Case study

Felicity is a Senior Research Officer at the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI)

Job pathway

Various casual jobs (market research, nutrition trials, tutoring) > Year-In-Industry studentship (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation) > Research assistant > Postdoctoral Fellow (Australian Cereal Rust Control Program) >Senior Research Officer

Qualifications

BSc (Environmental Biology) (Hons), PhD

How did you end up working in your current job?

My PhD project involved a population genetics study and I became interested in this area of research. During the final year of my PhD I started looking for researchers with similar interests in order to develop a postdoctoral project. This led to an application for a GRDC Postdoctoral Fellowship to study the population genetics of cereal rust pathogens with the ACRCP at the University of Sydney. This was successful and after almost three years with the ACRCP, I moved to Adelaide and joined the Field Crops Pathology Unit at SARDI to work on the population genetics of the barley leaf scald pathogen.

What skills do you use in your job?

A range of molecular biology and tissue culture techniques, staff and laboratory management, scientific writing, problem solving, teaching, presenting.

What are some alternative jobs that you would be qualified for?

Research positions involving plant pathology and genetics, or lecturing.

"Take advantage of any opportunity (paid or unpaid) to gain experience in the area in which you would like to work. The advantages are twofold, potential employers will get to know you and experience is what will get you the job....."

What do you think it was that got you the job over other applicants?

Specific experience with agricultural plant pathogens.

What advice would you give to students who have commenced an Agriculture degree and want to get a great job when they graduate?

Take advantage of any opportunity (paid or unpaid) to gain experience in the area in which you would like to work. The advantages are twofold: potential employers will get to know you and experience is what will get you the job. Apply for summer scholarship programs; these generally pay well and often lead to further studies or work opportunities.

What were your biggest mistakes during your life when applying for jobs? How would you have done it better?

Nerves in the interview! Preparation is the only way to improve the interview experience.

What type of activities were you involved in at university and high school, and did they give you any skills that you use in your job now?

I have always done a lot of bushwalking for relaxation and because I am interested in native plants. Any activity that is relaxing is very beneficial for managing heavy workloads! During my PhD I spent a lot of time at the gym which was essential for stress-relief and boosting energy levels. I still maintain a reasonable level of fitness which I think is essential for long hours working in labs and glasshouses.

What was the most surprising thing about working full time in agricultural science that you did not expect?

Progressing in a research career means very heavy workloads and getting further and further away from the most enjoyable part of the work – what happens at the lab bench.

If you could go back to the start of your degree and change anything you did since then, what would it be?

In my final year I would have done electives that were more relevant to my current area of work. However, at the time I did not know what I wanted to do in the future. I would also have networked more and spent my summer breaks gaining relevant experience.

Where do you see yourself in five year's time?

This is a difficult one to answer. Another surprising thing about working in science is that most research positions are contracts, at most three to five years. As an undergraduate I did not expect this. A lot can happen in that time and I hope that in five years I still have a job!