KS4: Careers in science
2. Before your visit: choose your role
Decide whether to play the role of someone applying for a research job at the Museum, or someone interviewing them for the post.
Before you decide whether you would rather be a prospective Museum scientist or an interviewer, download the job description.
Download curator/researcher job description PDF (142.0 KB)
Task: read and discuss the job description. What surprises you? What did you know already?
Now make your choice: interviewer or interviewee. Use the tabs below to find out more about each option.
Interviewee
Vacancies have arisen for curators and researchers in botany and entomology.
You have applied for one of these jobs and are going to be interviewed for it.
Planning
Study the job description carefully. This sets out the criteria that a successful applicant would have to meet. Obviously, you won’t have the qualifications yet, but we want you to collect examples of skills scientists use.
When you visit the Darwin Centre, keep the job criteria in mind and collect information about what Museum scientists have discovered and how they have carried out research.
Task: discuss with your group before the interview:
- Have you ever had an interview?
- Which questions did you do well at?
- Did you have to use examples?
Recording your ideas
Follow the link below to download guidelines for interviewees and a table to help you record useful information during your Cocoon visit.
Download guidelines for interviewees
You can also use information collected during your visit using NaturePlus cards. Go to the Cocoon experience visiting information page for more information.
Go to Cocoon visiting information for schools
Interviewer
Vacancies have arisen for curators and researchers in the Botany and Entomology departments at the Natural History Museum. You will interview candidates for these posts.
Planning
Working as a team of 2 or 3, study the job description. This lists the essential and desirable criteria that a successful candidate has to meet.
During your Cocoon visit collect information about what scientists do and how they do it. This will help you construct questions to ask in the interview.
Task: discuss the following:
- Have you ever had an interview?
- Which questions did you do well at?
- How do you think the interviewer helped you?
- What could they have done better?
- How will you record your impressions of the candidates?
Use the interviewer guidelines to help you structure questions. This document includes an interview record sheet.
Download guidelines for interviewers PDF (158.0 KB)
You will also be able to save information to look at after your trip, using NaturePlus cards. Go to the Cocoon experience visiting information page for details.
School bookings
All school activities must be booked in advance. To book, please call our school bookings line between 08.30-16.00, Monday to Friday during term-time, or 10.00-13.00 during the school holidays.
Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 5555