- #1
thegreenlaser
- 525
- 16
I'm helping someone figure out what they want to do career-wise. They know they're interested in biology, but they don't want to become a doctor. Based on my experience here, I'm guessing that becoming a biologist is a long and difficult road, and that a biology probably doesn't really prepare you for a career (as opposed to something like engineering or nursing). Presumably, there isn't a lot of demand for whale biologists.
So I'm wondering, what would be a good "career-oriented" degree for someone who's interested in biology, but not interested in spending years fighting for a good job or a tenured position. For someone mildly interested in physics, engineering is a good "career-safe" alternative. Is medical or pharmaceutical research a relatively safe career choice? Are there other biology-related fields which are fairly "safe" as a career choice? Or is being a doctor the only "safe" career option related to biology?
Edit: by the way, the reason I'm asking here is to try to get a realistic understanding of the job prospects. Searching "careers in ______" mostly tells you what you can do and not how likely it is that you'll secure a position, or how hard you're going to have to work to get/keep your job.
So I'm wondering, what would be a good "career-oriented" degree for someone who's interested in biology, but not interested in spending years fighting for a good job or a tenured position. For someone mildly interested in physics, engineering is a good "career-safe" alternative. Is medical or pharmaceutical research a relatively safe career choice? Are there other biology-related fields which are fairly "safe" as a career choice? Or is being a doctor the only "safe" career option related to biology?
Edit: by the way, the reason I'm asking here is to try to get a realistic understanding of the job prospects. Searching "careers in ______" mostly tells you what you can do and not how likely it is that you'll secure a position, or how hard you're going to have to work to get/keep your job.