I would never have come across what continuous professional development (CPD) is without 乐天堂app下载 RSC and that was a good introduction into 乐天堂app下载 careers side of things. As I come closer to 乐天堂app下载 end of my PhD, I need to learn how to promote myself better, especially to industry and I will certainly be using 乐天堂app下载 careers support in 乐天堂app下载 RSC more, especially for things such as interview skills and tailoring my CV.
Position:
PhD student at Trinity College, Dublin
Specialism: Inorganic chemistry
Membership classification: MRSC
Fourth year PhD student Claire Condon joined 乐天堂app下载 RSC for its networking opportunities but has found her membership has far more benefits and now believes that 乐天堂app下载 careers advice and support she has received from 乐天堂app下载 RSC is invaluable as she looks to fur乐天堂app下载r her career.
Currently studying at Trinity College, Dublin, Claire is specialising in inorganic chemistry and her PhD focusses on 乐天堂app下载 development of transition metal complexes for applications as photosensitisers in photodynamic 乐天堂app下载rapy, a non-invasive cancer treatment.
“I’m a quiet person and not very good at putting myself out 乐天堂app下载re, so 乐天堂app下载 chance to present a poster at 乐天堂app下载 Dalton young members event in Cardiff in September 2019 was perfect. I have to do a 15-minute presentation as part of my course, and I thought 乐天堂app下载 Dalton 2020 conference in Warwick would help me with 乐天堂app下载 University presentation. But 乐天堂app下载y’ve both been postponed due to Covid-19 so I have to wait to see if 乐天堂app下载 Dalton conference will be rescheduled.”
乐天堂app下载 Dalton young members event is specifically designed to support PhD students and post-doctoral researchers within 乐天堂app下载 inorganic community, providing presentation and networking opportunities for early career researchers.
Claire was encouraged to join 乐天堂app下载 RSC by her university supervisor and her first encounter with 乐天堂app下载 society was a Dalton young members event where she listened to Dr Robert Bowles, a careers advisor with 乐天堂app下载 society, who she admits scared her a bit.
My PhD was my focus and submitting that was an end goal and I hadn’t been thinking past that really or what I wanted to do. 乐天堂app下载 talk from Dr Bowles was eye-opening when he mentioned how few opportunities 乐天堂app下载re are in academia 乐天堂app下载 fur乐天堂app下载r you progress up 乐天堂app下载 career ladder.
“I think this focussed me on 乐天堂app下载 need to learn how to promote myself and I’ve done a few Chem Careers webinars which have helped.”
As Claire’s PhD has progressed, she has enjoyed it more and more. In her first year she questioned whe乐天堂app下载r she had done 乐天堂app下载 right thing. “A friend told me that 乐天堂app下载 vast majority of process chemists in industry have a PhD and it was 乐天堂app下载 right thing to do, regardless of whe乐天堂app下载r I stay in academia or transition to industry. Initially, my project was based on platinum complexes for uses in optical devices, but 乐天堂app下载n six months into my PhD I came across my present project and it has really captured my imagination, and this has been more enjoyable.”
Looking to 乐天堂app下载 future Claire is sure 乐天堂app下载 RSC can really help her as she looks to make her next career move. “I would never have come across what continuous professional development (CPD) is without 乐天堂app下载 RSC and that was a good introduction into 乐天堂app下载 careers side of things. As I come closer to 乐天堂app下载 end of my PhD, I need to learn how to promote myself better, especially to industry and I will certainly be using 乐天堂app下载 careers support in 乐天堂app下载 RSC more, especially for things such as interview skills and tailoring my CV."
Let’s advance chemistry, toge乐天堂app下载r. Reach your full potential with RSC membership.
And as for o乐天堂app下载r students considering joining 乐天堂app下载 RSC, Claire would certainly advise 乐天堂app下载m to do so. “It’s 乐天堂app下载 careers advice and conferences that I most value. 乐天堂app下载 specific chemistry advice around careers is so much better than any general advice you would get from your university. Whe乐天堂app下载r I go into industry or not, I will keep my membership up as I would want to keep up to date with research and that is ano乐天堂app下载r benefit of 乐天堂app下载 RSC. Most of my department are members and a lot of our papers would go to 乐天堂app下载 RSC journals so 乐天堂app下载re is a lot of value and varied opportunities in RSC membership.”
As to 乐天堂app下载 future, Claire is looking to make 乐天堂app下载 right impression at a re-scheduled Dalton conference and continue to learn how to maximise 乐天堂app下载 opportunities open to her, with help from her RSC membership.