Deciding on a career in science can be a big thing to do, but many people are certain about the route that they want their career to take. Unfortunately, you don’t always hold onto that first passion for the career that you set your heart on. Things can change and for one reason or another you can end up contemplating a career change. Whether you’re just getting started in your science career or you’ve been a scientist for years, you need to find a way to make the switch to your new career. Entering the corporate world is a strong option for many, but how should you go from being a scientist to being a business person?

Become an Advisor

One possibility to consider is that of becoming a scientific advisor. If you have a wealth of scientific knowledge, it could make you an asset to many businesses. Whether you end up employed with one company or you set yourself up as a freelance consultant, you could be a valuable resource for businesses in various industries. You could be an advisor in the media for everything from dramas to news programs. You might want to explore advising more corporate businesses who need professional advice on their products or services.

Look for Leadership Roles

Perhaps you want to go into business because you would like to take up a more senior position. If you’re looking to be a leader, there are many roles that you could consider taking on. From a psychology background Cynthia Telles at Kaiser Permanente become a director, and has also sat on several other corporate boards. There are several types of leadership role that you might consider, from becoming an educator to taking on a completely corporate role that has little to do with your science background. Consider why you want to be a leader and what it could entail.

Go Back to School

You don’t have to retrain or expand your education to move into business from a science background, but it’s an option that you might want to think about. If you choose to go back to school, you could carry out a postgraduate qualification to convert your current skills and knowledge into something more corporate. You might even want to consider doing a degree or diploma online so that you can complete it in your spare time. You could start a new job or begin looking for work while you study, and you can choose to study when and where you like.

Learn Some Resume Tricks

If going back to school isn’t for you, some smart changes to your resume could be all that you need to make a change in your career. A science resume can look very different to a corporate one, so you need to take a good look at what’s on yours. You can change it to emphasize the skills that help to make you a good employee in business, even if you have a background in science. There are likely many skills that you have that you can highlight on your resume to let employers know that you’re capable of making the transition to the world of business.

Apply Your Skills to Business Roles

In fact, thinking about your transferable skills can help you to come up with ideas for what you want to do in business. There are plenty of both hard and soft skills that you can learn in a lab or another scientific setting. Perhaps start by thinking about your communication skills and other soft skills that you can easily apply to working in a corporate job. You might also have strong analytical skills, excellent attention to detail and even good creative thinking and problem solving skills that could help you in a new role.

Start Your Own Business

Another way to get into business if you don’t like the idea of working for someone else is to start your own business. By creating a business of your own, you can be in control and you might be able to find a good use for your science background too. For example, you could create a business providing education or educational experiences for children in the sciences. Or perhaps your science background will help you to invent something or come up with a solution to a problem that could turn into a profitable business.

If you’re a scientist, you could turn your skills and knowledge into a successful business career. There are lots of ways to do it, so just find one that works for you.