Our recommendation to those wishing to pursue a career in forensic science is to focus on getting a good general education first. We cannot stress this enough. Third level education is very expensive and in this uncertain climate today, you need to ensure that you have plenty of flexibility so that you can appeal to different employers.The best science degrees will give you a better offering in the overall marketplace, particularly if opportunities within forensic science are limited, which is likely to be the case. Don't be swayed by the marketing claims of Universities, no employment in forensic science can be guaranteed by any of them. Be mindful that student numbers are high on their list of priorities, why else would there be such an explosion in forensic science courses? Forensic science sells seats......
A post graduate degree in forensic science may give you an edge in the recruitment market – but that is not guaranteed, and doing post-graduate work in forensic science should be weighed up against getting real life experience in a scientific laboratory setting. A lot of thought should be given to whether or not to pursue a PhD in the hope of securing forensic employment as it is unlikely to secure you a higher level entry than others of lower qualifications.
You need to keep a very close eye on the level of debt you incur during your time as a student, because the likelihood is that entry level positions will not pay well and put your finances under considerable pressures. Employers are paying more attention to candidates personal finances as they must assess the level of risk of candidates leaving owing to financial hardship, caused primarily by debt incurred whilst a student.
Contact Traces view is that we are interested in mature, enthusiastic candidates who have a good general scientific education and who have the potential to become the best forensic scientists in the country. We are likely to have to spend considerable resources training people in the first year so we need to ensure that the fit between employer and candidate is absolutely right from the start.
For all candidates it goes without saying that the most important part of your application is what it says about you, the individual – we only have your piece of paper to judge you – so give us a chance to see who you are; after all you are more than the letters after your name.
Be under no illusion though, it is hard to get a job in forensic science. Each forensic scientist has their tale to tell of self sacrifice and the lengths they have had to go to make their dream of being a forensic scientist come true. It will be no different for you. You can expect to have an enormously rewarding job, but it certainly doesn’t pay as well as you may expect, and the stress and responsibility on individual scientists can be great. It is not for the faint hearted and it’s not like it looks on the telly.
