Exploring STEM Careers

Jennifer Black’s path into engineering started in childhood, driven by curiosity and a love of taking things apart to see how they worked. Today, after more than three decades at Trane Technologies, she’s helping shape a more inclusive future for the field. 👩🔧✨ Some insights from her story that stood out: 🔹 The early days were isolating: She began her career in the early 1990s, when women in engineering were extremely rare. Being one of the only women in the room was normal — and it shaped her commitment to making things different for those coming after her. 🔹 The pipeline is finally growing: At recent industry conferences, she sees women represented at nearly every table. And at university career fairs, young women are showing up in large numbers, forming long lines for engineering roles. To her, it’s a clear sign of cultural shift and growing confidence. 🎓💫 🔹 STEM careers don’t have to be linear. Her own journey moved across engineering, marketing, software, recruiting, pricing and finance before she stepped into program-management. Each role added new skills and broadened her understanding of how the business works. 🌱 🔹 Stepping away and returning is possible with the right support. She paused her career to focus on raising her children, then re-entered the workforce with the help of mentors who valued her contributions. Now she advocates for flexibility and support so other women can make similar choices without losing momentum. 🤝💛 🔹 Sustainability and people development go hand in hand. In her current role, she leads projects focused on efficiency, emissions and refrigerant innovation — but she also dedicates energy to mentoring early-career engineers and building environments where diverse voices are included from the start. 🌍💡 Jennifer’s story reflects a broader shift: more representation, more pathways into engineering, and more women seeing STEM as a place where they can build long, meaningful careers. Read the full article to dive deeper into her journey! 👉 https://lnkd.in/esT8FUUM #WomenInSTEM #GirlsInSTEM #STEMGems #GiveGirlsRoleModels

Not everyone in STEM loves the lab. And honestly? You don’t have to. If pipettes, centrifuges, and endless benchwork aren’t your thing, that doesn’t mean your degree was wasted. It means you have skills that can shine outside the lab. Here are some career paths worth exploring 👇 🔹 Regulatory Affairs Turn complex science into approvals that bring treatments to patients. 🔹 Clinical Trials Management Oversee how therapies move from research to real-world application. 🔹 Medical Writing Translate dense data into clear papers, reports, and educational content. 🔹 Product Management Shape the tools, software, and devices scientists actually use. 🔹 Bioinformatics / Data Science Swap pipettes for algorithms and analyze biological data at scale. 🔹 Business Development Help biotech startups grow by spotting opportunities and building partnerships. Your STEM degree trained you to problem-solve, think critically, and learn hard things fast. Those skills are valuable far beyond the lab bench. So if you hate pipettes...good news. Your career options just got a lot wider.

“I’m too girly to be an engineer” Gender stereotypes are still so ingrained in young people’s perceptions of career opportunities. It was a throw-away comment from one of this group, who then went on to win their STEMAZING Structures Challenge where we were looking for #creativity and #collaboration in design. In this workshop we kicked off by asking the groups what they thought an Engineer was. The usual ideas are - someone who fixes things - someone who works with metal - some who works on cars But you can see the lightbulb moments when we show them examples of diverse engineers doing things like medical devices, performance technology in sport, film set design, sustainable food production, humanitarian aid, sound equipment for music concerts, building wildlife bridges. The Royal Academy of Engineering #ThisIsEngineering campaign is fantastic for eye catching content to showcase the exciting diversity in engineering. This is a brilliant way to start and end a workshop. But showing them videos and talking to them is not enough. You need to get them involved. Get them practicing skills that show them they have what it takes to be an engineer if they want to. Hands-on #STEM challenges connect and engage your audience. Young kids thrive on them and it keeps their attention, but I’ve seen even the most disinterested of teenagers get totally engrossed and engaged once they start experimenting hands-on themselves. This team pictured here (with their permission to share) blew me away as they worked so well together exploring different design options with iterative experimentation to work out what would fail and what would work. That is creativity and collaboration and courage in action! #innovation and #problemsolving. Key attributes for #engineers. Turns out you can be girly AND be an engineer. We’re not trying to say everyone MUST do engineering. We’re opening their eyes to the possibility it could be for them. We’re helping them appreciate the everyday engineering in the world around them that is so easy to take for granted. We’re showing them how awesome it is to be curious about the wondrous world around us. We’re showing them ways they can be part of solutions to problems they care about. We need more #rolemodels running workshops like this so we can reach more young people. For support on how to do this effectively you can get involved in our STEMAZING #community open to ALL 🎉 #diversity #inclusion #inspiration #impact

Many chemists assume that their only career path is staying in the lab - but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Chemistry develops some of the strongest transferable skills in the whole STEM landscape: -Analytical problem-solving -Attention to detail -Technical communication -Project management -Risk and safety awareness -Practical troubleshooting 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘺 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘰𝘯-𝘭𝘢𝘣 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨: -Data and analytical positions -Compliance, regulatory, and product safety -Technical sales, customer support and applications -Supply chain, operations, and project management -Process improvement and manufacturing support -HSE roles If you’re a chemist considering a move away from the bench, you’re not starting from scratch - you’re simply redirecting skills that industry needs now more than ever. Check out our latest blog where we break down the difference between technical, regulatory and commercial roles, and how you can switch between the three. Read the full blog here: https://bit.ly/3Xhyd1b #chemistry #careerdevelopment #transferableskills #jobsinSTEM #scientificrecruitment #careeradvice #jobsearch #careersoutsideacademia #industryroles #recruitment

🎓If you’ve recently graduated with a life science degree and are trying to figure out your next step, start with what you enjoy, then match it to a role. If you love… - Understanding the ‘why’ behind data → Try Bioinformatics or Data Science -Experimentation & structured workflows → Try Quality, QC or Process Development -Writing essays, communicating the science clearly → Try Medical Writing -Big-picture planning, Working cross-functionally with teams → Try Project Management -Translating science to patient impact → Try Clinical Operations -Problem solving, presenting data → Try Technical Sales or Applications Support Your scientific mindset is an asset, the key is directing it to the environment that fits you best. If you're struggling to pick your path, check out our full graduate guide where we break down the difference between technical, commercial and regulatory roles and the career paths you can take within these disciplines: https://bit.ly/3Xhyd1b #chemistry #careerdevelopment #transferableskills #jobsinSTEM #scientificrecruitment #careeradvice #jobsearch #careersoutsideacademia #industryroles #recruitment

💼 If you’re starting to explore internships or grad roles, these are some sites and events worth checking out! I’ve come across these platforms through my own journey , and they’ve been super useful for discovering opportunities 👇🏾 (Not ranked, just from my own experience!) 1️⃣ Bright Network – Great for internships, placements, and grad roles + insight days. Their Autumn & Spring events are perfect for networking and hearing directly from employers and senior leaders. 2️⃣ Higherin Careers (formerly RateMyPlacement) – Fantastic for placements and internships, with honest reviews from past interns that give insight into company culture and day-to-day experiences. 3️⃣ Gradcracker – The go-to for STEM students. Find placements, spring weeks, and graduate jobs, and follow employers to get notified when applications open. 4️⃣ targetjobs UK – Reliable for job listings and employer events, plus plenty of resources to help you prepare for interviews and assessment centres. 5️⃣ LinkedIn – Beyond listings, recruiters can reach out to you directly (it’s happened to me a few times!). ✅ Make sure your profile is updated, clear, and reflects your interests. It really increases your chances of being noticed. 6️⃣ Beyond Education (BE) – Focused on job listings, especially roles outside London. Super useful if you’re exploring regional opportunities. 7️⃣ Trackr – Displays job openings in a tracker format, making it easier to monitor deadlines and new postings across firms. 8️⃣ STEM Women – Hosts inspiring events that spotlight women in STEM (open to everyone!) and connect you directly with employers. 9️⃣ BTF® (Black Tech Fest) – Combines powerful talks celebrating Black excellence and innovation with career stands and networking opportunities. 🔟 University Careers Fairs – Great first exposure to employers and local opportunities. Even if you’re not applying yet, they’re worth attending for the experience! 💻 Bonus tip: Some companies don’t advertise on external sites, try searching “Company Name and/or interested job function + type of role" to find hidden opportunities! It's also a good idea to sign up to mailing lists on company sites to make sure you get alerted on when roles are released! There are also plenty of emerging student communities on LinkedIn, only started noticing them recently. Here's just a few of them: Aspiring Professionals in STEM (APSTEM), LEAF Pathways, and Black Undergrad. If I've missed anything out, feel free to share in the comments! I hope this helps someone who’s just starting out on their journey! 🌱 Feel free to repost if you believe this will help out someone in your network!

A PhD doesn’t lock you into academia. It unlocks doors you didn’t know existed. For too long, PhDs have been told their only path forward is teaching or research. But here’s the truth: There are high-impact, well-paid, and fulfilling careers outside the ivory tower. Here are 10 alternative career paths for PhDs that are reshaping industries: 📌Industry R&D → Contribute to innovation in pharma, biotech, and tech. 📌 Consulting → Apply problem-solving to real-world business and healthcare challenges. 📌 Data Science & Analytics → Turn complex data into actionable insights across industries. 📌 Science Communication & Journalism → Bridge the gap between science and society. 📌 Intellectual Property & Patent Law → Protect the innovations of tomorrow. 📌 Government & Policy → Shape public policy with your expertise. 📌Entrepreneurship & Startups → Build what academia could never offer you: ownership. 📌Higher Ed Administration → Influence the systems behind the classroom. 📌Corporate Training & Development → Help organizations grow through expert-led learning. 📌Non-Profit & International Organizations → Tackle global challenges and make impact at scale. — PhDs are not limited. They’re limitless. Tag someone exploring life beyond academia. #PhDCareers #LifeAfterGradSchool #AlternativeAcademic #HigherEd #ScienceCommunication #PublicHealth #PolicyCareers #STEMCareers

Most people think “data” means one job. Data Analyst. But the data world is much bigger than that. It includes strategy, research, AI, governance, product, experimentation, privacy, growth, forecasting, and leadership. There are at least 50 distinct career paths inside the data ecosystem. Some are deeply technical. Some are business-focused. Some sit at the intersection of both. If you are trying to enter the data field, the real question is not: “How do I become a data analyst?” It is: “Which direction in data fits my strengths?” • Do you enjoy building systems? • Do you enjoy solving business problems? • Do you enjoy research and modeling? • Do you enjoy storytelling and decision-making? Your answer determines your path. The industry does not need everyone to become the same role. It needs specialists, strategists, builders, translators, and leaders. Which role from this list interests you the most? #DataCareers #DataAnalytics #DataScience #DataEngineering #BusinessIntelligence #MachineLearning #Analytics #AI #TechCareers #CareerGrowth #DataJobs #WomenInTech #LinkedInLearning #SQL #Python #PowerBI #CareerInTech #AnalyticsCommunity #FutureOfWork #STEMCareers