Top Tips: planning your future

Graduates working in an array of fields share their top tips for planning your future career.

Serena Parsons, Trauma Sales Specialist at DePuy Synthes:

 “some good advice is to sit down and make a list of what you really want from work and also what you don’t! Work is about 60% of your life so before you start a career path have a think about what you want and consider doing something transferable”.

Paz Garcia, Engagement and Communications Manager in the Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London:

“It’s important to try out for yourself through work experience whether or not you enjoy the day-to-day of communications and public engagement. I realised through doing research that I did not enjoy doing research. Likewise, I realised through doing science communication and public engagement that I really enjoyed it and wanted a career in it”.

Catriona Edwards, Trainee Patent Attorney:

“Taking some time out after both my degrees was also invaluable to me, to give me some time to think about what I want out of a career, as well as to have some time away from academics and live a little! Personally, I needed that time to get to know myself a little better and work out what was best for me”.

Robin Bishop, currently studying Medicine:

“If you want to go and work in a grad scheme after university, think hard about whether it is going to make you genuinely happy / or will lead you to something that will. I panicked and snatched up the wrong job for me and found that out pretty quickly. If you want to pursue a career in anything, I would take the time to find out what it is about that career that attracts you and see if it really fits with your plan for life in general”

Amritha Kharidehal, Novozymes:

‘You live and you learn and the most important part of being successful in what you study or the area you work in is to seek happiness in whatever you pursue. To make a career out of a job, you have to enjoy what you do and to pursue it consistently’