Leaving the lab behind: Megan’s journey

29.01.25 Conversations

When Megan graduated from university armed with a Master’s in Chemistry, she wasn’t sure what her career path would look like. After starting in a lab, she soon realised it wasn’t for her. Fast forward nearly two years, and Megan is now Lead Talent Partner for INCOG, one of Lead Candidate’s longest-standing customers.

With a background in science and a passion for people, Megan reflects on her career journey and offers advice for those considering a similar shift.


Starting with your academic background, what inspired you to pursue a Master’s in Chemistry, and what did you envision for your career at that time? 

I chose to study Chemistry because out of my three A levels, it was the one I enjoyed the most and could see myself wanting to learn more about. I started off studying for a Bachelor’s degree and switched to a Masters where I learnt a lot of technical writing skills, lab research, and also how to stick with something till the end.  

I didn’t finish university with a specific career in mind but I knew I wanted to try out different things to see how I felt. Even though throughout university I’d said ‘I don’t want to work in a lab’, I ended up getting a lab job when I left. But I knew deep down that it wasn’t right for me and that I wanted to use my people skills more as I’d loved the customer-facing jobs I’d had throughout uni. 

What was your experience of working as a lab chemist? Did it teach you anything that you carry with you today? 

I’m so grateful for my time in the lab as it allowed me to apply what I’d learnt throughout my chemistry course and taught me how to be analytical. It also gave me the skills to manage my daily tasks – both things which have helped me in my future career. My biggest takeaway from that job was I learnt exactly what I want from a role, the solitary nature of the job wasn’t something I could do long-term. 

What led you to joining Lead Candidate as a Talent Partner? Did you hold a certain view of recruitment at the time? 

I was initially interested in the role because it would let me use my scientific background and skills in a different way, while also giving me the chance to be customer-facing again. When I met with Tom, we spoke a lot about his journey and what he didn’t like about the lab which really resonated with me. I really enjoyed meeting the team and it felt like something just clicked.  

The way Andy spoke about recruitment and Lead Candidate’s mission to do it better just made so much sense to me. I knew friends close to me had had bad experiences with recruiters and I thought if I could be a part of the solution, maybe it’ll make things better for future graduates. It felt like there was more of a common goal beyond just filling jobs. 

I also loved the idea that within Lead Candidate I would get the chance to meet so many different people and play a part in their journeys. I appreciated how people-focused Andy and Tom came across in our conversations which really encouraged me to leave the lab and try something new.  

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in the beginning when you joined Lead Candidate?

The biggest challenge was the learning curve of being in a brand new area I’d never worked in before. Even having an office job was new to me! I had to gain new skills, learning how to have meaningful conversations and get the answers we needed from them. I found not getting things straight away quite frustrating, but I realised some of the skills needed just take time.

Something I struggled with initially was figuring out culture fit and what it means to be a good culture fit for a client. It’s a skill that comes with time and from building a strong partnership with a client from the very start. Once you have a good relationship, everything else just comes naturally and you get a gut feeling when you’re speaking to someone.

Having a mentor like Tom who was very honest and open that some things wouldn’t click straight away whilst still being nurturing with his advice and training sessions was really beneficial to get me to where I am today.

Having been recently promoted to lead the INCOG account, what would you say are the most important qualities or attributes that have helped you advance in your career?

I think being able to build personal connections with people and having empathy for their individual situations has really helped me and the relationship we have with INCOG. At the end of the day, INCOG as a client want to meet good people for their business and the candidates I speak to want a career with a great company. So I really have to put myself in both of their shoes and advocate for both parties.

The partnership between Lead Candidate and INCOG boils down to people helping people – which is what I wanted to do as a Talent Partner. Having a recruitment partner is about more than just numbers, it’s a long-term investment into your culture and people.

How has your scientific background influenced your approach as a Talent Partner?

When speaking to candidates and hiring managers, having a scientific background and a technical understanding allows me to speak more in depth about the role requirements and understand someone’s knowledge and experience. It definitely helps when I’m speaking with scientists who want to be able to talk openly about their skills.

When I do speak with engineers or microbiologists, I’ll be honest and explain that I’m a chemist and might need them to explain something a little bit. But I think people appreciate that honesty, it’s always better than pretending you understand something you don’t.

Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for your career in the next 5 years, and how do you plan to continue growing within the company?

I joined Lead Candidate when it was still in start-up phase and we’ve just been growing so quickly from then that there isn’t one set pathway I see myself going down. As the company grows outwards, there are so many different things I can see myself moving into, whether I continue as a Talent Partner or move into something like Account Management.

I know whatever I decide to do that the company will support me in learning new skills and advancing my development, which is a great position to be in.

What would you say to someone considering a similar career move as you, from technical to people-focused?

I’m someone who loves to make a pros and cons list – so definitely make one of those if you’re considering a career move. And if one of the cons of your current job is that you miss the social aspect and meeting new people, then recruitment could be a fantastic shift for you too.

If you know a career move is what you need, I’d say go for it and try something new. Find out what you want from a career.

Interested in a career path like Megan’s? We’re looking for a Talent Partner to join our fast-growing team based in Newcastle. Get in touch with Tom Kirkpatrick at tom@leadcandidate.com to find out more!

Lead Candidate exist to fuel growth for those in the pharma & bio outsourcing space through talent sourcing. Our embedded partnership approach and custom built campaigns ensures that we deliver an experience unrecognisable from what you are used to.
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