Career as Scientist

When it comes to a career as scientist, one works in every field possible. A scientist works for a huge range of employers. Companies large and small will hire a scientist to work on research products and projects. Universities will hire scientists to do research or teach. Governments and hospitals release research grants and hire scientists to work on funded projects. When it comes to the career path of a scientist, the ultimate goal is to instill knowledge and understanding in a large scientific community, and to help illuminate new discoveries about the future.

Identifying problems

In the career as scientist, one is responsible for identifying problems in a particular area of research. He or she analyses different devices to solve a specific problem arising in the proper functioning of a device or machinery. A scientist investigates the failure of equipment or difficulties. He or she diagnoses faulty operations to recommend remedies.

Food Scientist: The individuals who are in the profession of research to ensure the safety of food are known as food scientists. The work responsibility of food scientists includes checking the stability and maturity in raw ingredients. They ensure that the food ingredients meet the required standards in terms of quality, safety, and nutrition value. They also hold the responsibility to inspect safety compliance as per government regulations concerning quality, sanitation conditions, and waste management.

Atmospheric Scientist: An atmospheric scientist is a professional who analyses ancient data to get a clear vision of climate, weather and atmospheric conditions in the past. Such ancient data is known as paleoclimatic data. It includes tree ring records to the composition of the atmosphere in the past. Their work involves application of principles of physics, chemistry, climatology and dynamics of weather on earth and as well as other planets of the solar system.

Bioinformatics Scientist: A scientist whose job involves combining technology and computer science to find the answers to complex questions of biology is known as a bioinformatics scientist. The inscrutable field of biology has enormous information about natural sustenance. A bioinformatics scientist researches and generates such information. He or she develops computational means or computer applications to transform the information or store it for study and advance the knowledge. 

Forensic Scientist: Forensic science uses scientific concepts to help hypotheses concerning physical evidence contained in a crime scene or contradict them. Forensic scientists examine evidence from crime scenes captured or provided and present their conclusions depending on the results of their tests. The forensic science area draws from a variety of areas of science, particularly physics, chemistry, and biology, concentrating on physical evidence identification, detection, and assessment. 

In the career as scientist one works in a laboratory environment. He or she is responsible for overseeing the research and study process. A scientist communicates with other departments as required for the project. A scientist is responsible for effectively communicating with other departments as per the requirement of the project.

Does Scientist require travelling?

Not Likely

When it comes to a career as scientist, one is not required to travel. It is very rare for a scientist to work other than his or her lab. But, there are some professions for example, forensic scientists have to travel to the crime scene in order to collect evidence.

Employment Shifts

Full Time

In a career as scientist, one works full-time. Work from home, on-call work, part-time or hourly basis employment shift is not provided in the career as scientist. Yes, the career as scientist falls into a certain shift. A scientist works from early mornings till late evenings. Shifts may also vary depending on the requirement of the organisation.

Employment Nature

Contractual, Permanent

In the career as scientist, one finds employment opportunities on both permanent as well as contractual basis. The contractual term completely depends on the requirement of the organisation. The contract’s duration may also be extended depending on the work performance of the scientist.

Work Place

Laboratory, Office

In the career as scientist, one works in an office environment with other scientists. He or she is often required to supervise the junior scientists working on a project under him or her.  

Presence in Geographical Area

Semi-urban, Urban

In his career as scientist, one finds alluring opportunities in urban areas. Bengaluru, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and New Delhi provide promising opportunities for scientists. Having said that there are several research based laboratories located in semi-urban areas as well.

Time Pressure

Likely

Yes, in the career as scientist, one often requires to work under frequent time pressure. 

Overtime Details

A scientist may be required to work overtime or more than 10 hours a day to meet the research deadlines.

Weekly Hours of Work

Min 35 Hours

A scientist works a minimum of 35 to 40 hours per week. The standard working hours may get extended due to excess work pressure. In the career as scientist one may be required to work overtime or 9 to 10 hours to meet the deadlines. 

When it comes to a career as a scientist, one must possess some set of skills in order to be successful. Some of the skills required to make a career as scientist are:

Research Skills:  In a career as scientist, one must be able to research effectively. He or she is responsible for researching and implementing findings for developing new products using various tools and technologies. 

Interpersonal Management: In a career as scientist, an individual is required to supervise the staff or researchers working under him or her. He or she is required to effectively communicate with other departments according to the requirement of the research project. In the career, as scientist one works with other scientists as well to fulfil the requirements of the research project. 

Critical Thinking: Critical thinking is one of the most important skills which is required in the career as scientist. For example, in case Forensic scientists are walking away from a crime scene with various pieces of information which could include blood splatter images, fingerprints, footprints, blood samples and shell casings. Throughout the laboratory, experts not only evaluate each bit of evidence separately, but they would also, however, bring together the whole data to create an image of what happened at the crime scene. They answer questions including where the attacker was relative to the victim, and how the criminal entered the house.

Communication Skills: In the career as scientist one must be able to understand spoken information. He or she should be able to speak and write clearly. A scientist is required to read and understand work-related materials. He or she should understand what others are saying and ask questions accordingly. 

We have provided below a list of several certification courses that aspiring individuals may opt to upgrade their skills and knowledge for a career as scientist. 

Astronomer: An astronomer is the one who studies the stars, galaxies, and planets. Astronomy and astrology are the focus of Astronomers. These astronomers study the movements of planets and follow the celestial and non-celestial objects of outer space. One needs to have good knowledge of the subject in order to become an astronomer.

Agronomist: Agronomy is a field of science that specialises in agricultural studies and its technological growth. The person responsible for conducting the research and development process that provides agricultural development is the agronomist. Commonly referred to as Plant Scientists, they are the ones who study the type and existence of the plant, agricultural land and soil for the best production.

Microbiologists: A study of Fungi, Algae and Bacteria was performed by a Microbiologist. Dealing with evolution, the formation and growth of small animals and plants is the role of microbiologists. Their role includes the study of pathogens and biological hazards. The study of biodiversity and agricultural interests also falls under the category of microbiologist research.

When it comes to a career as scientist, there are plenty of job opportunities available for scientists. A scientist is majorly required in fields like agriculture, space research, science, technology, production, so on and so forth. A scientist is required in all possible fields, therefore there are several types of scientists like forensic scientist, atmospheric scientist, food scientists, bioinformatics scientist and many more. The salary of scientists in India is dependent on the skills of scientists. Skill gaps should be bridged to make new graduates of scientisting aware of the latest tools and technologies used in the industry. Therefore, in the career as scientist if students wish to be successful they must work closely on the required skills. This will help then in grabbing high salary jobs for scientists available in the market.