If you’ve ever wondered whether your science degree could take you beyond the lab, the short answer is yes - and it’s probably easier than you think.
Marketing might not be a career path that’s heavily promoted at university, but it’s one where science graduates and early-career researchers can truly stand out. Science-based companies need people who understand their technologies, products, and audiences - and that’s where you come in.
Scientists are naturally curious, analytical, and data-driven - the same traits that make great marketers.
In marketing, you’re often designing experiments (campaigns), interpreting data (analytics), and communicating complex ideas (content or messaging) to different audiences.
If you’ve ever presented your research, written a lab report, or explained your work to non-scientists, you’ve already exercised key marketing skills: storytelling, persuasion, and simplifying complexity.
Marketing isn’t the first career many science graduates think of - but it’s a vital function in every scientific company.
Biotech firms, academic publishers, instrument manufacturers, and CROs are all examples of organisations that need people who can talk about science in a way that connects with buyers and collaborators.
It’s a growing field that’s creative, fast-paced, and closely tied to how innovative companies reach their customers.
I started out as a scientist working in R&D.
After a while, I realised spending every day in the lab wasn’t for me. I wanted to combine creativity with my technical background - and that led me to marketing.
With no formal experience, I taught myself the fundamentals, started creating content, and eventually built a consulting business helping life science companies with marketing and strategy.
If you’re curious, you can read more about my work at patrickwareing.com.
You don’t need a marketing degree to begin. Here’s where to start:
Small steps quickly build confidence - and employers value scientists who bring both technical depth and commercial understanding.
If this resonates with you, explore what roles are out there.
At ScienceMarketingJobs.com, you can see the latest science marketing jobs, sign up for updates, and start discovering career paths that use your background in fresh, exciting ways.
The next step in your science career might not be in the lab - it might be in marketing.