This guest feature from car repair startup ClickMechanic shows us that your degree doesn’t have to dictate your job after university. Kurt, ClickMechanic employee and UCL alum shows us what skills you can transfer from your degree to your work. In his words:

“I would tell everyone, choose your degree and career around what you love and have a real passion for.” Kurt – Project Manager, UCL Graduate: German Language and History MA

Why UCL?

“I came to UCL for two primary reasons: the course modules, which resonated strongly with my interests, and for the world-class lecturers. Further to that it was great to have the experience of living in another place for my postgraduate studies. I am glad I opted to come to UCL, it ended up being a great experience and offered a fantastic opportunity to kickstart my career.

Due to the setup of the course there was a wide range of modules to choose from, and as such an opportunity to learn from lecturers with a variety of interests. All were very passionate about their subjects and had a wealth of knowledge to share. I could tailor my curriculum in the way that I hoped, focusing on twentieth century German history as well as sociolinguistics. Along the way I was also able to broaden my horizon by taking modules in European history and twentieth century modern art.

With UCL being a campus university it meant it was easy to build connections with people  from all across the planet and hang out. An added bonus is of course being right in the middle of Central London. There’s a never-ending stream of things to do nearby, and not necessarily expensive if you knew where to go. It’s a great way to make a start with exploring this vast city.”

Work after UCL

“After graduating, I decided to stay in London for a little longer and actually managed to find another place to stay via someone I met at UCL. I got on with finding a role in marketing, a field I had already worked in prior to coming to UCL. On the job hunt, I swiftly found a role at ClickMechanic, the company I still work for. I actually found the job ad on Tumblr of all places and, with my enthusiasm for all things tech and automotive, decided to pursue it.

My initial role was a general marketing position: creating copy for the site, managing social and email channels, handling the pay-per-click ads, and managing customer relations when needed. Being the first employee to join the founders and the only one with any in-depth technical knowledge of cars, meant that I was an integral part of building ClickMechanic’s quote engine, which I still work on to this day.

My course at UCL centred around German language and history, which doesn’t exactly match up with the jobs I ended up pursuing but it’s clear my studies enabled me to refine a lot of skills that gave me an edge when looking for a position.

Current role at ClickMechanic

In my day to day now, as a Project Manager, I work on a variety of projects that necessitate a deep understanding of our product, customers and marketing principles. I help communicate between teams, taking a pivotal role in briefing our software developers on updates to our complex system to help push growth.

In my role there is a lot of data to get my head around, both qualitative and quantitative. It’s the interpreting of all this data where my postgraduate studies at UCL has proven to be very helpful. As in doing postgraduate research, the amount of information and different types of information you have to interpret is complex in most growth-oriented marketing roles, and requires a real attention to detail.

Understanding what is important and what isn’t helps to make informed data-driven decisions that ultimately make ClickMechanic’s product better. I help build the narratives around the data to explore, explain, and ultimately change things for the better with the evidence we assess. This data analysis is vital for many roles, especially in marketing. It’s clear for me that UCL helped nurture an analytical way of thinking, and contributed to building my career in marketing.”

Need advice on what you want to do after graduating? UCL Careers can help.

Visit our contributors website: ClickMechanic

Some Top Tips from Ella Kahn, UCL Alumni and Literary Agent at Diamond Kahn & Woods.

I am a literary agent, which means I scout for talented writers and help them get published; working with them to develop their novels, matchmaking them with the right publisher, and supporting their careers as authors in any way I can.

I have a very close working relationship with all my clients – editing a novel to get it ready to sell to publishers can be very intensive, and it’s important that my authors understand and are happy with every stage of the publication process, so constant communication (and reassurance!) as I guide them through that process is key. And by managing all of the business aspects of getting published (negotiating contracts, dealing with finances etc), I enable my authors to focus on what they do best – being creative and writing incredible books.

A strong, pacy plot is the most important quality for me, combined with a confident, distinctive writing voice. A pacy plot doesn’t have to mean constant action and cliffhangers at the end of each chapter – it might be driven by the emotional journey the character goes on, for example – but I want to have a sense of purpose and direction to the story.

A manuscript will stand out if there’s an intriguing concept or ‘hook’ at the heart of the story that’s going to immediately pique my curiosity. I want well-rounded, realistic and personable characters who I’m going to care about and want to root for; authentic dialogue, and vivid, immersive world-building, so I can sink into the world of the story; and a professional, committed author who I know I will enjoy working with!

When approaching agents, writers often fail to focus on the most important thing: telling us what their book is about! A cover letter should include a blurb pitching the story in the same style as the blurbs you’ll find on the back of a book in a bookshop. I want to know who the main character is, a little bit about the set-up of their world and their situation at the start of the story, what happens to set their story in motion, what their aims and motivations are, and what challenges they’re going to face in trying to achieve their goals. Something else that is very easy to avoid: not paying attention to detail! It doesn’t give a good impression if I’m sent a novel in a genre I don’t represent, or if there are typos in the text, or if my name is spelt wrong. A little bit of research into which agents might be the best fit for your work, and approaching them with a polished, professional pitch, will go a long way to help a submission stand out.

 

Executive Producer Helen Collerton from Parable (http://parableworks.com) shares her top tips for working in the production industry. Helen is a UCL alumni and studied BA English Literature. 

1. It’s all about having the right attitude.
   Last year I took a poll from around 30 freelancers I work with regularly. I asked them what they had studied at university, and the answers that came back ranged from History to Anthropology, Psychology to Media, English Literature to French, Politics to Economics to Geography and on and on. Rather than devaluing your choice of study, instead this shows what I believe to be the most important truth to success in production: it’s all about your attitude, enthusiasm, and dedication. What these 30 people have in common, is that they are each a joy to work with, both in terms of skill and personality. Production is an intense job at times, and people will value passion, and a fresh and positive frame of mind.
2. Pigeon hole yourself.
   Within the film/production industry, there are many specialisms, each requiring a unique set of skills and experience. While it is of course vital to ‘shop around’ to work out what you like making, one of the best pieces of advice I was ever given, was to be aware that you only need two or three of a certain type of ‘thing’ on your CV, before you will only be getting calls to do exactly that. There is some sense to thhis – the industry changes so rapidly, that you do need to be regularly making food programmes/natural history documentaries/sports broadcasting/commercials etc. to ensure you are moving at pace with your specialism in terms of technical kit, processes, and talent.
3. Know what everybody else does.
   You are going to become better at what you do, and easy to work with, if you put some effort and research into understanding the roles of the people working around you. Whether you are working as a runner, a researcher, or an executive producer, if you understand the details of each part of the puzzle, and the various pressures, stresses, and focus points of your colleagues, you will become a more valuable member of the team. You will also find that you learn more, and that you learn faster.
4. The word ‘hierarchy’ should not apply.
   This is a big one. There are hundreds of different roles in film and production, and while some are more complex, or require more experience than others, the words ‘hierarchy’ or ‘senior/junior’ should not apply. This is for two reasons: firstly, everybody started as a runner, a driver, a tea-maker, a dogs body or an assistant. Everybody has been where you are, and the only thing separating you from the people with more responsibility than you, is years of experience. A well-run and welcoming production team should make you feel that this is true, because it is. Secondly, a brilliant ‘anything’ is invaluable. No cog on the wheel or link in the chain is less important than any other – every project relies on people at every stage of the process doing a brilliant job. You’re just as important as everybody else.
5. Be kind to yourself.
   Sometimes I think that when people talk about the film/production industry, they make it sound like a very hard place. The reality is that if you surround yourself with lovely people, it is a genuinely amazing place to be. In order to keep yourself sane and safe, remember that you are only as good as you are strong, healthy, and happy. Part of the job is looking after yourself – I’m a firm believer in not working with people who don’t treat you well, and in relaxing and having fun whenever possible.

Helen also is a writer and has a piece on her blog called  ‘Making Space for Writing’. You can read it here: https://readmesoftly.com/2017/12/17/making-space-for-writing/

A series of lunchtime talks and experiential workshops providing insight, advice and interactive opportunities to engage with all aspects of careers management and navigating selection processes no matter where you are in your careers thinking.

From understanding the graduate job market to career decision-making; mock aptitude tests to interview success; finding and funding a PHD to getting to grips with Linkedin and social media – the programme aims to equip you with the essential know-how to begin to move forward and engage more confidently with ‘Finding your Future’.

Talks and workshops titles will be repeated on a regular basis in the Autumn, Spring and post-exam season. Please register to attend using the links below. For more information and to register to attend – http://www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/events/essentials

Essentials Programme

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Improve your CV
7th November 1-2pm, repeated 21st November 1-2pm

Did you know that the average employer can spend less than 30 seconds assessing a CV? Is it true that some employers ignore personal profiles? Should a CV be more than just a life history of everything you’ve ever done?

Find out how to market yourself effectively in a UK CV in this interactive session. We’ll simulate a CV sifting exercise allowing you to ‘sit in the recruiter’s shoes’ and assess multiple CVs under time pressure. Understand how to create a strong first impression, keep the reader’s interest and make your evidence ‘relevant’.
Book Now

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Application forms, cover letters and supporting statements
10th November 1-2pm, repeated 22nd November 1-2pm

Do companies use ‘killer questions’ to sift out weaker candidates in application forms? Does a recruiter pay more attention to a CV or cover letter? What’s the difference between a ‘functional’ and a ‘narrative’ personal statement?

In this interactive session, we’ll review motivation and competency-based application answers, assess sample cover letters and personal statements and get an insider’s view on what recruiters are really looking for.
Book Now

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Succeeding at interviews
17th November 1-2pm

Did you know that most interview questions are predictable or that what you say can be less important than how you say it?

If you’ve been invited to an interview, you’ve already impressed but for most, interviewing is a daunting experience – so how can you navigate interviews successfully?

Find out how to prepare ahead for the types of questions you can expect, create a strong first impression and learn answering strategies for motivational, competency and strength-based questions. We’ll critique videos of graduate-level interviews and get inside the recruiter’s head to understand what they’re really looking for.
Book Now

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To register and find out about future Careers Essential events – http://www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/events/essentials UCL Careers

As part of our #UCLInspireMe series, Bianca shares her insight into how volunteering helped her to secure he rcurrent role at Body & Soul, an Islington based organisation that supports children, families and young people who have or are closely affected by HIV.  Here she talks to us about how the skills she developed while volunteering at UCL helped her get her current role.  For more insights from recent graduates working for smaller organisations, visit https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/ucl-careers/ and search #SMEProfile.

“Volunteering is a win-win situation really. You are helping charities to be sustainable and supporting people in need but you also gain great life and work experience and are doing something meaningful with your time.”

Bianca Karpf graduated from UCL’s MSc in Medical Anthropology in 2013. As a student, she volunteered with HIV charity Body & Soul, with the Council for At Risk Academics , and for international health charity Medact.

Where are you currently working?
I’m currently working as Public Health Partnerships & Programmes Manager at Body & Soul, a charity which supports children, young people and families living with or affected by HIV. My role involves public sector engagement, making evidence-based cases for statutory investment, project management and development and measuring impact within the charity.

I am also about to start a new volunteering role as at Food Cycle, a charity tackling food insecurity through providing nutritious hot meals to those in need through surplus food donations from local businesses. I will be cooking meals and developing their community outreach.

What useful skills and experiences did you gain as a volunteer when you were at UCL?
So many! Patience was a key one for working with people on a frontline basis but also exercising empathy and being non-judgemental is an important skill to build trusting relationships with service-users. The experience of seeing how resilient and hopeful people can be even when they have lived through extreme hardship and terrible life experiences. I also learnt how to multi-task as I was juggling multiple commitments at the same time.

How has volunteering helped you in your career so far?
Volunteering as a research assistant during my time at UCL led to paid employment when the charity got a grant to develop the research. It also was great experience when I applied for research jobs in West Africa the following year.

Volunteering at Body & Soul inspired me to write about HIV and the voluntary sector in my master’s dissertation. That knowledge and the fact that I was already known to the charity as a hard worker and a loyal volunteer definitely helped me to get my current job here at the charity.

What would you say to UCL students considering whether or not to volunteer?
Volunteering is a win-win situation really. You are helping charities to be sustainable and supporting people in need but you also gain great life and work experience and are doing something meaningful with your time. It is a great way to break out of the student bubble, and an antidote to restlessness! Volunteering puts your own problems into perspective and introduces you to people from a really broad range of backgrounds.

You can volunteer in such a wide range of capacities that there is sure to be something that is your fit. It can be frontline and working with children or vulnerable adults, or you can volunteer/intern in an office gaining valuable work experience. At my current place of work we have volunteer complementary therapists, handymen, phone support volunteers and fundraisers so search what is right for you. Volunteer fairs are a great way of chatting to people from the charity and finding out about a broad range of organisations.

Interested in finding out more about volunteering? Visit UCLU Volunteering Services Unit’s webpages.

As part of our #UCLInspireMe series, Adrian shares his insight into how volunteering helped him to secure his current role at, Body & Soul, an Islington based organisation that supports children, families and young people who have or are closely affected by HIV.  Here he talks to us about the skills he developed while volunteering at UCL helped him get his current role.  For more insights from recent graduates working for smaller organisations, visit https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/ucl-careers/ and search #SMEProfile.

“I became a much better communicator after volunteering. Volunteering also allowed me to put a lot of what I was writing about in my dissertation into context.”

Adrian Deen graduated from UCL’s MSc in Science, Technology and Society in 2014. We recently spoke to him about how his student volunteering experiences have influenced his career so far.

Where are you currently working?
I’m the Head of Adult Services at Body & Soul, an Islington based organisation that supports children, families and young people who have or are closely affected by HIV. My role involves planning and programming the workshops and events that take place on our Tuesday service evenings. I also liaise with our member’s medical teams, attend conferences and do casework on practical issued our members might face.

What volunteering were you involved with whilst you were at UCL?
Whilst at UCL I volunteered at Body & Soul and it was off the back of volunteering that I was encouraged to apply for the job that I now do.

I also volunteered at CORE Arts – an art school in Homerton for people with severe and enduring mental health problems. I also volunteered at the Grant Museum of Comparative Anatomy as well as for The Parent House – an Islington based charity for asylum seeker parents.

What useful skills and experiences did you gain as a volunteer when you were at UCL?
I became a much better communicator after volunteering. Volunteering also allowed me to put a lot of what I was writing about in my dissertation into context.

How has volunteering helped you in your career so far?
Volunteering has had a direct impact on my career – again, got my current job through it.

What would you say to UCL students considering whether or not to volunteer?
Absolutely do it! University (and school in general) can be a very self-absorbing pursuit. You tend to spend long hours thinking about your own thoughts, writing these thoughts down and usually getting told they’re good. Volunteering or just doing anything for anyone else can be an incredible humbling thing, it’s grounding which, for students can be a very good thing.

Make sure you volunteer at a charity that actually means something to you. Volunteering for the sake of it is no use to anyone, especially not the people/organisations who need enthusiastic volunteers to continue doing the work they do.

Interested in finding out more about volunteering? Visit UCLU Volunteering Services Unit’s webpages.

 

September 2016 sees the first cohort of students starting at the new School of Management postgraduate campus at Level 38, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf. Located just one floor above is Level39, Europe’s largest technology accelerator space for finance, cyber-security, retail and smart-city technology companies. Level39 offer small businesses the space and support to grow, through a tailored curriculum, expert mentors, and a variety of events, and have helped entrepreneurs turn simple products into multi-million pound businesses.UCL School of Management’s Employer & Alumni Engagement Officer, Ally Hawley, spoke with UCL alumna Vesela Vukova to discuss her role at Level39.

Vesela studied the Finance Pathway of Masters in Management, graduating in 2015, and is now an Assistant Management Accountant at Level39.

How did you get into your role?

In my third term at UCL School of Management I was doing a consultancy project that was focussed on technology and co-working environments in London. I was doing some market research and Level39 just stood out from the other places I had researched as an amazing place! It is the largest accelerator for fintech, cyber security, retail and smart cities led technology companies. I checked their website careers section frequently and an opportunity came up, I applied and got the job!

What are the best things about working in your role?

I love that my role goes beyond crunching numbers, it’s about understanding what stands behind the numbers, and what can be done in the future to accelerate a company’s growth. Also I like that my role involves working with all the stakeholders of Level39, from Team39 to our parent company Canary Wharf Group, to Level39’s members, to the suppliers that we use.

What are the biggest challenges you face in your work?

I previously worked in corporate banking and in this role the answers to all the questions that came up in my job were either written down somewhere, or there would be a department within the organisation to help. In start-up industries there is no guidance already written, you must set up the processes and procedures, which can be really challenging. On the positive side Level39 has a really entrepreneurial team and we always find a way around the problems that we face.

What does a typical day in your job involve?

My job is really diverse, there is no typical day. Some days I’m focussed on accounting and financial reporting as that is a major part of my role. Some days I am meeting with suppliers or meeting with Level39 members to support them with financial matters. Other days I will work on other projects with my Level39 Team, for example helping to integrate a new system.

What skills are important in this role?

Problem solving is really important, as are attention to details, pro-activity and people skills.

What top tips would you pass on to a student interested in this type of work?

In general terms I would advise students to develop their networking skills and to search for opportunities that are out there. More specifically in relation to my role I would advise them to develop their problem solving skills. One way to do this is by obtaining as much knowledge as possible either from lectures, case studies or any other UCL activities. The real life cases that I studied as part of my Masters really helped me to gain practical, hands on experience.

What do you think about the new Canary Wharf Campus for UCL SoM Post Graduate Students?

It is quite similar to the reason why Level39 is located here. Fintech, Cyber Security, retail and smart cities are all present right here in Canary Wharf. Being here makes it much easier to connect with organisations in these sectors, as well as the other located here such as banking and finance. This is the same for students, it is much easier for them to attend employer events, interviews and internships. It also means it will be easier to attract high quality employers to come onto campus and engage with students. I definitely think that students will benefit from being based at Canary Wharf!

To find out more about the School of Management and its Canary Wharf Campus go to: https://www.mgmt.ucl.ac.uk/

To find out more about Level39 visit: www.level39.co

As part of our #UCLInspireMe series, Arthur talks to us about his Account Executive role at Gorkana, an award-winning media intelligence company.  Here he talks to us about how he got this role and shares some tips for UCL students who want to get into the sector.  For more insights from recent graduates working for smaller organisations, visit https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/ucl-careers/ and search #SMEProfile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How did you get into your role?

My name is Arthur, I’m 24 and have been working as an Account Executive at Gorkana since April 2015. I finished a master’s degree in Autumn 2014, followed by two comms internships in the charity sector. Because I was involved in PR, I’d obviously heard of Gorkana, though not for its analysis services. I had spent a (perhaps excessive) amount of time ‘playing’ with its media database – a must-have tool at the outset of any PR planning and campaign targeting. I found out about my current role simply by going on the Careers section of the Gorkana website. Having always had a keen interest in the media, the description of the role really appealed to me, was roughly in line with what I’d recently been studying (political communications) and let’s be honest – I needed a job. Slightly disenchanted by the early days of my job hunt, during which I was told I was either “overqualified” or didn’t have “enough experience”, I applied to Gorkana with relatively low hopes, I must say. I was impressed with the first contact I had – a prompt response by HR and a real demonstration of interest in my background. From that moment, it all went quite fast. I had an interview, a test, and a few days later – I had a job!

What are the best things about working in your role?

I think one of the best things about Gorkana is that it really invests in people. Pretty much my whole first month in the company was dedicated to training me and other newbies. When so many companies are obsessed with work experience – even for entry-level positions – and simply won’t give you a chance if you don’t have the experience – the experience that no one gives you the opportunity to build – it was refreshing to find Gorkana was not one of them. While a solid academic record and some experience are undeniably valuable, Gorkana gave me a chance to demonstrate my value in the workplace without a set range of pre-selective, arbitrary requirements. And I hope I’m not getting ahead of myself by saying that, but I think it’s been relatively successful so far.

As for the role itself, there are many rewarding aspects to our work. Finding out that your report is discussed at an organisation’s managerial meeting or used as the basis for PR strategy is one of them. Generally, when clients express gratitude for what we do for them, it’s a nice feeling. I also like working in a fairly niche industry, which simultaneously gives you an interesting overview and glimpse into the world of media. There is huge variety of clients here at Gorkana: from government agencies to financial groups, charities, clothing companies, transport companies, videogames publishers, tech companies… We get a lot of insider knowledge on a vast array of sectors, some of which we probably wouldn’t learn anything about otherwise.

What are the biggest challenges you face in your work?

The technicality of the job can be a bit overwhelming at first, but that’s what the training is for, and like everything else, it takes time. I never felt like I was thrown into the deep end, but at the same time, I was trusted and given the opportunity to get stuck in right away and progress rapidly. Deadlines can be demanding and inevitably clash. When new to a company, it’s virtually impossible to predict how long things are going to take or anticipate the various issues that are going to arise, so it has its challenges. But it’s not something to panic about – we work in teams and people help eachother. There is a huge sense of accommodation and problem solving. People work hard, but not blindly and unnecessarily hard. I hear of workplaces where you have to stay until at least 7pm everyday even if you don’t have anything to do, just to look good in front of management – Gorkana is not one of those places.

Job roles at Gorkana are also really interwoven, which can be challenging when you’re used to working by yourself at university. Even back at uni, I used to dislike working with others on projects, presentations etc. It was always somewhat chaotic – people would disagree and go in different directions, I was never happy with what came out of it. In a professional context, it’s challenging but also much more ordered and efficient. And necessary. You don’t achieve anything by yourself in the workplace – or not quite. You have to listen and be heard. Team work is the essence of any work.

What top tips would you pass on to a student interested in this type of work?

I always found that spending a decent amount of time on a company’s website was key to taking in what the company was about, its ethos and where you would fit in – what you would bring personally. There is a reason why all that stuff is written on there – companies showcase themselves in that way and communicate things that are meaningful to them. So they should be meaningful to you. You don’t have to be an expert in a sector you’re trying to get into – your interest will be more crucial but will need to be substantiated with a perceptive understanding of the work you might be doing and its wider environment. That applies particularly to companies where the technicality of the work is not necessarily something you can learn from previous experiences. Rather than looking at whether you know things, what will be looked at is whether you’re capable – and in particular able to learn and to adapt to a team, immerse yourself in an environment that you’re by definition not familiar with.

I regret not having taken more advantage of my uni days to build up a greater amount of work experience. This is primarily what is looked at by a lot of companies, although I do believe the key is – rather than accumulating lots of experience – to build good, relevant experience. Quality over quantity. And be smart and selective about how you present yourself to an employer – tailoring your profile to their needs and expectations.

 

Gorkana is attending UCL Careers’ Global Citizenship Employability Programme, where they will be participating in a “speed interviews” event. They will also be at the UCL Jobs Market, taking place on Wednesday 8th of June, advertising vacancies with immediate starts.

As part of our #UCLInspireMe series, Marco Attanasio talks to us about Gousto and shares some tips for UCL students who want to get into the sector. For more insights from recent graduates working for smaller organisations, visit https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/ucl-careers/ and search #SMEProfile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where do you work and what do you do?

I work as Head of Business Operations at Gousto, the number 1 recipe delivery service in the UK. I have two parts to my job, Customer Care and Strategic Projects.

In Customer Care we help customers get the most out of their Gousto experience – from tracking their deliveries, to explaining how the service works.

In Strategic Projects the team works on Gousto of the future, figuring out how we can continually innovate and push the boundaries for our customers and the company.

How did you get into your role?

I’ve had quite a varied career to date, but I’ve always been doing something I love. After my Masters at UCL I went to work in the renewable energy sector, project managing in product development.

Five years later I decided to follow a lifetime ambition of opening and running my own restaurant (it’s hard work!), which I did for a couple of years. When I returned to London, I had a strong desire to combine my passion for food, technology and the startup world; I found Gousto, applied for an internship and have been here for the last two years.

What are the best things about working in your role?

I love the people, the challenge and the opportunity.

We have a team of incredibly smart, motivated and passionate individuals who all pull together to make Gousto one of the best places to work around. Working at Gousto presents daily challenges and problems to solve, we succeed because we tackle the difficult problems head on, which means I’m constantly learning. Gousto has a huge opportunity to disrupt an industry and it’s great to be a part of that journey.

What are the biggest challenges you face in your work?

One of the biggest challenges of working in a successful startup like Gousto comes from one of the business’s great strengths – adapting quickly. We’re a fast-paced company, and this means we sometimes have to pull out all the stops to deliver continual improvements in short timescales; but that’s also what makes it such a rewarding job!

What top tips would you give to a student interested in this type of work?

Test, measure, adjust and test again.

What does a typical day in your job involve?

I don’t really have a typical day as projects evolve and are always in different phases. It could involve meeting with new suppliers, carrying out testing or figuring out how we’re going to tackle a particular challenge. It’s so varied, which makes it even more enjoyable.

What skills are important in this role?

Passion, attention to detail, a love of problem solving and great people skills.

Do you currently have any opportunities for students at Gousto?

We’re constantly on the look out for smart, passionate and eager students and graduates in all areas of the business. Apply for an internship at Gousto via our website and we’ll take a look at your application, as a former intern, I meet and interview every intern as part of the process. Being an intern at Gousto is a fantastic opportunity, 60% of our Management team joined the company as interns, so the sky’s the limit!

Internships, placements, work shadowing….when it comes to selecting a career they’re all great ways to ‘try before you buy’. Some UCL PhD programmes contain a mandatory placement period, a few months where students must do something unrelated to their research. These prove invaluable to the students involved, so in this series of posts we hope to spread the career knowledge by speaking to three PhDs about their placement experiences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interview by Shadae Samuels, Placements and Vacancies Officer, UCL Careers.

Image taken from Chris Garcia.

Chris Penny is a current PhD student with the London Interdisciplinary Doctoral Training Programme.  He is based in Sandip Patel’s lab and his PhD project is studying the molecular physiology and signalling functions of an intracellular ion channel. Through Chris’ project he was able to experience writing papers and reviews, which piqued his interest in potentially pursuing a career in publishing. This made publishing the perfect option for his PIPS placement to provide him with the opportunity to gain new skills and find out as much as possible about the industry. Chris secured a 12 week placement with Portland Press, a leading provider of high-quality publishing and knowledge dissemination solutions. He was supervised by the Executive Editor, Clare Curtis.

How did Chris secure his PIPS with Portland Press?

Chris initially researched a large number of publishing houses, he speculatively sent his CV and cover letter; he would then follow up his application with a phone call to the organisation. He found this approach was quite time-consuming and did not yield a high response, so Chris reached out to his own network for contacts in the publishing industry. Luckily Chris had a friend who previously worked at Portland Press Ltd and they put him in touch with a member of the editorial team. Chris organised an interview, and he was offered an internship starting a few months later. Chris would advise anyone applying for internships to utilise their contacts and be persistent in following up with the organisation. Having a contact in the organisation really helps with getting your application noticed!

What did the company look for in a placement student?

Portland Press wanted someone who was enthusiastic, willing to learn, and able to ‘have a go’ at a variety of tasks, some of which were mundane and others that would be more challenging. It was good to have someone who had little or no experience in the publishing industry so that they did not arrive with any preconceived ideas. The only requirement they had was for the intern to have scientific knowledge.

What did Chris do on his placement?

Portland Press is the wholly owned publishing subsidiary of the Biochemical Society, and produces the Biochemical Journal and Clinical Science, among other titles. It is a really exciting time to work there, with both the Society and the Press going through a number of changes to their look, systems and processes. Chris’ role mainly consisted of qualitative and quantitative data analysis, building upon his lab skills in the context of publishing. This included carrying out extensive citation analysis, looking at which research is high profile and which areas could be improved. Helping with the peer review submitted articles, Chris was able to generate strategies for expanding the research that is published by Portland Press, and he helped with commissioning experts to write the hot topics of the week.

What did Chris gain from the experience?

The placement was an opportunity for Chris to experience the other side of academic publishing. From the placement Chris gained commercial awareness, which he found particularly useful as this experience is very difficult to come by during a PhD. He improved on his analytical skills, market research skills by soliciting reviews, launching new content and searching for peer reviewers. Chris broadened his scientific interests as he was exposed to research in areas he was almost completely unaware of previously.

How did the placement contribute to Portland Press?

Portland Press is going through a period of significant change both in organisational structure and in processes. The work Chris undertook provided some foundations for future development of the department, and helped the creation of an overall strategy. The Biochemical Society is committed to the advancement of science for academics and students. Part of its ethos is to foster education and student opportunities. Therefore being part of the BBSRC PhD placement programme was the perfect way to meet this for Portland Press.

Has the placement influenced Chris’s career direction?

Since the start of his PhD Chris always wanted to go into post-doctoral work, however he enjoyed the editorial and strategic aspects of his placement.  Therefore Chris would certainly consider joining an editorial board while in academia if possible, but would also consider working in publishing outside of academia. Chris has a better understanding of the publishing industry and hopes the experience will come in handy for articles he will publish in the future.

If you’re a UCL PhD or researcher wondering how to secure work experience or a more permanent post, book an appointment to speak with one of our advisers. And for advertised opportunities check out UCL Talent Bank and JobOnline.