jobs

Job Title	What is done daily?
Biomedical scientist	Undertakes research on cancer; develops vaccines and drugs to target malignant cells.
Product development specialist	Researches technological advancements and develops products for diagnostic and research purposes. Trains clients in the use of new products.
Scientific journalist	Investigates and reports on science news stories for the media.
Organic analytical chemist	Analyses amounts and types of drugs, pesticides and other substances in humans and animals, including in sport.
Marine scientist	Undertakes research into the oceans; their evolution, and life forms.
National Parks research officer	Collects natural history information for management of national parks, such as protection of endangered plants' and animals' habitats.
Manager of urban parks and landscapes	Beautifies city areas by landscaping and managing green spaces.
Environmental scientist	Helps manage the environment in a sustainable way by investigating issues such as global warming and salinity.
Ceramist	Designs, manufactures and improves materials used in bricks, concrete and tiles.
Dietician	Consults as a nutritional expert in hospitals or private practices. Develops care plans for those with special requirements such as diabetics or athletes.
Materials analyst	Researches and analyses materials used for electrics, magnetics, biological, optical and mechanical applications.
Geneticist	Unlocks the secrets of life, working to discover the origins of disease and birth defects and develops ways to prevent or treat them.
Geologist	Analyses rock formations, studies data and works outdoors. Takes samples and measurements and analyses them in the laboratory.
Mathematician	Uses mathematical theories to solve problems or develop new principles.
Zoologist	Oversees the care and distribution of animals in the zoo and determines the best way to maintain their habitats.
Research scientist	Works towards agreed research objectives producing original ideas and taking overall responsibility for solving a problem.
Biologist	Studies humans, plants and animals and the environments in which they live, outside and in the laboratory.
Forensic scientist	Gives crucial evidence in criminal and civil law courts after examining crime scenes.
Laboratory technician	Assists scientists by carrying out experiments and working out results
Radiographer	Uses imaging techniques in a hospital or clinic to diagnose or treat disease.