Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Careers in Your Ears

If you’ve ever felt stuck and unsure where to start with answering the infamous interview classics “tell us about yourself” and “why are you interested in this opportunity”, this episode is for you!

Laura and Maria discuss what employers are really looking for when they ask these questions, how you can best prepare to come up with answers that feel natural and authentic on the day, and how having a background in research sets you up with exactly the right kind of skill set to master the art of crafting successful interview answers.

Don't forget: send us your career question anonymously here: Send your careers question to the Careers In Your Ears podcast

Ever wondered how to stay aligned with your values and build a career that feels meaningful? Join us for this episode with clinical academic Dr Gideon Johnson, Senior Teaching Fellow in Adult Nursing at the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care at King’s College London.

In this episode, Gideon shares how he has kept alive the curiosity driving his research, how he has navigated a demanding career path integrating research, clinical care and innovation, and how he has learned to move on from rejection.

Listen in to hear more about how building meaningful relationships can help you focus your energies, how mentoring can make you see yourself with new eyes, and how collaboration is key to making impact happen.

King’s Careers Network for Researchers LinkedIn page for more researcher career insights and job postings.

KCATO for training opportunities and support for research-active health professionals working across King’s Health Partners.

For King's doctoral researchers and research staff you can access specific online resources and events to support you in your careers in and beyond academia.

Anna and Laura take stock of the labour market (including what's in the news and the reality) and discuss ways researchers might effectively use their time to prepare for their next steps beyond academia.

“Networking feels so fake!” ...was something said to us recently in a workshop.  If the idea of networking makes you cringe or you identify as an introvert - this one's for you.

Laura and Maria discuss ways that networking can work for you, and so much more in this episode.

Hear about ways to approach conversations with curiosity, trying out LinkedIn, creating your own communities and doing it all whilst still being 'you'.

Don't forget: send us your career question anonymously here: Send your careers question to the Careers In Your Ears podcast – Fill out form

What do cake, House (the TV series) and a vision board have in common? Find out in our latest podcast episode with the inspiring Lilian Odaro, Doctoral Student Development Officer at King's Doctoral College who used all these and more to navigate her way through balancing a PhD, part-time work, becoming a parent, discovering careers in 'alt ac' and finding a way to belong in a system that is often not designed with these challenges in mind.

This episode is a balm for the current challenging job market where Lilian shows how it is possible to simultaneously be open-minded and flexible about one's career journey while also sticking to the goals that matter.

Dr Francesca Greenstreet joins us to explore her journey from a decade in neuroscience research to a creative, fast-paced role in research communications at King’s. She shares how her “favourite bits” of academia - people, creativity, and curiosity - shaped a new, academic-adjacent career.

Through trying things out, embracing uncertainty, and learning to “strip it back,” Francesca has built a role that blends storytelling, strategy, and science. She reflects on the realities of stepping sideways rather than away, and the skills PhD researchers often don’t realise they already have.

For anyone curious about academic-adjacent careers, science communication, or wondering how to explain your research to anyone outside your field: this is a brilliant listen.

You can find Francesca on LinkedIn

Want us to answer your careers question? Complete this anonymous form

Careers resources for researchers on KEATS

Thinking about leaving academia but research is the only thing you've ever been 'passionate' about?

This can make looking for next steps really challenging.

In this episode, Anna and Laura (careers consultants for researchers) unpick what it means to be passionate about something, how to understand what this might mean for you and how to use this to explore next steps.

If you're studying or working at King's you can find more support on our 'Careers Beyond Academia' KEATS page and book a 1:1 appointment with our team.

Send us your career question anonymously here: Send your careers question to the Careers In Your Ears podcast – Fill out form

If you’re a current or aspiring clinical academic wondering how to build a research career alongside clinical practice, this episode is for you. 

Professor Julie Sanders, cardiovascular nurse and clinical academic joins us to discuss: 

• navigating non‑linear career paths 

• balancing clinical and research demands 

• making the most of emerging opportunities 

• Saying yes (and knowing when not to) 

Julie shares practical insights on using research in practice, building your profile, finding champions, and how being bold in your networking can shape your career in unexpected ways. 

You can find the resources mentioned by Julie using the links below:  

CARIN: https://www.councilofdeans.org.uk/partnerships/carin-clinical-academic-roles-implementation-network/ 

CONNECT: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/connect 

KCATO: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/doctoralcollege/researcher-development/kcato 

Post-doc paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jocn.15575 

King’s Careers Network for Researchers LinkedIn page for more researcher career highlights and job postings. 

For King’s doctoral researchers and research staff you can access specific online resources and events to support your career development within and beyond academia.  

In this episode we talk to Dr Santhi Kuppilivenkata, Head of Data Science at KPMG. It was a refreshingly honest conversation about returning to work after maternity leave: 'it's not a break' and leveraging your research skills and academic approach in industry with some excellent tips on how to talk about your value in a corporate environment (and what to avoid). She also sheds light on how to work in industry while maintaining a role in academia and how that benefits her day to day work. Santhi's proactive approach to building a professional network was also transformational in her career and she is passing that on as a mentor for SheCanCode.

www.kmpg.com

SheCanCode

Does a PhD count as experience? If you're looking for roles outside of academia and wondering whether you have the right experience, or finding it hard to articulate your skills in 'corporate speak', then this one's for you.

Laura and Lindsay discuss:

• How to translate your research skills and speak the language of a new sector
• Using your network to unlock some of the 'secrets' of another industry
• Which level to start at
• How to get extra experience if you need it
• Strategic stepping stones

To hear more about Lindsay's research, make sure you're following us on LinkedIn: King's Careers Network for Researchers

If you have a question you'd like us to answer, complete this anonymous form

If you are a researcher at King's and would like to attend one of our workshops or book a 1:1 appointment go to: https://kcl.targetconnect.net/

In this episode we welcome back Dr Amal Abuzeinab, Senior Lecturer and interdisciplinary academic at De Montford University. This conversation provides strategic insights into forging an academic career looking at the accepted reality of the '3 jobs in 1' model - research, teaching and service and the roles she took to build her academic career. Amal shares her strategic approach to academic career progression including her top three aspects of the 'hidden curriculum' of academic careers and how to position yourself effectively within interdisciplinary research. A lot of our conversation comes back to strategic alignment - with your institution, your research and finding your academic home.

If you want to listen our previous episode featuring Amal, you can find it here Series 10: International Women's Day

HEPI blog about the challenges of interdisciplinary research careers

King's Careers Network for Researchers LinkedIn page for more researcher career insights and job postings

For King's doctoral researchers and research staff you can access specific online resources and events to support you in your academic careers.

If you're worried about the job market headlines, or currently applying and feel like you're getting nowhere: this one's for you.

Specialist Careers Consultants for Researchers, Anna Favalessa and Laura Johnson respond to a listener who is having a tough time and looking for ways to improve their chances. We cover:

• The state of the job market right now
• How AI is affecting recruitment
• How you can target your applications more effectively
• How to make connections with prospective employers
• How to protect your wellbeing in these tricky times

If you have a question you'd like us to answer, complete this anonymous form: ⁠Send your careers question to the Careers In Your Ears podcast – Fill out form⁠

If you are a researcher at King's and would like to attend one of our workshops or book a 1:1 appointment go to: https://kcl.targetconnect.net/

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 form

Careers support for researchers at King’s here: https://keats.kcl.ac.uk/mod/page/view.php?id=5279350&forceview=1

Vittorio 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/JNyRpVd1eR

Here are some resources and sites we mention:

GTA one-stop shop on KEATS: https://keats.kcl.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=42686

King's Doctoral College Hub: https://emckclac.sharepoint.com/sites/KPRH

King's Academy: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/academy

More info on Advance HE fellowships: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/fellowship

Brilliant 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/d41586-025-02437-6

Find 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 KEATS

Got 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 here⁠

We explore:

• The reason why you should try and talk to your manager about your career
• Why it could be challenging for them too
• How to prepare for your career conversation
• Who is responsible for your career management?
• Our top tips for managers - how to have career conversations

Send us your question here

Resources 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-adjustments

https://employmentautism.org.uk/reasonable-adjustments-for-interviews-and-assessments/

https://dyslexiascotland.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/JobInterviews.pdf

https://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-researchers

Looking 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

If you feel like you need a special dictionary to understand job descriptions or a thesaurus for talking about your skills: this is the episode for you!

Dr Holly Prescott gives us a masterclass in telling your story in a way that will help the sector you are trying to enter understand how valuable your skills, knowledge and experience are - to them.

We also discuss how to navigate the challenge of not knowing all the job titles, how to curate your LinkedIn experience to work for you and an avocado metaphor that is worth the listen alone!

Online careers support for researchers at King's

Holly is a qualified career guidance practitioner who specialises in working with postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers. She is the Careers Adviser for Postgraduate Researchers at the University of Birmingham (where she also gained her own PhD in English Literature in 2011), and also works as a freelance trainer running career development workshops for PGRs and ECRs for a range of universities, institutes and DTPs across the UK and Europe. In 2021 she started the post-PhD careers blog ‘Postgradual’ which has since attracted over 66,000 unique readers, and her book Navigating Careers Beyond Academia: A Practical Handbook for Doctoral and Postdoctoral Researchers is due for publication by Routledge in 2026.

Find Holly on LinkedIn

Job Hunting for the 21st Century: A Comprehensive Guide for the Modern PhD Available now

Subscribe to Holly's blog 'PostGradual' HERE

“You need to have input from other people. It's not something you can do by yourself.” Dr Ilyas Alav, recent recipient of the Wellcome Trust Early Career Award and Teaching Fellow at the University of Birmingham, shares his advice for progressing as an Early Career Researcher. 

We discuss the importance of being open to opportunities, developing a researcher identity and the value of collaboration as well as strategies for coping with rejection in academia. Ilyas gives insights into the fellowship application process as well as practical tips for developing collaborations, avoiding burn out and managing priorities strategically.  

Early-Career Awards – Funding for Early-Career Researchers | Wellcome 

BBSRC fellowships – UKRI 

Support for Researchers: Careers in Academia | KEATS 

“All it takes is time, collaborative spirit and that connective tissue.” When navigating the transition between industry and academia, Dr Renasha Khan, Lecturer of Religion and Social Science at Kings, found that reaching out to others allowed her to both explore career options and build a support network. 

She shares how her love of storytelling led her from working as a TV producer to researching British Bangladeshi women and their digital experiences. She speaks openly about the challenges of undertaking a PhD, feeling like a fraud and how she found connection and community in academia. Renasha also highlights the importance of networking, taking opportunities, even if at first they seem outside of your comfort zone, and backing yourself!  

Careers support for King’s students and researchers 

Department of Theology & Religious Studies at King’s  

British Sociological Association 

How different is 'industry' to academia and what can we do to adapt to those changes and survive the learning curves?

Dr Sam Keightley, Senior Behavioural Science Researcher at BeHive Consulting answers those questions and gives us plenty more fascinating insights into his first role since completing his PhD.

Join us as we discuss change, uncertainty, communication styles, the dreaded perfectionism, and self-advocacy.

Sam Keightley

BeHive Consultancy

Check out our KEATS page on Careers Beyond Academia for Researchers

"I can do this and be successful, but does it bring me joy?" Offering valuable insights for PhDs and research staff interested in ‘academic adjacent’ roles, Dr Eleanor Gurney, Senior PGR Manager at King’s, shares her journey from academic research to a fulfilling role in professional services.

Dr. Gurney reflects on her diverse career path, including her work in international development and her PhD research on low-fee private schooling in India. She candidly talks about the challenges and isolation she faced during her PhD and how she realised that the traditional academic track wasn't the right fit for her.

We discuss the rewarding aspects of Eleanor’s  current role, which involves overseeing faculty support for postgraduate research programs, using her knowledge of the academic landscape and many transferable skills, to improve PGR student experience. 

Dr Harold Moody Studentships for Black UK residents to undertake a PhD at King’s 

Faculty of Social Sciences and Public Policy at King’s 

Careers Support for King’s students and researchers 

In this episode we are delighted to be joined by Teresa Bautista Solans who shares her transition from a research career in theoretical physics to quantitative finance. It's a fantastic testament to the transferability of the skills developed in research such as critical thinking, analytical skills, and research communication which are so valuable in her role as a Senior Analyst and Model Validator at ICE Clear Europe. It is also a brave and honest account of finding a way through a mid-career change balancing researcher identity, home life, and practicalities with finding a rewarding career.

Useful resources:

ICE Clear Europe

Teresa Bautista Solans

King's Careers & Employability

In this episode, we delve into the intersection of research and entrepreneurship with Dr. Mercy Ofoya, founder of the Mami app, and Dr. Ema Talam, Entrepreneurial Skills Manager.  Our discussion explores how Mercy, with support from the King’s Entrepreneurship Institute, took an idea for a life-saving health app and made it a reality.  Ema tells us about the entrepreneurial mindset and how developing 7 key skills can help researchers succeed both in and beyond academia.  Together, they challenge perceptions of commercialisation, outline practical steps for validating ideas, and emphasise the value of articulating the ‘threads’ that run through your work. 

Useful links:

Dr Mercy Ofuya: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mercy-ofuya-phd-02053380/

Mami App: https://mymamiapp.com/

CupArise: https://cuparise.org/

King’s Entrepreneurship Institute: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/entrepreneurship

King’s Careers & Employability: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/careers

This week's guest is Pippa Sterk, a postdoctoral teaching fellow at King's who was curious about where their research could take them. Seizing an opportunity, they successfully applied for a place on the King's Parliamentary Research Internship (for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers). Pippa tells us the valuable lessons they learned through this work experience and how it has shaped their future career plans.

In this episode we meet Dr. Lienkie Diedericks, a King's PhD graduate. After completing her PhD Lienkie worked for the Royal Institute of British Architects on their equality and diversity initiatives. She has now returned to work at King's on research culture in our Faculy of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences. In this episode we discuss the unexpected turns researchers careers can take, being an international student and professional in the UK, what higher education institutions need to do to be more equitable and what research culture means in practice.

We're back with Series 11! We are delighted to be joined by King's PhD alumnus, Adrian Signell, Senior Associate at Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Adrian completed a PhD in Biology and Genomics in 2023 and started it 'with the full intention to ride the academic wave until, you know, being a professor into my late 70s'. Find out what happened next including tips for building relevant experience and what the biggest differences were between academia and consultancy.

Useful links include:

www.kcl.ac.uk/careers for King's students and research staff

https://www.savitas.co.uk/newsletters for sector updates

www.bcg.com - Boston Consulting Group

In this episode we meet Joe Shute, a humanities PhD researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University. Joe is also a journalist and is about to publish his third book. In this podcast he talks about combining his three careers and offers us his insights on how they compliment each other. He also provides us with tips on getting started in writing and how he manages the multiple demands on his time. We also get to find out more about creative non-fiction.

We'd like to thank the Leverhulme Trust for their introduction to Joe and their generosity with their time and support to make this episode possible.

“Narrative CVs are an attempt to be able to surface all of the things which academics do in a structured way.”

We would like to invite all researchers and their supporters, developers and enablers to build their awareness of Narrative CVs (NCV) with this podcast episode. They are increasingly used for funding applications, in recruitment or promotion processes, and as such are also a useful framework for academic career planning.

We are delighted to be joined by narrative CV researchers, Becky Ioppolo and Kate Murray from the University of Cambridge who are doing fascinating research into the use of narrative CVs to uncover more about them and answer the big questions about whether or not they meet their purpose of being more inclusive, how to write a good one and where you can go to find out more.

Resources below mentioned in the episode:

• King’s researchers can access one-to-one specialist careers support and narrative CV resources. If you are based in another institution, check for careers support and training available to you.
• Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI): guidance – UKRI
• Video-based resource from the University of Glasgow provides insights as to how other researchers have approached writing an NCV
• The University of Oxford’s resource on writing NCVs.  Search their website for more information on writing team NCVs.
• NCV sharing platform - Join for access to narrative CV examples, set up by the Marie Curie Fellowship Alumni Association and others.
• ARRC Project one-page PDF supporting researchers to write an NCV and signposting to many different sources of help.
• ARRC Project NCV FAQs and do submit any you would like them to answer!
• LSE blog post⁠ - Bordignon et al. summarise the reasons behind the creation of the NCV
• Evaluation from the FNR, Luxembourg national funder, mentioned in connection with the amount of time it takes to write an NCV.
• Alzheimer’s Research UK podcast on implementation and general advice

Jargon:

NCV - narrative CV

R4RI - Resume for Research Innovation (same as a narrative CV)

UKRI - UK Research and Innovation - UK government research funding

ARRC Project - Action Research on Research Culture

'It's really an art' - join us for an enjoyable and informative conversation with Antonio Forte about the ups and downs of applying for fellowships, the importance of resilience and building a supportive network and the joy of thinking outside the box (and how this helps with applications). There is also a fascinating glimpse into the future in the form of shape shifting meta materials.

For King's researchers applying to fellowships you can also find recordings from fellowship funders on the CRSD webpages and get support and advice from the King's funding teams in addition to speaking to careers consultants about CVs and applications.

In this episode, Dr. Sarah Burton, writer and researcher tells us about her career in education and about her experience of gaining funding from the Leverhulme Trust, what that meant to her and gives some tips on making an application. Many thanks to the Trust for introducing us and making this episode possible.

In this episode we are joined by Dr. Dmitry Kishkinev who is a lecturer in animal behaviour and behavioural neuroscience at Keele University. He tells us all about his career history, moving countries, the need to think strategically about your career and the support he has received from the Leverhulme Trust. We'd like to thank the Leverhulme Trust for their generosity in helping us record this episode.

“I wanted to see what it was like in a different environment.”

For this episode, we’ve passed the mic to Lingxing Kong, a King's PhD student in his third year of research in Robotics, and an Inclusive Careers Education Ambassador (ICEA). Lingxing is joined by Dr Emmanouil Spyrakos Papastavridis, Lecturer in Engineering, who shares his fascinating career journey. Emmanouil's career has taken him from academia, into a startup lab, and back again – he shares his thoughts on the benefits and drawbacks of working in both contexts, tells us about the skills he acquired along the way and provides plenty of inspiration for those exploring career options.

For more info on the ICEA programme:

https://keats.kcl.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=61839&section=7 for King's students and staff

Public links:

Phoenix Issue 164 February 2022 (agcas.org.uk) https://www.agcas.org.uk/write/MediaUploads/Phoenix/Phoenix_Issue_164_February_2022_-_Students_as_co-creators.pdf

Emerging insights from a peer-to-peer social justice careers education programme | Journal of the National Institute for Career Education and Counselling (nicecjournal.co.uk) https://www.nicecjournal.co.uk/index.php/nc/article/view/464

We’re celebrating International Women’s Day with a special episode and we're joined by Drs Amal Abuzainab, Lovelin Obi and Rokhshid Ghaziani who are all academic researchers, teachers and involved in many other things alongside their main careers. In a very uplifting conversation, we hear about how they came to be academics, what kinds of barriers women can face in academic life (and how to overcome them) and the challenges of managing complex careers and responsibilities.

Join us for an inspiring chat with Professor Michael Sanders as he lets us in on his approach for getting things done in academia, the need for code-switching to develop a career in multiple sectors and how to view and use your own privilege to empower others. Michael demonstrates the power of a porous career that spans academia, Chief Scientist in the Behavioural Insights Team, Chief Executive of a What Works charity and advisory work. He provides insight into the role of a professor and shares his take on protecting your wellbeing whilst building a fulfilling, multidisciplinary career in a competitive environment. 

Can researcher career paths span academia and industry? Is it possible to simultaneously work in both? Dr. Lizzy Moyce, Arup's Research Development Manager and Careers Consultant Laura Johnson explore these oft-asked questions. Lizzy gives us her tips on leveraging transferable skills; seizing opportunities and 'legitimate snooping', to enhance the chances of an intersectoral career. 

In this episode we meet Chloe Locatelli, a PhD student at King's College London, who is currently close to completing her thesis on sex technology. We speak about the importance of her feminist approach to research, why her research has a 'wow' factor and how to engage a wide audience with an arts and humanities research project. We also speak about self-confidence, career thinking and the value of seeking advice and support as a PhD researcher. Along the way we consider how universities can open themselves up to more diverse perspectives and include a wider range of people in their research. You can find out more about Chloe and her research on her website

In this episode, Dr. Pavan Mano tells us about his journey from PhD to research fellow and then to his current lecturing post at King's College London. Pavan tells us about the importance of using the support on offer to researchers (including mentoring, careers advice and friendships). We also speak about equality, diversity and inclusion in higher education, what higher education institutions should be doing and why the concept can be thought about in different ways.

Kinga Bercsenyi is VP of Business Development at Arctoris and has never seen a job description. She also had no idea what she wanted to do after her PhD and says she has never attended a formal training course. And yet she has progressed rapidly in her career in Business Development and balanced that with a family. Too good to be true? Find out about creating the right environment for serendipitious career possibilities, the benefits of creating a network, career decision making and exploration and work life balance. Also includes a handy guide for understanding more about Business Development and the different types. We have crammed a lot into this episode, we hope you enjoy it too.

For King's researchers you can access the career tools 'Trying Out Career Options' and 'Career Tracks' via our Researcher pages accessible from here: www.kcl.ac.uk/careers.

This mini-series of Careers in Your Ears is hosted by King's PhDs and researchers. In this episode, Tisha Dasgupta, Research Assistant and PhD student in the Department of Women’s & Children’s Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences at KCL, interviews Sam Mukhopadhyay, Head of Programme Management Office and senior events lead at Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (ESNZ). Sam talks about her career to date in the Civil Service and shares what the civil service is looking for in recruits and importantly what attributes and skills researchers have to offer this type of work.

Please note this episode was recorded in February 2023, when the UK Government had just newly formed the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

If you would like a transcript of this episode, please email careers@kcl.ac.uk with 'Transcript, CinYE, S8,E3' in the title.

KCL PhDs and Research staff can access specialist careers support: from 1-1 appointments and tailored workshops. More information is available on our KEATs page https://keats.kcl.ac.uk/mod/page/view.php?id=5279350&forceview=1

In this special episode for International Women's Day 2023, Dr. Risha Govind, Senior Clinical Informatics Scientist at the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, speaks about her career journey and the challenges faced by women like her from traditionally patriarchal cultures in getting a professional career started. The interview is hosted by Donald Lush, Careers Consultant for PhDs and Research Staff at King's College London.

In this special episode for National Careers Week 2023, Dr. Emily Prpa, Science Manager at Yakult UK and Ireland and Donald Lush, a careers consultant working with PhDs and research staff at King's College London, interview each other about their careers and working together.  They tell the story of their careers and then reflect on the process of career consulting from both their perspectives as client and consultant. Emily explains what brought her to book career consulting appointments and why she they weren't what she was expecting. Donald shares what he is thinking while he is working with someone and what he is trying to achieve. This is a great chance to hear two career stories with unexpected twists and turns as well as gain insight into how a careers consultant might be able to help you.

Join Mackenzie Jorgensen, PhD student in machine learning models (and our takeover host for this episode) as she interviews Dr Luis Pizarro, Global Responsible AI Leader at EY and Visiting Senior Lecturer at King's College London. The first half of this episode covers a great discussion about Luis' career in academia, the importance of collaborations and keeping your career options open between academia and industry and the second half delves into the challenges we face in using AI, including responsible AI and how it could be used to counter disinformation and fake news.

Please leave us a review wherever you listen to your podcasts; it really helps us to share the podcast and to know whether the content works for you.  Thank you. Follow us on Twitter @kcldo1thing to learn more about our careers support for researchers at King's College London.

If you would like a transcript of this episode, please email careers@kcl.ac.uk with Careers in Your Ears S.8 E.2 in the title.

Join Aline da Silva Cerqueira, PhD student (and our episode takeover host!) researching sea birds and marine soundscapes in the Dept of Geography at King’s College London, and Dr Maud Borie, Lecturer in Environment, Science and Society in the same department, as they discuss an academic career and the politics of environmental knowledge.  Maud talks about her teaching, about wanting her students to be critical of received wisdom, the power that universities have over what is or is not researched, and who gets to conduct that research.

To hear more about Dr Maud Borie’s work you can follow her on Twitter @maud_bo, and if you are interested in seabirds and how soundscapes can support biodiversity conservation, you can also give Aline a follow on Twitter @aline_marine.

Let us know what you think about these podcast takeovers - get in touch with us if you're a KCL researcher and you'd like to interview an interesting guest for us!

Dr Melissa Willis is the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Research Team Lead at Sellafield Ltd. Prior to this she was a PhD researcher in material sciences at the University of Manchester. Melissa shares her experience of guilt, low self-esteem and anxiety during her PhD. She shares advice about what helped and talks about how she handled her career change from academia to industry. Importantly Melissa discusses how she’s worked through these issues during her career transition and in her current workplace. She hopes that other PhDs in a similar situation will make use of the support available to them and her top tips: talk to someone and take real breaks.

King's PhD students can access support for their mental health and wellbeing.  Visit the new PGR Wellbeing Hub (internal) for easy access to all the support available including KCL counselling services: https://tinyurl.com/y25w75er

King's Research Staff can access support through visiting the Pathways to Wellbeing pages (internal) https://internal.kcl.ac.uk/staff/experience/wellbeing/index 

If you're a PhD student or member of Research Staff from another institution, please do contact the student and staff support sites at your university for local support.

More information about the NHS' Talking Therapies can be found here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/nhs-talking-therapies/ 

If you require a transcript of this episode please email careers@kcl.ac.uk citing CinYE Series 7, Episode 6.

Please do rate us wherever you listen!