The science of the small

Graham Williams, lecturer in forensic science at the University of Huddersfield, looks at careers in forensics, the science that does a lot with very, very little.

Up and down the country, many pupils and students are in the process of doing their exams, be it GCSEs, A-levels or degrees.

While most of the student’s attention will be or should be on their exams, in the back of their minds will be that niggling thought — what do I do afterwards?

Some of these students will want to pursue a career in the forensic sciences. However, the field of forensic science is notoriously difficult to get in to. This is because there are not a lot of jobs out there and, for every one vacancy, there are hundreds, even thousands, of applicants.

So how can someone go about getting a job in forensic science?

The first thing is to determine what it is exactly that you want to do.

In the UK there are broadly three main types of forensic practitioners.

There is the crime scene examiner (CSE) or scenes of crime officer (SOCO).

The SOCO usually work for an individual police force and their main duty is the recovery and recording of items and evidence at a crime scene.

In the past, the SOCO did not require any formal qualifications and were usually specialist police officers or local civilians.

Some of the most experienced SOCOs in the UK today do not have degrees or even A-Levels.

However, these days there is a requirement for SOCOs to prove that they are capable of doing the job and one way of doing this is by having a degree. Therefore, to be a SOCO you will need at least a lower second class degree in a science subject.

Another type of forensic practitioner is the forensic examiner. This position is largely overlooked and unappreciated, despite being one of the most important forensic jobs around.

The forensic examiner does not usually work for a police force, but for a forensic science provider such as the Forensic Science Service, LGC Forensics or Key Forensic Services, to name a few.

It is the forensic examiner who actually finds and recovers the evidence from an item submitted to the forensics laboratory.

It is also the forensic examiner who carries out the tests, such as DNA profiling, mass spectrometry or gas chromatography and spends most of their time in the laboratory.

The main forensic practitioner is the forensic scientist. The forensic scientist works for the forensic science provider and is the person who deals with the police officers, formulating an examination strategy for the forensic examiners to follow, interpreting the results and writing reports.

The forensic scientist spends most of their time in the office rather than laboratory.

The most important thing to remember, whether you wish to become a SOCO, forensic examiner or a forensic scientist, is that ultimately your evidence may end up being presented in a court of law.

If so, then you (especially if you are a forensic scientist) could be called upon to give oral evidence in court and be cross-examined.

If the idea of talking in front of people is something that you really do not want to do, then a job in the field of forensic science is probably not the correct choice for you.

A forensic scientist terrified of giving evidence in court is like a zoo-keeper being scared of animals.

If after this, you still want a career in the forensic sciences then you need to choose the right degree.

This is a difficult task. Yes, you could do a degree in forensic science, but this then makes you unsuitable for any other job.

So the best kind of degree to do is a forensic science degree combined with another subject.

For example, chemistry with forensic science or forensic and analytical sciences are offered at the University of Huddersfield.

These degrees will not only prepare you for a career in the forensic sciences, but will also give you the skills to work in other fields. This will allow you to gain essential laboratory experience which will make you even more attractive to a forensic science provider.