Gaining Experience
Work experience can be invaluable to develop your skills, enhance your employability prospects as well as build some professional contacts with employers in the sector. Please see below for some different ways you could find work experience within the Pharmacology sector.
Types of opportunities
Below are some examples of the different types of opportunities to gain experience while you study.
You may wish to secure an internship, which is a short term work opportunity, or a placement as part of your year in industry.
Applications generally open around September, with closing dates as early as October and November. Please see the below sites for Internship opportunities;
To learn more about completing a placement, you can contact the Placements team in the Careers and Employability Service.
Undertaking your own research into laboratories of interest and approaching them directly can lead to acquiring further practical experience.
Useful resources to assist you in locating labs to target as part of your search are:
- UK Science Park - a directory of Science Parks in the UK
- NHS Trust Directory - try approaching the principal clinical scientist in your local NHS Trust (you may have to go through the HR department)
- One Nucleus - a directory of biotech companies
- Science and Health Faculty - check your School notice boards and contact science lecturers. They may be looking for lab support staff/assistants during vacations or term time
Find out more about using a speculative approach to help you find work experience
Several academic institutions and research institutes offer summer research projects to students. Professional bodies and research councils also advertise opportunities, including clinical research, funding and studentships.
Use the links below, as well as internet search engines, to help you find suitable opportunities:
- Francis Crick Institute
- Royal Society of Biology
- National Centre for Health and Care Research
- John Innes Centre
Where to find work experience opportunities
There are plenty of ways to find work experience in accounting, finance and economics. Some key online platforms include:
Speculative applications
Speculative applications involve sending a CV and cover letter to an employer to ask if they have any vacancies, even if the company is not currently advertising for a role. They're a great way to access "hidden jobs" that go unadvertised.
Submitting a speculative application shows your interest in a specific company and your willingness to go above and beyond to develop your skills and understanding of the industry.
