Options other than a PhD

For a lot of graduates, particularly in biochemistry, the most obvious route following their degree is to continue in academia and pursue a PhD – a noble, sensible and safe choice. For other people, finding alternatives and looking for work can be exceedingly daunting. Finding a job can be compared to a hero on a quest: the destination is unclear, there are constant setbacks and enemies lie at every turn. This article does not offer any solutions to these problems, and instead simply records some experiences of looking for jobs and tries to offer kindred advice.