I Got Hired: Lucy

Posted on: 22 November 2025 by Richard Finch in Class of 2024

Lucy is a Class of 2024 MBiolSci Biological Sciences (Genetics) graduate who works for QIAGEN as a Technical Assistant.

How did you hear about your role?

I heard about the role via LinkedIn Jobs from a job advert posted by SRG - a recruitment agency specialising in life sciences. The company who the job was for was not advertised on the job advert, but the skills and experience that the advert was asking for aligned with what I was looking for in a graduate role and with the experience I had through the research I conducted as part of my degree. It was also exciting to see an entry-level lab-based role in the life sciences industry that was more than just a 'Lab Technician', but allowed you to be involved in research and development. It was even more exciting to see this kind of role in the North West and not just in the London area where most of the industry resides, which was a major deciding factor for me. I applied for the position through LinkedIn jobs using my CV which I catered to the job advert, and the talent representative from SRG reached out soon after.

How did you get where you are now?

My CV was the main reason why I got the opportunity to interview. I spent a lot of time developing it, and help from the careers team at Uni and especially from my Master's project supervisor allowed me to make it the best it could be for the life sciences industry. I would also make slightly different versions of my CV depending on the key skills the specific job advert was looking for whenever I applied for a position. This made the SRG talent representative reach out a couple hours after I applied.

However, it is important to note that I had applied to over 50 positions using this personalised process and had heard next to nothing back. So the main reason I got this opportunity is resilience and being unrelenting in my job search. If I have any advise it would be to check all the job sites for the industry you are interested in at least every other day. This job role was only up for 3 days due to the mass interest and applications they received (>500), so if you don't check you might miss the perfect opportunity.

Everyone applying to similar roles like this will have a degree, so I think having a Master's helped, although was not 100% necessary as others had only Bachelor's. However, everyone who interviewed had at least one work or research experience in addition to their degree, so I would say that it 100% necessary. For me, it was a 6-week research placement in Thailand.

Your favourite experience as part of your current role?

My favourite experience as part of my current role is being able to work with like-minded people to achieve a common goal. Being able to contribute to the development of molecular assays to advance personalised medicine and help patients receive the best treatment for them is a great motivator.

The most challenging part of your graduate journey?

It can be very disheartening when you are doing everything right and have all the experience you were told you needed to be successful, and to be rejected with no feedback over and over again. The most important trait you need post-graduation is resilience! You have to be patient and wait for the right opportunity to present itself.

What's your #1 piece of advice for future grads?

Be resilient and constant in your job search, some opportunities are only posted for 2-3 days so I recommend checking job sites for your industry at least every other day. And catering your CV for what you are applying for is a must!

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