Career Talks

Please scroll down to have a look at our past career talks, and also our upcoming talks that you can attend in the near future.

Careers events are targeted to students who want to know about the different career paths available to them after they finish their degree. Apart from arranging talks from alumni to explain their experiences, we also organise workshops in collaboration with Careers Services Oxford to help students who are in the process of job hunting. 

Upcoming Events

OUBS Career Workshop -- "Interview Skills"

Date: Thursday 30th January 2025 - 13:00
Speaker: Claire Chesworth (Oxford University Careers Service)
Location: Phase 1 Main Seminar Room (20-026)

Description: This session will cover a range of topics including various interview formats, how to prepare, how to handle different types of interview questions and practical tips on video/virtual interviews. There will also be the opportunity to practice some questions informally with each other. In this part of the session, practice questions will be provided; just come prepared to get involved, as previous participants found this experience hugely rewarding. Coffee and snacks will be served.

Past Events

OUBS Career Seminar -- "Cringe-Free Networking to Inform Your Career Decision"

Date: Jan 22nd 2023 @ 13:00 pm - 14:00 pm
Speaker: Claire Chesworth (Oxford University Careers Service)
Location: Phase 2 Main Seminar Room '20-138'
Description: When we start exploring careers, it can be hugely insightful to make connections with people who have experience in sectors that interest you. The idea of networking can sometimes make us feel uncomfortable, but in this session, we’ll explore how it can be a powerful research tool and help you to uncover opportunities. We’ll share practical tips and strategies on how to get started and highlight ways to network effectively through various mechanisms including social media.

Exclusive Talk with Dame Kate Bingham

Date: Dec 5th 2023 @ 14:50 pm - 16:00 pm
Speaker: Dame Kate Bingham (Leader of the UK Vaccine Taskforce)
Location: Phase 2 Lower Ground Floor Stairs
Description: Dame Kate Bingham is visiting the department on this date to give the Kavli Award Lecture, and we have secured an exciting opportunity for the graduate and undergraduate students of the department to have a chat with her before then! This is very exciting, and we highly recommend signing up for a chance to get to know Kate. She is a very interesting personality, and you could gain insights into potential careers after the degree -- especially in the areas of Biotech venture capital, entrepreneurship and policymaking!

OUBS Career Seminar -- "A Career Journey: From Academia to Industry"

Date: Nov 27th 2023 @ 13:00 pm - 14:00 pm
Speaker: Ege Ulgen (Bioinformatics Engineer, Genomics England)
Location: Phase 2 Main Seminar Room '20-138'
Description: From his early days in medical school, Ege immersed himself in medical research through multiple summer internships at Yale University and his research work the Acibadem University Brain Tumour Research Group. After earning his medical degree and a brief postdoc at Yale, he embarked on a PhD program in bioinformatics and biostatistics at Acibadem University in Istanbul, focusing on cancer genomics research. During his PhD, Ege contributed to Epigenetiks, a start-up specializing in next generation sequencing-based diagnostic solutions, and concurrently served as a guest lecturer, teaching biostatistics and bioinformatics at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Post-PhD, he shifted gears, joining Genomics England with the goal of translating his academic expertise into software directly impacting patient care. At Genomics England, Ege is an integral part of the cancer genomics team, where he is dedicated to developing and maintaining cutting-edge cancer genomics analysis software, contributing significantly to the advancement of personalized oncology solutions. Coffee and snacks will be provided during an informal chat with the speaker following the talk.

Career and Coffee Seminar 5

Date: May 22nd 2023 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am (seminar), @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm (meeting the editor Q&A session), @ 12:00 pm - 13:30 pm (lunch)
Speaker: Katarzyna Ciazynska (Associate Editor from NSMB)
Location: Phase 1 Ground Floor Main Seminar Room '20-026'
Description: Our Careers & Coffee Seminars are an informal series of talks given by alumni about their career paths. In the seminar, the alum will give a brief presentation about their career and this will then be followed by audience Q&A. Lunch will be optional to join afterwards. Come and find out more about Nature Publishing Group and career options in scientific publishing if you're interested!

Careers in Scientific Publishing: Perspectives from Scientific Editors at Cell Press and BBA

Date: May 17th 2023 @ 12:00 pm
Speaker: Zahra Iqbal (Scientific Editor [Amsterdam], BBA Journals]), Judith Nicholson (Scientific Editor [Oxford], Cell Genomics)
Location: Phase 1 Main Seminar Room '20-026'
Description: Do you love science? Do you enjoy critically analysing papers outside your field of expertise? Do you find purpose in serving the scientific community? If the answer is "yes" to any of these questions, you could be a perfect fit for a career in scientific editing. Join us to hear from Zahra and Judith, two professional scientific editors who will talk to you about how and why they became scientific editors, what they do in their jobs and why it’s such an interesting and rewarding role to have. Coffee/tea and biscuits will be provided during the talks. A networking reception with lunch and soft drinks will take place after the talk in the Atrium on Lower Ground Floor. Please fill out the sign-up form from here.

Career and Coffee Seminar 4

Date: March 27th 2023 @ 14:00 pm - 15:00 pm
Speaker: Pamela Williams (Senior Director at Astrex Pharmaceuticals)
Location: Phase 2 Ground Floor Main Seminar Room '20-138'
Description: Our Careers & Coffee Seminars are an informal series of talks given by alumni about their career paths. In the seminar, the alum will give a brief presentation about their career and this will then be followed by 20 minutes of audience Q&A. Refreshments will be available.

Career and Coffee Seminar 3

Date: March 13th 2023 @ 14:00 pm - 15:00 pm
Speaker: Charlie Humphreys (director of Apple Pay, alumnus of MBiochem at Oxford graduated in 1999)
Location: Phase 2 Ground Floor Main Seminar Room '20-138'
Description: Our Careers & Coffee Seminars are an informal series of talks given by alumni about their career paths. In the seminar, the alum will give a brief presentation about their career and this will then be followed by 20 minutes of audience Q&A. Refreshments will be available.

Career and Coffee Seminar 2

Date: February 13th 2023 @ 14:00 pm - 15:00 pm
Speaker: Joel Coles (alumnus of DPhil in Biochemistry at Oxford)
Location: Phase 2 Ground Floor Main Seminar Room '20-138'
Description: Our Careers & Coffee Seminars are an informal series of talks given by alumni about their career paths. In the seminar, the alum will give a brief presentation about their career and this will then be followed by 20 minutes of audience Q&A. Refreshments will be available.

Career and Coffee Seminar 1

Date: February 6th 2023 @ 14:00 pm - 15:00 pm
Speaker: Dan Hudson (Undergraduate Master in Biochemistry at Oxford graduated in 2010)
Location: Phase 2 Ground Floor Main Seminar Room '20-138'
Description: Our Careers & Coffee Seminars are an informal series of talks given by alumni about their career paths. In the seminar, the alum will give a brief presentation about their career and this will then be followed by 20 minutes of audience Q&A. Refreshments will be available.

CV and Job Hunting Workshop

Date: October 12th 2022 @ 13:00 pm - 14:00 pm
Speaker: Claire Chesworth (Oxford Careers Service Advisor)
Location: Phase 1 Ground Floor Main Seminar Room '20-026'
Description: Considering that the upcoming Michaelmas Term is a busy term of the year from a careers point of view, Claire -- who works with the Departments of Biochemistry, Zoology, Plant Sciences, Experimental Psychology, Human Sciences, Pharmacology and Theology -- will be here to deliver a CV and Job Hunting Workshop for the Biochemistry Society students. As a reminder, the Science, Engineering and Technology Careers Fair will be on 15th October, so it will be a perfect time to sharpen your skills before then.

Academic Careers and Fellowships Talk

Date: June 27th 2022 @ 14:00 pm
Speaker: Peter Sarkies, Sebastian Fica, and Deepa Nath
Location: Phase 2 Ground Floor Main Seminar Room
Description: The post-doc committee has kindly invited OUBS and DPhil students in Biochemistry to join them for their final round of career talks. Tea, coffee, and a selection of pastries, biscuits and snacks will be available! Bring a cup or mug along for the hot drinks.

Careers Talk

Date: December 2nd 2020 @ 10:30 am
Speaker: Claire Chesworth (Careers Services Specialist)
Location: Virtual (Zoom meeting)
Description: Claire Chesworth from careers services Oxford is hosting a talk specific to biochemists, which will cover the career decision-making process, internships and how to use Careers Services to help you.

Interview Workshop

Date: June 1st 2020
Speaker: Claire Chesworth (Careers Services Specialist)
Location: Virtual (Zoom meeting)
Description: Claire will be talking about what to expect in a job interview, how to prepare for one, and set up role plays between the audience in order to practise with mock interviews. 

CV Writing Workshop

Date: March 2nd 2020
Speaker: Claire Chesworth (Careers Services Specialist)
Location: Department of Biochemistry Seminar Room
Description: Claire will give some fantastic tips on how to write a CV, what it should look like, what details you should focus on for different job roles, where to find the resources to help with jobhunting, and finally, how the Careers Services team in Oxford can help you in the process.