• Question: would you ever consider becoming something other than a scientist?

    Asked by katherinehall to Diana, Alan, Caspar, Murray, Sarah on 21 Mar 2011 in Categories: . This question was also asked by theonlyexception.
    • Photo: Diana Drennan

      Diana Drennan answered on 16 Mar 2011:

      I would really like to administer the distribution of charitable funds from a philanthropic foundation.

      I do something like that at work, we have “community outreach” so that we can help local charities. We have a budget and can give grants and such. Also, if we get 5 employees to volunteer to the same charitable event, then my company will donate $1000 to the charity. If we get 10 to volunteer, it’s $2000. Last year we were able to distribute nearly $40,000 that way. But (and there’s always a “but”…) there are rather specific rules about who we can give to, and I’d like to be able to “color outside the lines” a bit.

    • Photo: Sarah Thomas

      Sarah Thomas answered on 18 Mar 2011:

      Yes when I was in school I wanted to be a primary school teacher and I went to a school for work experience. I also worked as a Snowy Owl at the Brownies (still do actually).

      But as I got older I realised that primary teaching wouldn’t be as good as I though, you’d have to put up with grotty kids being mean to you for no reason and not doing what you asked them to do! I think it is hard to teach people stuff that they don’t want to learn. Like, we always used to give our maths teachers a really hard time, but that was just because we hated maths, it wasn’t the teachers fault.

      Doing a PhD, I get the opportunity to teach 1st year students and I really like that. The students are nice and willing to learn, and they are about 18 so they are very mature, and of course, they all like chemistry and are interested in it, and it makes teaching so much easier!

    • Photo: Alan Winfield

      Alan Winfield answered on 19 Mar 2011:

      No, I think I will always do engineering and science (or at least for as long as I can). For me it’s not just a job – even when I’m not at work I find it very hard to stop thinking about scientific ideas or inventions.

    • Photo: Murray Collins

      Murray Collins answered on 19 Mar 2011:

      Hi, well I have done different jobs before – as a photographer and running a little education company. But science gives you freedom to think and explore. That is invaluable to me. I also feel very strongly about the area I work in, as I explain more fully in a question about climate change here http://ias.im/35.1640. So I really hope I can continue to work in this area.

      Best wishes, and good luck with whatever you choose to do 🙂

      Murray

    • Photo: Caspar Addyman

      Caspar Addyman answered on 21 Mar 2011:

      Of the other jobs i have done working in a bank was the worst and being a chef was the most fun (and the longest hours).. I don’t think i would choose to do any other job but I would like to do more teaching in my current job

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