David Wiseman

Employer: Cancer Research UK
Qualifications: BSc cell biology, Liverpool University; MSc molecular biology, Weizmann Institute, Israel; DPhil immunology, Oxford University

After several years’ studying, I wanted to try something outside of laboratory research. I taught English in Prague for two years and in the UK for a year, and I became interested in the corporate and financial careers of some of my students. I applied for graduate schemes in management consulting and banking, but Cancer Research UK’s scheme immediately appealed to my scientific background – and it’s hard not to share their vision. The application procedure was rigorous, involving an online application form, two rounds of assessment centres and various competence and aptitude tests.

Getting seen

I’ve gained exposure to senior scientists and major stakeholders in the charity, and my work has influenced the productivity of research centres.

I was joined on the scheme by graduates of all ages and backgrounds – from people with PhDs to fashion and history graduates. I chose the corporate and scientific services scheme, which involves four placements over two years in areas such as IT, procurement, finance, science funding and strategy.

My most recent placement was in science funding. The charity is establishing new research centres – not physically in bricks and mortar, but by bringing together researchers and promoting excellence in their work. It was my job to produce a framework for the evaluation of these centres. I also liaised with organisations such as the Department of Health and the Wellcome Trust to see how they evaluated their research programmes and discover what lessons they’d learned.

The politics of science funding

The politics of science funding was new to me and I enjoyed the steep learning curve. I was given time to build up a picture of the research centres in order to design the framework. The level of responsibility was great; I had to present my findings to the charity’s CEO. My whole placement built up to the presentation and, to my horror, I was stranded in the Czech Republic a few days before the airline I was flying with went bankrupt. I forked out for another ticket home as I did not want to miss that meeting!

Learning to lead

I’ve had lots of training, both on placements and during formal weeks when we look at skills such as project management, leadership and creative thinking. I also have a personal budget to attend any courses outside of the scheme that I feel would be of benefit and I also learn from the network of mentors, graduates and experienced colleagues around me. I’ve been able to develop my skills in a diverse environment and, while I anticipate working in a science-facing role in the future, it’s certainly not set in stone.

Charity begins with business acumen

Don’t be afraid to treat a charity as a business. You need to think strategically and make the most of supporters and donors to maximise the success of the charity’s work. You also need a customer focus: while we are a charity, fundraisers, supporters, clinicians and scientists could all be seen as customers and require different approaches.

Graduate scheme assessment centres can be daunting, but let your enthusiasm shine through – it counts for a lot. When answering competence questions, give very specific examples of things that you’ve done. Don’t worry if an example isn’t from a business setting, as recruiters just want to find out how you approach situations.