Careers in science, engineering and technology
Find out about careers in:
The sky’s the limit
Watching the weather is all in a day’s work for Anna Gero. Anna works as a Climate Research Analyst for Insurance Australia Group (IAG) – Australia’s largest general insurer. In this diverse role Anna investigates weather and climate research including climate change issues across Australia and New Zealand.
“The research skills I developed while studying my undergraduate degree and Honours at Macquarie University are invaluable in my role. I draw on my meteorological knowledge every day,” says Anna.
Anna chose to study at Macquarie University because the Environmental Science program offered flexibility and a lot of subject choice.
“The degree presents a fresh and modern way of managing the environment, geared towards equipping students with skills for employment.”
“I really enjoyed the practical group research project at the end of the program because we were given the opportunity to work with prospective employers to address a specific environmental issue.
“The teaching staff offers plenty of guidance as well. With the support of my supervisor, Professor Andy Pitman, my research was published in international scientific journals, featured on the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald and made it to the airwaves. That was a real buzz!.”
Graduates in atmospheric science can take up careers in:
- Bureau of Meteorology (including its research centre in Melbourne)
- CSIRO
- local and state governments
- the insurance industry.
Further information about atmospheric science:
- study atmospheric science at Macquarie University
Not your typical science graduate
"During your first few years at university you learn the skills that are essential to scientists - how to research, enquire and analyse. These skills are really valued by employers. If you choose to do further studies you can work with inspiring scientists who are leaders in their fields," says David.
"I chose to complete my PhD at Macquarie University and CSIRO because of the excellent, supportive supervisors. I really enjoyed frequent scientific discussions with peers when we would analyse and question our own research."
Currently David is the Research and Business Leader for Biotechnology and Health Informatics with CSIRO Mathematical and Information Sciences. The group is made up of statisticians, biologists, mathematicians and image analysts and works on a number of problems confronting life scientists concerning biological data.
David explains that over the past 15 years scientists from around the world have been able to collect a mind-blowing amount of biological data about things like genes, proteins and metabolites. Unfortunately, the data is not very useful unless it can be properly analysed. The process of managing and analysing biological data is called bioinformatics.
Careers available to graduates of bioinformatics include:
- researching and teaching bioinformatics at university
- writing programs and running hardware in industry organisation such as database warehouses and pharmaceutical companies
- working on large, international projects like the Human Genome Project
- working for government organisations
- working for solution providers such as SGI and IBM.
Further information:
- Study bioinformatics at Macquarie University
- Vacation scholarships at CSIRO Mathematical and Information Sciences
Improving the health of Australians
You’ll find chemists working in almost every area of science, engineering and technology to improve the quality of our lives.
Since graduating with a Bachelor of Science from Macquarie University in 2002, Julie Woolf has worked in several roles in the pharmaceutical industry. She is currently working as a Senior Product Specialist for Janssen-Cilag. In this role Julie educates general practitioners and psychiatrists about an anti-psychotic drug taken by suffers of schizophrenia.
“My work is really satisfying because I am helping to positively change people’s lives,” says Julie.
“Although I was not a top student, I always found chemistry interesting and persevered through the tough times. As a result I have an exciting and interesting career … and the money’s pretty good too!
“Graduates of chemistry will find plenty of career vacancies in the healthcare industry, but it can be difficult to get into if you don’t have experience. To maximise your employment prospects, undergraduate students should gain work experience while they are studying.”
Career options for chemistry graduates are almost endless. Students of chemistry are able to solve problems and think things through. These skills are useful for any job!
Chemists are needed in the:
- Pharmaceutical industry to invent and improve drugs
- Food industry to create and test foodstuffs and additives
- Petroleum industry to develop and analyse fuels
- Textiles industry to create new synthetic products like plastics.
The list goes on and on…
Further information about:
Lighting the way to a career in optoelectronics
Mark Gauci graduated with a Bachelor of Technology (Optoelectronics). In 1999 he teamed up with fellow Macquarie University graduate, Graham Vesey and co-founded the company, BTF – Precise Microbiology, which now serves customers in over 40 countries and employs over 20 people in Australia and the USA.
“The Bachelor of Technology (Optoelectronics) program at Macquarie University has been developed in close consultation with relevant industries.”
“As a graduate of this course, I know from personal experience that the Bachelor of Technology (Optoelectronics) degree provides a sound foundation on which to build a fulfilling and lucrative career,” says Mark.
People with tertiary qualifications in optoelectronics can take up careers in:
- research and development of optical and photonic devices and systems
- sales and service engineers for high-tech photonics and laser equipment
- optical communication networking
- education of technicians in laser/optics fields
- using lasers for a range of manufacturing processes.
The Bachelor of Technology (Optoelectronics) program at Macquarie University has been developed in close consultation with relevant industries. Graduates of this program are highly sought after by local employers in the fields of optics, optoelectronics, and photonics.
Further information about optoelectronics:
Kate’s caring career
Kate Mirabito is a speech pathologist who works in a private practice to help children and adults with speech, language, literacy, voice and stuttering difficulties, as well as adults who have problems swallowing food and drink.
Kate Mirabito completed her Master of Speech and Language Pathology at Macquarie University in 2004. Prior to completing this degree she completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Queensland, majoring in psychology and English literature. Kate saw a career in speech pathology as an opportunity to merge her interests in psychology, drama and English with a desire to help and support children and adults with difficulties in areas such as speech and language.
“Being a postgraduate course, students had already completed degrees and came from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, which made it a stimulating learning environment,” says Kate.
“Our lecturers had practical experience in specialised areas, and were able to pass on their knowledge, skills and experiences to the students.”
Speech pathologists work in a variety of public and private health settings in areas such as:
- language
- speech (articulation)
- voice
- stuttering (fluency)
- swallowing
- literacy.
Further information:
- study speech pathology at Macquarie University
- what students say about studying speech and language pathology