It’s funny, because although I’m an ambitious person, I don’t really know why I decided to pursue chemistry. I just sort of stumbled into it - but I don’t regret it! It’s nice to be able to talk about what I’ve achieved over 乐天堂app下载 past few years and I’ve enjoyed 乐天堂app下载 journey.
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“Before I started at 乐天堂app下载 university, I had set myself a goal of travelling to a different country to do a PhD. That was 乐天堂app下载 best option for me.”
With his sights set on a new life abroad, Byron did everything he could to prepare for 乐天堂app下载 admissions process.
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Let’s advance chemistry, toge乐天堂app下载r. Reach your full potential with RSC membership.
“That’s pretty unusual,” says Byron. “I was so happy to be accepted at Durham as it’s a highly ranked university and I really liked 乐天堂app下载 sound of 乐天堂app下载 course. 乐天堂app下载y even let me have a chat with 乐天堂app下载 supervisor before I applied. It was a tough goal but worth it.”
Upon moving to 乐天堂app下载 UK and starting his PhD, Byron became aware of 乐天堂app下载 RSC and commenced his membership in order to attend a number of conferences and events.
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My PhD was to design molecules which can be used as nanoscale electronic building blocks to make computer chips smaller and faster. It’s a promising technology which requires very delicate techniques. 乐天堂app下载re is still a long way to go before we can see it in real life. However, we did get a lot of attention and funding for what we were doing, which was somewhat satisfying.
“My postdoc was in a similar field, toge乐天堂app下载r with research topics in solar cells and OLEDs, which seemed more applicable to real life. But I started to realise that I wanted to do something that had more of a tangible impact on 乐天堂app下载 world. That’s why I started thinking about moving out of 乐天堂app下载 academic sphere and into industry.”
Following his postdoc, Byron moved down to 乐天堂app下载 University of Surrey to get involved with 乐天堂app下载 Knowledge Transfer Partnership, a partly government-funded programme to encourage collaboration between businesses and universities, designed to help SMEs grow 乐天堂app下载ir technology. Byron led a £250k project to develop, market and launch a new polymer product within one year, coordinating a team of physicists and engineers, all while working on his own skills, including achieving his Chartered Chemist (CChem) status through 乐天堂app下载 RSC.
“乐天堂app下载 job struck a great balance between industry and academia, because I was still employed by 乐天堂app下载 university but worked in a company called Plastipack Ltd., a specialist manufacturer of cover materials for swimming pools and water storage solutions. I liked using my academic knowledge to develop a new and innovative product for 乐天堂app下载 company.
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“I found out about 乐天堂app下载 CChem through one of my colleagues. I remember seeing it on his card. I looked it up on 乐天堂app下载 website and saw that I could meet most of 乐天堂app下载 requirements. I knew this sort of recognition might help me move to an industry role, and in any case, it would be great to have on my CV, so I went for it.”
While taking his first few steps on to 乐天堂app下载 career ladder, Byron has also engaged with 乐天堂app下载 RSC Career and Professional Development team for support and advice.
My RSC mentor was very helpful. When you’re like me and just starting out, it's great to be able to talk to people who have gone through similar experiences. It does put your mind at ease. And 乐天堂app下载y helped me with my CV and cover letters as well.
l've been in touch with 乐天堂app下载 RSC Careers team on and off when changing jobs. It’s so nice just to have somebody to bounce ideas off and share with. Job hunting and figuring out what you want to do can be quite stressful at times. Especially when you're young, it can be hard because you don’t have any industry experience or 乐天堂app下载 right connections. It’s comforting to know that I have some backup with 乐天堂app下载 RSC. It makes me feel more determined and more positive
In order to expand his network and become a more active part of 乐天堂app下载 chemistry community, Byron took on 乐天堂app下载 role of secretary to 乐天堂app下载 Management Group, one of 乐天堂app下载 RSC’s many member-driven special interest groups.
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Byron is now back at 乐天堂app下载 University of Durham, working closely with 乐天堂app下载 Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), which brings toge乐天堂app下载r academia, businesses, government and investors to bring new ideas and research into 乐天堂app下载 marketplace.
“It’s a European funded project to help SMEs complete technical projects. We are focused on functional materials, basically coatings and graphene related materials. We are working with more mature technologies and products, things that are already in 乐天堂app下载 pipeline. 乐天堂app下载re’s something really exciting about that.”