S14 Ep2: Project Management Beyond Academia with Dr Alice Santambrogio

Ever wondered what project management really looks like in the biotech industry? In this episode Dr Alice Santambrogio, Project Manager at Relation, shares her journey from research technician to scientific management. We discuss how to decide if doing a PhD is right for you, the differences between working in biotech compared to academia, and how to talk to your supervisor about taking on new responsibilities. Alice offers actionable advice on leveraging your network, identifying opportunities, and applying your research skills in new contexts.   If you are a researcher at King’s, find out more about how the careers team can support you to explore roles within and beyond academia here.  Connect with us on Linked in by joining our King’s Careers Network for Researchers. 

Dr Vittorio Aita joins us to share his passion for communication: from getting 70 year olds on the nano dancefloor, to winning over resistant teens with his powerful storytelling.  Since the early days of high school to his Physics PhD at King’s, Vittorio has shared his passion for science outreach in exciting and innovative ways.  Through his openness to opportunity and experimental approach to career he now enjoys using his skills and experience as an associate editor at Nature Communication (part of Springer Nature).  For anyone interested in outreach, science communications, publishing or simply keen to hear Vittorio’s take on the identity shift of leaving academia – this is a great listen. Want us to answer your careers question? Complete this anonymous form: Sendyour careers question to the Careers In Your Ears podcast – Fill out formCareers support for researchers at King’s here: https://keats.kcl.ac.uk/mod/page/view.php?id=5279350&forceview=1Vittorio mentioned Physics World’s student publishing platform, more info here: https://physicsworld.com/p/our-student-contributors/Vittorio on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vittorio-aita-160021327/https://vittorioaita.com/

“Have faith in yourself that you’re able to learn...have the willpower and the confidence that you can do it” In this episode Dr Gayathri Sekhar, Risk & Compliance at Deloitte, speaks candidly about some of the realities of adapting to a fast-paced, corporate environment and reflects on how her experience as a researcher taught her perseverance and a willingness to learn.  We discuss how she used networking and informational interviews to navigate a transition into consulting and what progression looks like after making that move. Gayathri also offers practical tips and information about the recruitment process and how to prepare for it as well as words of encouragement for any researchers curious about exploring roles beyond academia.  *All opinions are Gayathri’s own and not associated with Deloitte  If you are a researcher at King’s you can access resources for exploring careers beyond academia on our KEATS pages and for preparing for consultancy interviews here.  

Dr Lindsay Parker and Laura Johnson (careers consultants for researchers) tackle a question around whether it is necessary to do graduate teaching assistant (GTA) work for your career development, even if you're not currently planning on being a lecturer.Got a careers question for our next episode? Complete this form: https://forms.office.com/e/JNyRpVd1eRHere are some resources and sites we mention:GTA one-stop shop on KEATS: https://keats.kcl.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=42686King's Doctoral College Hub: https://emckclac.sharepoint.com/sites/KPRHKing's Academy: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/academyMore info on Advance HE fellowships: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/fellowshipBrilliant Club: https://thebrilliantclub.org/King's careers resources for researchers: https://keats.kcl.ac.uk/mod/page/view.php?id=5279350&forceview=1

Could you apply your research skills to your career development and work out your next step? Our latest guest has taken this approach and recently wrote about it in this article in Nature. Matt talks to Laura about how he tested a few of his career hypotheses during his 15 years as a researcher (Start up? Publishing? Freelance?) and how it has helped him work out what he enjoys, what he's good at and how he likes to work. It doesn't have to take up all your time and it's a great strategy for exploring careers in academia and beyond.Matt's article, co-written with Dr Anne-Laure Le Cunff : https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02437-6Find Matt on Linkedin here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-betts-ph-d-12527857/If you are a researcher at King's, you can access our resources here: Careers resources for researchers on KEATSGot a careers question for our next Q&A episode? Complete this anonymous form

If you’ve ever wondered how to make that initial approach and use networking to create your own opportunities, this episode is for you. Dr Stella Toonen, Programme Director, Culture Within Newham joins us to talk about how building connections and having conversations has guided her career development.   We discuss Stella's current role, the importance of co-creation, and how her PhD experience has shaped her career. Stella shares insights on the differences between academia and community work, the value of networking, and the significance of gaining varied experiences. She emphasises the importance of using a PhD as a tool for building connections and gaining practical experience in the arts sector. Top tip “use your PhD as an excuse to speak to people!” If you are a PhD student or research staff at King's, find out more about how we can support you here: Careers support for researchers | King's College London

In this episode, specialist careers consultants, Laura and Anna answer a common question: How can I talk to my supervisor about my career goals when their only experience is academia and I'm worried that they won't want to discuss anything else.⁠Send us your question here⁠We explore:The reason why you should try and talk to your manager about your careerWhy it could be challenging for them tooHow to prepare for your career conversationWho is responsible for your career management?Our top tips for managers - how to have career conversationsSend us your question hereResources on KEATS: Support for Researchers: Talking to your Group Leader about trying out career options | KEATSJoin us on LinkedIn

“It was instrumental in me getting a job – this little boost of support.” How often do we ask for help? So many of us are afraid to saywhen something is difficult, to try out new things or tell people about our ambitions – it can make us feel vulnerable and fear of failure can get in the way.  But what our guest, Dr Tatjana Zoller, has realised is that when we ask for help, people are often keen to support and enable us to perform at our best, they can help us explore possibilities,diversify our skills and -  we concludedin our conversation – “people are generally kind aren’t they?” Who could you reach out to? Tatjana was awarded a PhD in Molecular Biology from theSchool of Neuroscience at King's College in November 2024 and she then left science to follow her passion for creating and (science) communications. She now works two-part time communications jobs within King's. Namely she workswith the King's Doctoral College and also serves as a producer for the "Between the Signals" podcast from the UK Dementia Research Institute at King's. She spends her free time documenting life through photography and video.Between the Signals - UK Dementia Research podcast Resources to support you in asking for ‘reasonable adjustments’https://www.acas.org.uk/reasonable-adjustmentshttps://employmentautism.org.uk/reasonable-adjustments-for-interviews-and-assessments/https://dyslexiascotland.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/JobInterviews.pdfhttps://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/ask-for-adjustments-at-interview

Got a question about your career? Ask us! We're launching special Q&A episodes to give you the opportunity to ask a specialist careers consultant your career conundrums - whether it's about careers in academia or beyond, or more general Qs about networking, CVs and more.Send your Qs in a message to our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/kings-careers-network-for-researchersLooking forward to receiving your questions.

“The main thing I realised is that we all have something to add.”Join us on this episode of "Careers in Your Ears" as we delve into the inspiring journey of Mariam Asaad, a fourth-year doctoral researcher at King's College London's Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery, and Palliative Care. Mariam shares her unique ‘squiggly’ career path, from her beginnings as a nurse in Saudi Arabia to her transition into academia and research. She discusses the personal challenges and triumphs that shaped her PhD project, which focuses on developing a tool to support parents of children with type 1 diabetes. Mariam also discusses her approach to, and the importance of, building a professional network by getting involved in different projects including the King’s Insights Programme* where she gained valuable consulting skills and explored the commercial side of research.  *The King’s Insights Programme is a 3 week virtual consultancy project with a live brief, working in a small group of PhD students. More information on our KEATS pages at www.kcl.ac.uk/careers