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Meet Nancy Tumba: Scientist (Molecular Biologist)

CP = Career Planet
NT = Nancy Tumba

CP: What is your job/position?
NT: Scientist (Molecular Biologist)

CP: What do you LOVE most about your job?
NT: I love the flexibility and dynamics of research. Things are constantly changing so there’s not much room for boredom.

CP: When you were at school, what type of career did you think you would follow?
NT: Throughout my school years, I believed I was going to be a paediatrician.

CP: When, where & what did you study?
NT: My undergraduate years were spent studying Biology at the University of Boston between the years 1999 and 2003. Then I did a master’s in molecular biology at the University of Cape Town from 2005 to 2007.

CP: How long was it before you found employment in the field that you studied for?
NT: I actually started working before I completed my studies: Towards the end of my master’s studies, I had applied for my current job and got accepted. It turned out that I would work during the day and write my dissertation at night.

CP: What other jobs have you had?
NT: I’ve done the odd job here and there while I was studying: sometimes, as office assistant and other times as research assistant.

CP: Where are you currently employed? 
NT: I currently work for a Biotechnology company called KapaBiosystems

CP: How long have you been employed there?
NT: I have been working at Kapa since November 2006

CP: What do you like most about working there?
NT: This company is fairly new- its inception was august 2006- and the work we do is quite innovative. As such, there is always a feeling of novelty to my work which is a nice break from mainstream science. There is also great camaraderie among the members of the company since it is relatively small. Another aspect of my work, for which I am grateful, is the fact that there is no strict “dress code” for scientists. Most of us wear Jeans almost everyday!

CP: Please write a description of your job (a typical working day). 
NT: In this field, there is no such thing as a typical working day. However, most days are generally in this format: I spend an hour in the morning at my desk planning the experiments I will conduct for the day. Then I spend the next 2-3 hours in the lab setting-up and executing those experiments. I break for lunch. After lunch, 2-4 more hours are spent analyzing the results. I refrained from giving exact times because in this field, there is no such thing as a 9a-5p job. Sometimes experiments require one to stay in the lab until 8-9p or work over the weekend but at the same time, many experiments have long running periods which means we get a lot of “free” time during the day.

CP: What are the main tools that you use daily?
NT: Computer (for researching articles, running biology software, analyzing data, emails, etc…), microscope and a whole lot of fancy equipments, oven but for growing bacteria (I couldn’t resist that one :-)

CP: Have you ever job shadowed?  If so, what kind, and where?
NT: No, but once a year I do host job shadowing students who are interested in biology.

CP: Have you ever done any volunteer work to gain experience?
NT: Yes, my third year in varsity, I asked one of the professors if I could volunteer in his lab and he agreed. It was a valuable time and a career defining move for me since it’s at that time my eyes were opened to working in a lab environment.

CP: What made you decide to choose the job that you are doing?
NT: The opportunity presented itself. Just as I was finishing my studies, the company was hiring!

CP: Does your job involve managing other people?
NT: No, it doesn’t.

CP: What, if anything, is the downside of your job?
NT: There’s a lot of thinking involved and by the end of the day, I get really tired.

CP: Do you work office hours or flexi-time?
NT: Office hours

CP: Do you work in a relaxed or a formal environment?
NT: Very relaxed

CP: What is the dress code for your job?
NT: The dress code is very relaxed, we are not required to wear suits or business attire. Basically, we can wear anything except tracksuits and shorts.

CP: What can one expect to earn in this career
NT: This varies widely depending on the region (Jo’burg people earn a lot more for instance) but an average starting salary for someone with an honours degree is around R6500/month, a master’s degree may boost one up to R10,000/month. Previous experience or special expertise in a specific area adds between R2,000-3,000 to that salary.

CP: Does your job include travelling?
NT: Unfortunately, not a whole lot of travelling occurs. There are conferences (usually regional) held on certain topics in science, at which point some travelling may happen.

CP: Describe the kind of person that you think most suits this type of work
NT: You have to be someone who pays attention to details and enjoys discovery. Patience is also a great asset to have in this field.

CP: Do you have any tips for people thinking about this career?
NT: Don’t be deterred by the amount of information, a career in science is very rewarding!

CP: Do you have hobbies?
NT: Well, I love reading, music, dancing and ice-skating. I’m not sure if these qualify as hobbies but they’re what I do in my free time.

CP: What other options/possibilities are there for career growth in this field?
NT: There are usually two main paths scientists take: Academia (they stay in a university setting and may one day become professors) or Industry (such as Biotechnology where you can mix science and business). The great thing about a career in science is that it’s a great platform to move to a variety of different careers. For example, many people go from being scientists to consultants; others become patent lawyers and the list goes on. There is a certain way science teaches one to think which proves very valuable in any field.