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Graduate case studies

Graduate case studies
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Zoë - 
Science Communicator

Even though many of our graduates will have progressed in their careers since completing a case study, they are still of interest to students who wish to gain an understanding of the world of work.

About the job

Main responsibilities

I deliver science shows around the country, from shows about bubbles to infant age children, to shows about cryonics to secondary and adult audiences.
I also deal with bookings and day to day running of the company.

Typical day

If I am delivering a show, the night before I'll have packed up my van with all the kit needed for the shows and have stayed over close to the venue. I would typically deliver 3 one hour performances of two different shows to up to 250 students at a time.
When not presenting, I could be doing anything from processing new bookings, answering the phone, writing proposals for new show ideas, learning shows or perfecting experiments.

What do I enjoy about my job?

The looks on students' faces when you show them an exciting new science demo, or explain how we're using GFP to study wound repair. The best moment is when the show ends and the students are free to go to lunch, but they all crowd round asking questions because they're so excited!

Challenging aspects

Presenting is a one-man job, so you are solely responsible for getting to the venue, setting up, presenting, getting home. This can be stressful if you have several jobs in a row and you could be away from home for up to a week.

Why did this area of work appeal to me?

I loved my degree, but I knew that I wouldn't want to stay in the lab, I wanted to tell people about it! So I decided that science communication would be a great way to do that.

Skills/qualifications I use in my job?

My science degree definitely provided the groundwork for this job, but my MSc in Science Communication really honed skills such as presenting, which I use all the time.
I have also aways worked with kids, as a Guide Leader, which is invaluable when you're working in schools.

Training I receive as part of my job

I have completed LAMDA in public speaking, at Gold level, as well as safety and manual handling training.


Career information

Brief history since leaving University

Masters in Science, Media and Communication at Cardiff University

Started working for 'science made simple'

Where do I see myself in the future?

I would like to continue to work in the field of science communication, hopefully reaching larger audiences. Or maybe be the next Blue Peter presenter!


Advice to students

My piece of advice to students

Do what you really want to do, not what others tell you. Once I decided I wanted to work in scicomm, I looked into it and found all jobs asked for work experience. So, I did a masters degree in scicomm, and shortly afterwards landed my first real job, in science communication.


Last updated: 04 Apr 2013