• Question: Are you particularly proud of something you have achieved in your career? How has this benefited your career?

    Asked by anon-207542 to William, Silvia, Scott, Oliver, Natalie, Michelle, Lowri on 5 Mar 2019. This question was also asked by anon-207744, anon-207630.
    • Photo: Natalie Lamb

      Natalie Lamb answered on 5 Mar 2019:


      I got to travel to Mexico in the first year of my PhD to help work out how to make their water less likely to be changed by climate change. I’ve never been so far, plus I felt like I was trying my best to help people using my research. I was out of my comfort zone so it was good for me on a personal level but I also think it is a great addition to my CV

    • Photo: Lowri Evans

      Lowri Evans answered on 5 Mar 2019:


      I am really proud of attaining a PhD (doctorate). I come from a working class background and was the first person in my family to go to university. I worked really hard during my PhD and it was very, very difficult. Half way through my project, my supervisor (teacher) left and got a job at a different university, so made it very challenging. So against all the odds, I still managed to get the PhD! I wouldn’t be in the job I am now without the PhD.

    • Photo: Michelle Valkanas

      Michelle Valkanas answered on 6 Mar 2019:


      I am the first person in my family to go to uni. So getting my Ph.D. is a HUGE accomplishment. I do not how it will benefit my career just yet, but I feel like the possibilities are endless!

    • Photo: Silvia Imberti

      Silvia Imberti answered on 6 Mar 2019:


      I went to this conference in the US and this big scientist gave a talk, and he gave pieces of evidence and one of the key pieces was a paper of mine, the final one which summarised the results of my PhD. It felt that even if you do science in a small lab, you can have an impact.

      Also seconding what written @Michelle and @Lowri below, as I come from a working class family, single mother, having a degree (first in my family), let alone a PhD always felt like a huge accomplishment.

    • Photo: Scott Graham

      Scott Graham answered on 7 Mar 2019:


      there is 2 things in which I am particularly proud of, first is gaining my degree and then my MSc ( I may go back and do a PhD in the future). having struggled at school with grades coming this far is a big achievement for me. I am also proud of myself for stepping out my comfort zone and doing a presentation in front of a large group of people at my work. For someone who had a massive phobia of public speaking this was very challenging however I went to a training course on helping people with public speaking and it helped greatly. I’m still nervous about doing presentations however I no longer run and hide from it

    • Photo: Oliver Andrews

      Oliver Andrews answered on 12 Mar 2019:


      I think my proudest moment was giving a presentation at the Royal Society in London (the oldest scientific society in the world). Although it was very nerve-wracking! It benefited my career because I was able to present my research to many of the leading experts in my field, and to write a paper which is now published in a journal.

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