Hey everyone,

I got a first class masters in bicohemistry at a Russel group uni and my project is awaiting publication. I graduated last June and I've been working as a lab tech for the time being because I just can't find anything research related that will take me on. Specifically I'm looking for what's normally described as "protein science", Akta purification type stuff.

I'm starting to get really down about it because I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I live in one of the best cities in the UK for bioscience jobs and I quite often get calls from recruiters advertising non-research scientific roles but RA jobs seem much more competitive.

There have been several jobs I've sent my CV to now for "protein science" / "biochem" roles where I have everything they request on my CV: experience with protein purification, minimum BSc, industry experience preferred but not required, can make buffers. Very basic stuff. But no matter how many I apply to I'm still yet to receive so much as a callback.

Is it just a case of keep applying or could it be something else? Do you think covid disrupting my Master's (I got like half a semester of lab in final year instead of a full-time two semester placement) is putting me at a disadvantage?

Should add there's plenty of RA's at my current employment with just a bachelor's so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. No hate on them, they're good at their jobs, but I feel quite overqualified for what I'm doing. I have a master's and in basically a dead ens job being paid less.