Science – Technology careers

It is often said that grandparenting is one of life’s greatest joys. Certainly, listening to my 16-year-old grandson muse about his life dreams and plans during a long, cross country walk in the Kaipara was very special for me. He was constructing his own career pathway and was keen to get my advice on the best universities and qualifications to enable him to pursue it. Some of his questions were simple and some were complex. My main piece of advice was that pursuing careers is like a game of rugby – you have the ball in your hands and the best option is usually to run hard for the gaps and to avoid the thickets of competitors. That requires good judgement and keeping up with trends in the economy.

Begin the journey by choosing a degree or degrees that point in the general direction of a
special personal interest to the student. Science is a broad faculty and usually includes many different disciplines – biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, psychology, geology, geography and so forth. Specific discipline degrees are sometimes offered in different faculties: computer science in science, software engineering and robotics in engineering, information systems in commerce/business. One can also take a conjoint degree such as BSc/BCom, which can bridge two disciplines and so increase one’s career options.

What are the hottest fields in terms of future careers in science and technology? There is a lot of current interest in areas such as robotics, biotechnology, environmental science, genetics, bioinformatics, nanotechnology and bio-medical technology. These are usually approached through traditional disciplines at undergraduate levels. The important point here is for the student to remain adaptable to changing labour market and economic trends. A graduating high school student will apply for her or his first job as a university graduate in four to five years’ time, and the labour market and the economy can change over those years of study. Also, university graduates often seek overseas professional experience and so growth in opportunities elsewhere in the world may well prove to be important to your future career.

Meanwhile, a special message for women seeking science or engineering careers. There is a discouraging perception that quantitative or mathematical disciplines are not for females. Commonsense and a wealth of evidence indicates otherwise. The global field of software engineering was notable for having many exceptional women as its founding leaders. In the interdisciplinary research field of nanotechnology – bridging physics, chemistry and engineering – there are now probably as many females as males. In New Zealand and overseas universities, the proportion of top females in key technology fields is increasing at present. Last year saw the first female Nobel prize winner in physics. The current environment for employment in some key technology fields probably favours female applicants as many organisations seek to redress decades of under-representation of women in high technology fields like computing, mathematics, engineering and physics. So to women I say, run for the career gaps in the physical sciences, engineering, computing and mathematics. The time is right.

Professor Ralph Cooney
r.cooney@auckland.ac.nz