• Question: If you didn't want to be a scientist but you like studying science what jobs would you recommend?

    Asked by K+F on 22 Jul 2025.
    • Photo: Caroline Mullen

      Caroline Mullen answered on 22 Jul 2025:

      It depends what you mean by scientist, remember not all scientists stand in labcoats in labs all day, some are out and about studying geology, ecology etc, some are engineers designing things either in factories or digitally on computers, some are in tech working on software design etc. There are countless careers that use science, and even if the job doesn’t sound like it uses science it probably does! Have a look at university prospectuses, job sites and careers advice sites for examples of careers, hopefully you find some that sound interesting to you.

    • Photo: Charlotte Slade

      Charlotte Slade answered on 22 Jul 2025:

      What a brilliant question! It’s something I thought about a lot when I was finishing my own PhD in Physics. It felt like I had to choose between wearing a lab coat forever or doing something completely different.

      Here’s the secret I wish someone had told me then: studying science gives you a kind of superpower. That superpower is learning how to solve puzzles, be curious, and figure out how things really work. You can take that superpower into almost any job you can imagine.

      Think of it this way:

      Want to be a detective? You could become a Patent Attorney (or a Crime Scene Investigator).
      They get to investigate new inventions and decide if they’re actually brand new. You use your science knowledge to protect amazing ideas before anyone else can copy them. (It’s a bit like being a real-life scientific Sherlock Holmes).

      Love telling stories? You could be a Science Journalist or even a YouTuber.
      Your job would be to take really complex ideas, like black holes or new medicines, and turn them into incredible stories that everyone can understand and get excited about.

      Are you a gamer or love your tech?
      The people who design the graphics engines for games often have physics backgrounds. They use science to make sure the light, water, and explosions all look and feel realistic. Or you could help design the next generation of phones or headphones using new materials.

      Like being the one who makes the plan? That’s kind of what I do now! I use my science background to help a company decide which cool new technologies they should build next. My job is to connect the amazing discoveries in the lab to products that can actually help people in the real world.

      So, studying science doesn’t just train you to be a “scientist.” It trains your brain to be an expert problem-solver. And trust me, every single company in the world is looking for people who are great at solving problems.

      Keep studying what you love. It’s a launchpad that can send you in hundreds of exciting directions.

    • Photo: Adam Cleaver

      Adam Cleaver answered on 22 Jul 2025: last edited 22 Jul 2025 13:21

      You could quite easily join the military or become a teacher. You could also choose a research careers

    • Photo: Caroline Roche

      Caroline Roche answered on 23 Jul 2025:

      I originally wanted to be a scientist but decided that helping scientists as an engineer would be alot more enjoyable. I still get to learn alot about science, plus I still learn about different science elements outside of my work as more of a hobby.
      Science gives a good basis for alot of jobs – as you study it you might find something you enjoy; like being a technician fixing equipment or going into finance or management. Research costs alot of money, so with your background in science you could help scientists keep their funding or it may help you decide when the funding isn’t worth the effort.

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