RDM Careers Day is an annual event organised by RDM’s Researcher Association to showcase possible employment options both within and beyond academia. The programme included a series of short talks and workshops from guest speakers and the Careers Service, a networking lunch and a round-table discussion.
The day was opened by Professor Thomas Milne, the recently appointed Departmental Advocate for Research Staff and Chair of the RDM Career Development Committee.
Delegates heard from various speakers who spoke about their career journeys, from completing their DPhil or postdoc before moving on to roles both within and outside of academia, including Dr Alexandra Tomescu, Product Specialist, AI and Machine Learning at Oxford University Press, and Dr Adam Lewandowski, Deputy Chief Scientist for UK Biobank and Associate Professor, University of Oxford.
Dr Federico Caso spoke about working in his role as Chief of Staff at Nucleate UK – a student-led organisation which provides support to researchers interested in biotechnology enterprise - while also undertaking his DPhil.
Dr Beatrice Li gave an insight into moving into industry after her Postdoc and her role as Team Lead and Principal Scientist of Protein Science at Confo Therapeutics.
RDM’s Dr Naveed Akbar spoke about his career to date in cardiovascular science, and Dr James Bancroft, now Facility Head in the Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, described his career in microscopy.
The University’s Careers Service ran workshops during the day offering practical advice and tips for job searching. Dr Susan Black addressed the forbidden topics, such as salary, annual leave, benefits and negotiating better work conditions. Dr Chris Jeffs gave tips on navigating the interview process and covered preparation, how to present your strengths and challenging scenarios during interviews.
The event provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on different career paths. Attendees spoke of their appreciation on hearing the breadth of different experiences presented by the speakers, and their willingness to share information about how they made decisions about their careers:
‘I found out more about the careers service which provided way more information than I had initially expected. I was truly impressed with the breadth of knowledge Susan and Chris have. I would definitely aim to explore more options with the career team from now on.’
Another attendee commented:
‘The talks were great, it was really refreshing to see honest career journeys and the trials and tribulations people have gone through during their careers. It made many career paths seem much more attainable and demonstrated the hard work and passion those individuals have demonstrated and also the importance of supportive mentors no matter what career path you follow.’
Speakers also praised the event for offering a unique opportunity for researchers to hear about how different career journeys, with one commenting:
‘I’m always delighted to support events that create an opportunity for staff and students to gather information and have conversations about the careers that are open to them. The RDM Careers Day put together a thoughtful mix of individuals to inspire the students and staff that attended and encourage them to think very broadly about what might be next for them. It was also a wonderful networking event and I enjoyed making new connections.’
Next RDM Careers Day will be held in Autumn 2025.