Each week we explain how to look for work experience. This time, science
Ireland's science industry is particularly dynamic. As the Government plans to turn Ireland into a knowledge-based economy, levels of research in science and technology have never been higher. That means there are plenty of opportunities for any little Einsteins.
Of course, you can't just say you want to be a scientist. That's like saying you want to be a tradesman. Science has many branches. You could work in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, health, sport, education, manufacturing or computing, to name just a few areas.
"A scientist's job can vary," says James Ring of the Irish Business and Employers Confederation. "You have quality control, where the scientist ensures that products are of a high enough standard to be used by the general public. Then you have analytical scientists, who use complex instruments to analyse drugs and chemicals, ensuring they are safe for use. Environmental scientists make sure that waste material and by-products being released into the environment are causing no damage. You also have research-and- development scientists. These scientists are at the cutting edge of technology and are developing, say, new types of medicines in the hope of creating a better standard of life for us all."
For work experience, your best bet is to contact one of the bigger pharmaceutical companies. Quite a few give week-long placements to transition-year students. There are various ways of applying. Normally, preference is given to employees' children and applicants from local schools. Schering Plough, in Co Cork, and Pfizer, which has plants around Ireland, might be good starting points.
If you are successful you will probably get the chance to spend time in each of the laboratories, carrying out their day-to-day duties.
You can also apply to science departments at universities and colleges. Trinity College in Dublin, for example, takes in students regularly, as well as running the Transition Year Physics Experience. Find out the name and address of the relevant people in the department and send them a CV.
If it turns out to be the best week of your life, you will be happy to learn that there are numerous options for further study. All Irish universities have science departments, and a huge number of other courses are being offered at colleges and institutes of technology.
