Start writing and presenting in your spare time whilst in academia, say panelists at the 2015 London Naturejobs Career Expo.

Developing extra skills in your spare time will help demonstrate your passion for science communication in an interview.

Top tips:

1. Look for opportunities within departments/universities to present your work. this is a safe environment in which you can trial out different techniques, whether for academic conferences or a chat down the pub.
2. Look for, or start, other forums where you can explain your science to a lay audience. One of the most challenging things is explaining science to consumers. Speak to friends and family about your research and see if you can get them to understand what you do.
3. Reflect on how to improve your communication; ask for feedback from the people you speak to.
4. Joining writing groups to develop your writing skills. Having an external, objective input on your writing will help improve it.
5. Ask your supervisor if they have any writing projects that they need help with, whether it’s writing a book chapter or website copy.
6. Join a learned society and write for their blogs. They also have public engagement teams that are always looking for volunteers to help at events
7. Build a network of people from within the science communication field that you can turn to.
8. Although you might feel that you have no time to do any of the above, if you have a passion for it, you’ll make time. One way to manage your time is to use those brief moments of freedom in a productive way. When an experiment is running, read your favourite popular science books, write a blog, pursue an interview.

Further reading:

Science communication: Whose responsibility is it?

Science communication: Sculpting your role

Science communication: How to deal with misrepresented science in the media

Science communication: Do you need a PhD?

Science communication: Making the transition