“Looking Back Now, I Wish I’d Been More Honest with Myself at the Time and Looked at Alternative Careers”

In this interview with Katie Askew, she shares her transition from academia to working as a research officer in a charity. She highlights the aspects of the academic environment that didn’t fit her professional aspirations and lifestyle, and the factors that led her to change her career trajectory. Katie’s insights offer a new perspective on how the skills gained during academic research can be leveraged in other sectors such as charity funder, and how these positions can provide a fulfilling and rewarding career path. Her advice for individuals contemplating their career paths post-PhD centres around being open to non-traditional academic roles and exploring broader initiatives, like DORA, or going beyond public engagement to patient and public involvement. Katie ends discussing the work-life balance she has achieved in her current role and being honest with yourself about what motivates you.