Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your career path?
I studied an integrated Master's degree in Chemistry at the University of Manchester. Science was always the path I expected to take, although looking back, I think what attracted me most was the analytical side of chemistry rather than the chemistry itself.
During my degree, I completed a Master's research project in inorganic chemistry, which resulted in a first-author publication. While I enjoyed the experience and learned a huge amount, it also helped me realise that a PhD wasn't necessarily the right next step for me. My Master's project had gone incredibly well, but I didn't know if a research career would be the right fit for me. I decided that if I ever wanted to return to research, I could, but I wanted to explore other opportunities first.
After graduating, I started looking at research-adjacent careers and came across publishing roles. I joined Springer Nature's Scientific Reports as a Publishing Assistant, where I managed the peer review process, assigned editors to manuscripts and helped authors navigate submissions.
After about a year, I became a Team Lead, managing colleagues in both London and India. It was a steep learning curve and my first experience of people management, but I quickly discovered that I really enjoyed working with and supporting people.
From there, I moved into editorial operations, working on projects focused on standardising processes, improving quality checks and ensuring journals maintained strong research integrity standards. This role introduced me to workflow optimisation, data analysis, KPI development and large-scale change management.
As the organisation evolved, my work became increasingly focused on process improvement and operational excellence. I worked closely with teams across the business to identify problems, improve workflows and develop solutions. One particularly significant project involved creating a more standardised onboarding process for editors.
Looking back, every step of my career has built on the previous one. I've gained experience in publishing, management, operations, process improvement and product development, and now use a combination of all those skills in my current role.
What is your current role and what does it involve?
I currently work as an Associate Product Manager.
A large part of my role is acting as a conduit between different teams. I work closely with stakeholders to understand their challenges and identify the underlying problems that need solving. Often, what people initially describe as the issue isn't actually the root cause, so a lot of my job involves listening, analysing information and asking questions to get to the heart of what needs fixing.
I then translate those requirements for developers and work with them to create solutions. It's a role that combines analytical thinking, problem-solving and relationship-building.
Although product management is a common job title, it can look very different from one organisation to another. For me, the most enjoyable part is working with people, understanding their needs and finding ways to improve their experience or make their work easier.
How do you approach new opportunities and career decisions?
I've never really followed a fixed career plan. If you'd asked me eight years ago where I'd be today, I wouldn't have predicted this role because I didn't even know it existed.
Instead, I've always focused on opportunities that seemed interesting and aligned with what I enjoyed doing. My approach has been to ask: What opportunities are available? What do I enjoy? What feels right?
I think listening to your instincts is important. That's how I approached the decision not to pursue a PhD. My gut feeling wasn't there, so I chose a different path.
I've also been fortunate to have managers who have encouraged me to explore new opportunities. Sometimes all it takes is someone asking, "Would you be interested in this?" and being open to saying yes. Many of the opportunities that shaped my career came from trying something new rather than following a predetermined plan.
For anyone who isn't sure exactly where they want to end up, I think that's a perfectly valid way to build a career. New opportunities appear all the time, and it's okay to explore them.
What advice would you give to someone at the start of their career?
Do what you enjoy.
Work will always be work to some extent, but it's much easier to stay motivated and engaged when you're doing something that aligns with your interests and strengths.
For me, I enjoy working with people and solving problems. Other people may prefer roles that are more technical or independent. Neither is right or wrong; it's about finding what suits you.
Don't feel pressured to follow the path that everyone around you seems to be taking. When I was studying chemistry, most people were either heading towards research or finance. Those were the routes everyone talked about, but neither felt right for me.
It's important not to pigeonhole yourself. Think beyond the obvious options and be open to lateral moves or unexpected opportunities. Sometimes you have to try something before you know whether it's right for you.
Most importantly, pay attention to how you feel. If something feels challenging but rewarding, that's often a sign of growth. If something consistently feels wrong for you, listen to that instinct too.
What challenges have you faced in your career so far? How have you dealt with them?
One of the biggest challenges has been learning to set boundaries.
When you enjoy helping people and solving problems, it's easy to become the person everyone turns to. While that's rewarding, it can also lead to taking on too much work and becoming overwhelmed.
I've learned that it's important to be clear about what I can do and when I can realistically do it. Sometimes that means saying, "Yes, I can help, but not right now."
I think this challenge has become even more relevant with remote and hybrid working. When your workspace is also your home, it's much easier for work and personal time to blur together. Learning to switch off, maintain boundaries and recognise that not everything is urgent has been an important lesson.
I've faced several steep learning curves throughout my career. Moving into management, learning about research integrity and clinical trial processes, developing KPI frameworks, analysing data and working with product development were all areas where I had little prior experience.
In each case, I've approached the challenge by being willing to learn, asking questions and embracing opportunities that initially felt outside my comfort zone. Those experiences have ultimately helped me grow and opened up new career paths I never would have expected.