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Asked by KatieD13 on 30 Sep 2024.
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Rebecca von Hellfeld answered on 30 Sep 2024:
I always loved the ocean and ideally wanted to work at/near/with it. But I always thought I had to be SUPER GOOD at science, and in school I never really got good grades in chemistry or physics. So I decided to do a more generic environmental undergraduate, realising that I was totally wrong and should have gone with marine biology straight away. So I did a marine focussed masters, and the rest is history.
For me, its the calming nature of the ocean, and the fact that we still know so little about it. I saw an interview with Sylvia Earle when I was a kid, and that made me realise that you can actually work as a marine researcher!
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Michael C Macey answered on 30 Sep 2024:
I was always interested in science as a kid, and I wanted to do medicine originally but when I was attending a medical talk I discovered I have a strong blood phobia (by nearly fainting…). I realised I still liked research and went into biology for my undergrad, discovered microbiology and did a microbiology PhD.
For my job now, there was an advert on a facebook group for microbiologists about a job at the Open University researching extreme microbes – the timing was perfect as I was finishing my PhD, the project looked interesting and I had the skills needed. Eight years later I am still here.
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Martin McMahon answered on 4 Oct 2024:
Strangely I didn’t really pick my jobs, I just kind of bumped into each opportunity at the right time and changed jobs when that happened.
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Michael Schubert answered on 4 Oct 2024:
I always wanted to go into science – and especially life sciences. I loved biology because I loved learning about the world around me (and about myself)! Once I decided I liked that branch of science, I couldn’t decide what to do, so I did a little of everything: plants, animals, dinosaurs, medicine, you name it. Eventually, I did my degree in medical sciences… but even then I couldn’t make up my mind, so now I work across a lot of different life sciences.
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Rachael Eggleston answered on 11 Oct 2024:
I actually just stumbled into it! I thought plants were pretty interesting while I was in high school, but I thought everything was interesting. I decided to study plants because a professor at my university took the time to show me around the department and talk about what a career in plant science could be.
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Ashley Hecklinger answered on 12 Nov 2024:
It was actually during my Master’s degree that my thesis project introduced me to the field I’m currently in now!
Comments
Andrew M commented on :
Short answer is “they advertised it”
I didn’t really pick it. It picked me. After finishing university I didn’t have any clear idea what I’d like to do or where I should work. I applied for a great range of jobs across a broad range of fields without targetting one field or industry or place in particular. After many interviews and assessment centres I narrowed my desired jobs down to three I really wanted.
And promptly got none of them
I talked myself out of one and didn’t talk myself into the other two.
Instead I was offered a role I had applied for but hadn’t much considered. Lacking any alternative I took it, a wage is a wage. I grew into it and have been here 21 years now..
Martin M commented on :
I knew I wanted to be a scientist but the question was who to work for… a company and being told what to do… or in a university with all the freedom of choice that gives. I went for the latter as I don’t like being told what to do!
aureliabrzezowska commented on :
I found a greater love for cybersecurity at University after studying it in a module. I had always known I liked it but not to such an extent!
Sheridan commented on :
I never chose to start my working life as a Rocket Scientist at 19 years old. I simply applied to the MoD for a job!
Tim C commented on :
I’ve always had an interest in technology right back to my first ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 computers. I’ve had many roles as a computer scientist from mainframe programmer when I started right up to a Cyber Consultant as I am now.