Oxford

SCIENCE
SCIENCE
CATHERINE PRICE
Project Leader – Shell
ALUMNI PROFILES
Catherine studied Chemistry
at St Cross College, 2004.
WHAT: I have worked in a range
of different roles at Shell – from
developing advanced biofuels to
assessing the greenhouse gas
intensity of our operations around the
world – each of which has given me
a new opportunity to gain different
experiences and skills.
WHY: One of the reasons that I decided
to apply to Shell is the number of different
opportunities that a large company can
offer. My roles so far have all been very
different but have required me to use
my technical background, often applying
my knowledge to get up to speed with
new areas quickly. The other skill that
has been most important is being able to
communicate the insights from my work
to others, often to people who are not
technical experts in the area themselves.
CAREER PATH: During the fourth year of
my undergraduate degree, I undertook a
research project in the Inorganic Chemistry
department. It confirmed to me how much
I enjoyed the intellectual challenge of a
research environment and I decided to
continue working in this area towards
my DPhil, with the intention of pursuing a
career in research in industry afterwards.
Six months after completing my DPhil,
I joined Shell, based at their research
site in the North West of the UK. I spent
my first two years working as a Fuel
Scientist, developing new petrol and
diesel products to be sold at Shell’s
global network of retail stations. Since
then I have moved on to a succession
of different roles.
ADVICE: I first considered applying
to Shell after attending a careers
presentation. I would definitely
recommend going along to events like
that as they give you an opportunity to
talk to people who are already working
for the company. They will offer you
a more personal insight into what
working for the company might be like,
and what kind of skills they are looking
for. This will really help strengthen your
application.
ALUMNI PROFILES
MARION CRAWFORD
Research Scientist – Oxford
Nanopore
WHAT: The great benefit of a career
in science is that you have the chance
to work on some really cool projects -
there are so many wacky and amazing
new technologies. I work as a research
scientist developing a cutting-edge
new DNA sequencing technology;
our technique reads an individual
strand of DNA by feeding it through a
nanometre-scale hole. Our instrument
aims to bring fast, cheap, high-quality
DNA sequencing to geneticists and
clinicians, and the whole thing is only
the size of a USB stick!
WHY: I’d really recommend working in
science, as you get to use your brain
creatively, tackle interesting problems,
and work with enthusiastic people.
There are many difference roles out
there - you don’t have to be stuck
at a lab bench! Nor do you have to
go down the academic route - I love
working in industry as I get to see my
experiments applied to real world
issues and developed into a product to
drive a business.
I came into nano-biology somewhat by
accident after doing my Physics degree; it’s
a bit of a change of field but I think it shows
that a science degree gives you a fantastic
grounding for many careers. I wanted to
improve my practical skills but I have now
also gained experience in both science
and business. I’ve even been involved in
recruiting new graduate staff, so I know
what it’s like to be on the other side of the
interview room!
ADVICE: Don’t be afraid to apply for jobs
in different areas as lots of the skills are
transferable or learnt on the job.
Try to get some relevant experience (eg, a
lab project or a summer placement), and
read up on the company/institution you are
applying for.
Marion studied Physics at
Oriel College, 2007.
TOP TIP: Be enthusiastic and
communicate well - the next mindboggling
discovery or world-changing
technology springs from curiosity and
innovation.
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