If science is your favorite subject and you’ve always excelled in the subject then you can think of becoming a scientist. If you are inclined more towards biology then you can choose to become a botanist or a cytologist. Similarly, you can opt for physics or chemistry as per your interest. Science affects almost every aspect of our lives, from the food we eat to the technology we use and the natural world that surrounds us. With a career in science, you can explore the world, make fascinating discoveries, and help improve the lives of others.
Who is a scientist ?
A scientist is someone who conducts scientific research projects to advance knowledge in an area of interest. Right from sorting out the origin of existence and extinction, the work of a scientist includes all. The role of a scientist can be identified in all possible spheres of biological and non-biological, celestial, and non-celestial bodies, communicational and non-communicational activities.
Eligibility to become a scientist
- -Candidate must have passed 12th with a science background from a recognized board.
- -Candidate must have a bachelor’s degree from a reputed college or university
- -Graduation must be in any of the Science streams that the candidate wants to pursue the purpose of specialization.
- -A minimum of 60% aggregate is required at the graduation level.
- -Master’s in a specific stream from a recognized institution is compulsory with at least 65% marks in the finals.
- -The final degree will be of a Doctoral degree or PhD in the subject.
Here’s a video on must have qualities to become a Scientist-
Why become a Scientist ?
By becoming a scientist you can create history with new innovations, indulge in a lot of experiments and research, high-pay scale, and respect is what you get. You will learn new things and have a great role in developing technology.
What makes a good scientist ?
There are a number of things that are important to be a good scientist: curiosity, a deep interest to discover new things and solve problems, passion, creativity, integrity, patience, open-mindedness, intelligence, conscientiousness, the ability to challenge the status quo, and luck.
Here’s a video on skills you need to become a Scientist-
Types of Scientist and their study
There are a number of distinctive fields that can help you become a Scientist. The different types of Scientists are based on the classification and specification studied and expertized in. Below mentioned are some types of roles of a scientist
- -Astronomer- Studies about stars, galaxies, and planets
- -Agronomist- Studies about agriculture and technological growth
- -Botanist- Studies about the flowering and non-flowering plant
- -Cytologist- Studies about the cell, cellular movements, and variations
- -Ethologist- Studies about animal behavior
- -Epidemiologist Studies about the spread of disease in the human body
- -Seismologist- Studies in detail about the earthquake
- -Microbiologist- Studies about fungi, bacteria, algae
- -Meteorologist- Studies about climate and weather
- -Geologist- Studies about the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes the earth
- -Anatomist- Studies about the structure of organisms and their parts
- -Oestologist- Studies about the bones
- -Linguistic- Studies about languages
- -Sociologist- Studies about human behavior
- -Anthropologist- Study aspects of humans within past and present societies
- -Kinesiologist- Study human and non-human body movements
Pros and cons of being a Scientist
Pros
- -Flexible working hours as labs are run 9 to 5 strictly.
- -Even given the very real pressure of meeting grant and manuscript-revision deadlines, science moves quite slowly compared to other areas of work.
- -Knowledge monopoly, as a scientist, you are a specialist, an expert in your field, at least in a local sense. This both isolates you from your peers and draws them to you, seeking your insight
- -Peace and quiet, even if they have a plethora of expectant students to deal with, at least they don’t have to face angry customers complaining about the level of service.
- -Probably they work in an international environment. They get the opportunity to meet and befriend people of many different nationalities which is fun.
Cons
- -The pay is not so good as compared to other jobs.
- -It is hard to get a permanent job. Most lab jobs are on 3-year contracts.
- -You have to move around a lot.
- -You never tend to switch off from work as you are always thinking about the next experiment.
Employment opportunities
With a keen interest in Science, who aspires to become a Scientist must know the different employment opportunities available for them as a Scientist.
- -Indian Ministries
- -Food and Beverage Industry
- -Research Centers
- -Aeronautical Associations
- -Medical Centers
- -Animal Care Centers
- -Wildlife Sanctuaries
- -Healthcare Centers
Top recruiting companies
There are a number of top recruiting companies for a scientist:-
- -Indian Airforce
- -Ministry of Mines
- -National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- -Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
- -Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
- -Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)
- -International Flavors & Fragrances India Ltd
- -National Centre For Cell Science (NCCS)
Pay-scale
In the initial stage, as a scientist in various reputed institutions like IITs and IISc you can easily earn between Rs. 5 lacs to 6 lacs per year. The salary packages offered to scientists are also dependent upon various terms such as academic qualification, working area, work experience, companies & organizations, etc.
