Typical career route to being a scientist:

• Undergraduate degree: A 3 to 4-year taught degree with our without a short research project.
• Master’s degree (optional): A 1to 2-year degree that can be taught or research-focussed.
• PhD degree: A 3 to 4-year degree. On a day-to-day basis, is more like a job where you work on a long-term research project.
• Postdoc: Of various durations. You work in a lab or with a group under the direction of another scientist who serves as your boss.
• Independent fellowship: 3 to 7 years each. You may hold many that run consecutively. Requires you to apply for and win funding that allows you to run your own research project. Is the start of you being your own boss.
• Tenure: A permanent academic position at a University. Typically includes a promotion route from Lecturer to Reader to Professor.