Zoology

Many of the skills you gain through studying for a zoology degree are marketable in most career areas. You learn both practical and technical skills during laboratory sessions, including obtaining, recording, collating and analysing data using appropriate techniques, and the use of highly technical equipment. Working with others in a team, in the laboratory and on projects or assignments, develops your communication, project management and organisational skills.

Over the course of your degree you develop a wide mix of subject-specific and technical skills, you should consider these skills developed on your course as well as through your other activities, such as paid work, volunteering, family responsibilities, sport, membership of societies, leadership roles, etc. Think about how these can be used as evidence of your skills and personal attributes. Then you can start to market and sell who you really are, identify what you may be lacking and consider how to improve your profile.

Prospects

A 2010 HESA survey of 2009 graduates indicates that six months after graduation, around half of zoology graduates had entered paid employment in the UK or overseas. Of those, 4% had started jobs related to scientific analysis and research and 10% were in other technical and professional roles. 2% were in arts, design, culture and sports related roles, while 3% were in business and financial roles.

Over a quarter of zoology graduates were in clerical, retail or catering work. The wide variety of employment destinations seen amongst zoology graduates reflects the diversity of skills provided by a zoology degree. Many recent graduates will have taken a job they do not regard as permanent and will be planning to use it as a 'stepping stone' to gain experience to support their longer-term career aspirations.

Where are the jobs?

Zoology graduates are qualified for a variety of careers both in biological fields, and in areas where specific scientific knowledge may not be required.

Employers include: universities and government research institutions; the National Health Service (see NHS Careers) and medical research establishments; water authorities; zoos (see British & Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA)); wildlife trusts and environmental protection agencies (e.g. The Wildlife Trusts). For more ideas, see Animaljobsdirect.

There are opportunities in consultancy in the private sector and in technical and research roles with veterinary, agricultural, fisheries and biotechnology organisations, and with other employers such as chemical, pharmaceutical, and petroleum companies.

Zoology graduates can also find work in the education sector, with museums or other cultural organisations, or move into other jobs such as management, marketing, sales or scientific journalism.

Jobs directly related to your degree

• Nature conservation officer.
• Research scientist (life science)
• Fisheries research scientist.
• Zookeeper

Jobs where your degree would be useful

• Biomedical scientist
• Environmental education officer
• Patent attorney / Patent examiner.
• Recycling officer
• Medical sales representative
• Scientific laboratory technician
• Toxicologist

Although some of the jobs listed here might not be first jobs for many graduates, they are among the many realistic possibilities with your degree, provided you can demonstrate you have the attributes employers are looking for. Bear in mind that it's not just your degree discipline that determines your options. Remember that many graduate vacancies don't specify particular degree disciplines, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

You can find more about the skills you develop during your course, the jobs listed above, plus case studies and where to find these jobs at Prospects.

Included with the permission of AGCAS. For the latest version of this publication, see www.prospects.ac.uk. For permission to reproduce, contact copyright@agcas.org.uk