The Ongoing Development of Hybrid Jobs in Scientific Fields

03-07-2023
Employer advice

Have you noticed that a range of scientific jobs have become increasingly interdisciplinary over the last few years? 

The duties for one position have been mixed with the expectations of another, creating so-called “hybrid jobs” that require a much broader range of skills than in previous evolutions.

In today’s complex working environments, it’s no longer enough for employees to thrive in one area. These occupations expect individuals to wear multiple hats at the same time.

Are you one of them?

What are Hybrid Jobs?

According to EDX, “Hybrid jobs draw upon skill sets from widely different, traditionally unrelated fields. They’re multidisciplinary and often blend technical left-brain skills with creative right-brain skills.” 

In scientific fields, this often means that the lines are being blurred between one position and another - requiring a holistic approach to day-to-day problem-solving. In order to secure a lengthy career in the industry, you’ll need to adapt to the emerging, digitalised, expectations and maintain a blend of hard and soft skills.

The Shift to Hybrid Jobs in Scientific Fields

To meet the evolving demands of agile employers and the hybrid positions they’re hiring for, scientific candidates have to adopt a whole new mindset.

Is that something you’re prepared to do?

One niche, demonstrable, background or expertise is no longer a priority where recruitment agencies like Scantec are concerned. When choosing between one applicant and another, adaptability has become the key.

Job applicants must demonstrate a willingness to…

  1. Diversify their knowledge by pursuing more than one branch of expertise.
  2. Embrace flexible working environments that change every day.
  3. Learn on the job, developing desired skills as they go.
  4. Collaborate across multiple disciplines.
  5. Broaden their horizons and tackle the unique challenges that come their way.

If candidates can tick these five boxes when speaking to recruiters, it’ll evidence that they’re well suited to fill one of the many hybrid roles taking scientific fields by storm. 

Change doesn’t come easily to everyone but a creative, innovative individual that can adjust to today’s working frontier will be very successful in the job market. Rather than sticking to familiar ground, push yourself out of your comfort zone.

“Just a few decades ago, developing a handful of inter-related skills was all that was required to succeed in any given role. Today, we’re seeing a greater instance of hybrid jobs—jobs that require multiple sets of skills.” – Open Colleges

Why Pursue a Scientific Hybrid Job?

After you’ve spent years developing the skills and knowledge required for one specific scientific role (such as QC Analyst, Chemical Analyst or Laboratory Analyst), it can feel intimidating to be told that your efforts aren’t enough.

Luckily, though, hybrid jobs aren’t only beneficial for the employer that needs their candidates to complete varying duties… they’re just as beloved by the individuals that fill them. 

Not only do they promise to be incredibly rewarding (with no two days ever feeling the same), but you’ll find that your career potential increases exponentially. This makes them worth pursuing on a long-term basis.

To complement this, according to the Hybrid Job Economy Report, “hybrid roles are 20-40% higher paying than their traditional counterparts.” Even bringing just one extra skill to the table could boost an employee’s salary by up to 40%. 

What’s not to love? 

The Search for Multi-Talented Candidates

The scientific hybrid job postings getting shared every single day aren’t looking for ordinary workers. They’re looking for “candidates of the future”. 

Recruiters don’t want someone who happily fits inside a box and is prepared to stay there for the rest of their lives. At Scantec, we look for individuals that…

  • Go above and beyond. 
  • Offer a holistic perspective.
  • Thirst for knowledge. 
  • Want to build the career of their dreams.
  • Bring cross-functional expertise.
  • Is that you? If so, don’t risk selling yourself short.

Your skills make you an incredibly valuable candidate. Anyone like you is in high-demand across the scientific field, so you need a representative in your corner to fight for the best job offer possible. 

Scantec’s expert recruiters can fill that role.

Recruiting Through Scantec

At Scantec, we prioritise finding the perfect fit for our businesses and candidates alike.  Our recruiters take time to look at both the hard and soft skills of each applicant - selecting someone that will thrive in their new role and embrace every challenge that comes their way. If you are currently hiring or looking for a job, get in touch with us today.