Keep an open mind and don’t be averse to taking the leap. There’s a saying in Hindi, “Udaan bharne ke liye, chalang lanaga zaroori hain”, which loosely translates to if you want to learn how to fly/soar, you have to first jump!
On reflection, I’m not sure my aim was ever to remain in academia!
Working with such an amazing collection and with world experts. Being able to combine my interests in science, Egyptology, and heritage.
I felt it offered a perfect way to combine my skills – science and writing. Translating complex topics into clear, compelling storytelling really appealed to me as it had been how I approached writing my thesis.
I had heard that industrial science can be quite restrictive, that you don’t have the freedom to follow interesting science as you do in academia. It may be that I have been lucky in my role, but I have had quite a lot of freedom to investigate what I believe may be interesting biology.
Your degree is more than just academic skills, it’s an opportunity to try out a range of new activities. Do it – you never know what will come in handy!
Make the university PhD experience a whole one – study hard, but talk to people and engage, if possible, with the community you live in.
A favourite part of my job is feeling like I’m doing something really impactful.
That there’s no need to worry about knowing too little or not having enough experience – there will always be more to learn and if you’re passionate, committed and hard-working.
I have found a place where the most reliable and advanced techniques I was working on can potentially became a real technology.
I was much better at the writing part of research than actually running experiments.
I have always taken the approach that it’s important to diversify, not just in terms of techniques but also in what you do with your time.
