STEM Millennial's Dilemma

STEM-related industry is growing rapidly globally. There are almost twice as many STEM jobs in Australia than non-STEM jobs.

The odd thing is that only 65% of STEM graduates managed to find full-time employment within 4 months of graduating.

Clueo Clinical reached out to STEM-qualified candidates in Australia to ask them about their struggles in entering or transitioning to the industry. The survey is still ongoing, but we want to highlight here some important preliminary findings from the 75 responses collected so far.

Those surveyed are aged between 18 to 35 with 63% being female. Equal proportions of survey respondents have achieved either a Bachelor’s, a Master’s or a Doctorate (PhD) degree.

Our survey highlights that having a post-graduate degree is not a clear determination factor for industry transition success, nor does it help boost an individual’s confidence level in obtaining an industry job.

Analyses show that less than 20% of the respondents are very confident about landing an industry job. The majority (over 80%) were only slightly confident or not confident at all in getting a job in the industry. Most (80%) of those who were not confident at all hold either a Master’s or PhD qualification. This means that only 1 in 5 post-graduate STEM-qualified candidates in Australia believe that they can get an industry job following graduation or academia.

As such, our survey highlights that having a post-graduate degree is not a clear determination factor for industry transition success, nor does it help boost an individual’s confidence level in obtaining an industry job.

As for why they didn’t feel confident in getting an industry job, about 1 in 4 survey respondents said “the lack of relevant industry work experience” as their main concern.

This is likely a reflection of “industry job selection criteria” requiring candidates to have minimum 1 to 2-year industry experience. This criterion alone presents a huge dilemma for fresh graduates of any industry as they try to gain their first employment.

The dilemma here, of course, is that these fresh graduates can’t get a job without the required experience. But how can they ever get the experience without being given the opportunity in the first place?

Our survey also showed that this issue is not limited by age or qualification. Because professional researchers who a PhD who only ever worked in academia and have never been exposed to the industry also face the same dilemma.

To make matters worse, most large companies are unwilling to train new recruits. Moreover, most recruiters are only interested in experienced candidates who can “hit-the-ground-running”.

Sadly, this dilemma is not only isolated in Australia but is a global phenomenon.

Other common reasons why STEM qualified candidates don’t feel confident in getting an industry job include “The lack of support or guidance from educational institutions for job search” (18%), “not knowing anyone in the industry” (20%) and “not having enough knowledge about the industry” (17%).

This is clearly not due to “a shortage of job opportunities where they live” or the candidate’s “low self-esteem” as only 13% and 8% respectively of STEM candidates feel that is lacking in their pursuit of an industry career.

By giving STEM graduates and young professionals a platform to raise their voices, our survey highlights the many critical gaps between university or academia and industry.

Students may have gained the theoretical knowledge in university or academia. Yet, they are not equipped for facing the real world in industry. Most institutions don’t seem to teach students or academics practical and effective strategies for gaining employment in industry upon graduating or when research funding dries up.

One employability officer from a top 50 university said in an interview with Clueo Clinical: “Once the student finishes their degrees and leaves the university doors, we can no longer help them.”

At Clueo Clinical, we believe the role of an educator is “not finished” until the students succeed in their respective field. That’s why we promise all students enrolled in our Exclusive Signature Industry-Bridging Programs (IBP) that we will guide their every step until they land the job they want. Click HERE to learn more about our currently available programs.

Through our IBPs, we aim to bridge ALL the major gaps for STEM graduates and early career professionals to help them reach their full potential and become successful in their desired industry role. This is achieved through:

A comprehensive industry job-specific training to allow students to learn everything they need to know about the job and the industry, taught by industry experts
Career accelerator coaching where top career coaches, recruiters and hiring managers coach students “transferable skills”, “industry job search and interview skills”, industry CV writing and building a personal brand on social media
Students will also have the opportunity to apply for a competitive industry internship to gain real world experience, hosted by our industry partners (Pharma, Biotech, Contract Research Organisations, hospitals etc.)

On top of that, we also support our IBP students with on-the-job support once they’re placed in an industry role until they are confident to be on their own.

References

Megan Soon

Megan is a biomedical scientist with expertise in immunology and infectious diseases. She is completing her PhD that uses the latest wet-lab single-cell technology to deepen our understanding of the immune system, in the hope to develop personalized therapy.
Megan’s background in academia has provided her insights into the gap between academic research and industry opportunities. She has a strong passion to bridge this gap and help others do so too. Apart from research, Megan is also always keen to educate and inspire others in the field of science.

STEM Millennial’s Dilemma

References

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