Sarah, can you tell us a little about yourself?
I'm from Torquay in Devon, though all of my family are from the Lake District. I liked all my subjects at school and originally planned to study French at University until my A-Level maths teacher inspired me to take mathematics instead! I moved around a little whilst in the UK, living in Reading, Hungerford and Winchester before moving to Honolulu, Hawaii where I've been living for the past three and a half years.As for my interests, I really enjoy running and have done many races from 5k's to marathons, as well as mud and obstacle courses. Since moving to Hawaii I have also developed a love for hiking, swimming, snorkelling and group exercise. I like reading, watching TV and playing computer games, mostly in the science fiction/fantasy genre. I also listen to a wide variety of music from classical to pop, and enjoyed playing the piano whilst I was in the UK.
Why did you decide to become a mentor with THRIVE?
In a previous role I was asked to mentor two junior members of staff, which I had not done before, and I found that I really enjoyed and took pride in being able to watch them grow and become more confident in their abilities and decisions. It felt very rewarding.I also helped to train and look after a summer student in my current role and rediscovered how much I enjoyed it. These, coupled with more free time led me to participate in the scheme.
How did you start down your own career path?
I haven't had a 'set' career path as there has never been a specific area I have wanted to work in. I was happy with this as it could lead me to working in areas/for companies I hadn't thought of or known about before.I registered with a recruitment agency shortly before graduating and this led me to work for Network Rail (NR) in London as a Modelling Analyst. I was making and modelling train timetables for future improvement options and I really enjoyed it. NR later decided to relocate to Milton Keynes. I didn't want to relocate at the time so began looking at jobs elsewhere. I wanted to work in an area that used my degree more, and decided I liked working on real-world problems. So I went back to Reading to complete an MSc in Meteorology to learn how to mathematically model physical systems.
When I started looking for a job towards the end of my MSc, I was googling "mathematical modelling positions" and found a role with DSTL where I worked for just over three years. I really enjoyed it and was involved in building and running models to predict the hazard from releases of chemical and biological materials.
My partner was later offered a position working at the University of Hawaii we decided to move out here. I found a role in a different field to that I was currently working in by reaching out directly to professors at the University of Hawaii. I knew I'd regret not taking the chance to live and work abroad.
I've since worked in the Oceanography department and Meteorology department at the University of Hawaii on different projects including: modelling the Philippine Sea, producing a ten year historic dataset of solar radiation for the island of Oahu and developing a climatology for historic vog (volcanic smog) model data for Hawaii.
Looking back, what advice would you give yourself when starting out in your career?
I think the main piece of advice would be not to worry if you don't know what path you'd like to take, and consequently not to worry if you end up working in more jobs than other people in order to find out what you like.Whilst I felt/feel fine with not having a definitive direction I want to go in, I have sometimes felt under pressure at times to get a job and keep it. For example to relocate with NR because I had a job with them, or to not move abroad as it's temporary and I already had a good job. It's about realising there are plenty of opportunities out there, and not just settling in a role if there is something else you'd like to try or you're not completely satisfied.
What is your style of mentoring?
I have a laidback style when mentoring. I like to get to know my mentee (and vice versa) so I can understand them better and am more able to help them. We always spend the first 5 minutes or so of our meetings talking about things not related to careers.I think the most important aspect is trust. You and your mentee have to feel comfortable with each other, so it's important that you take time to make sure your mentee feels comfortable talking to you. This makes meetings/emails etc. easier and more enjoyable, and it encourages them to ask for they need without being afraid to.
What skills or knowledge do you value in a student who is looking for a graduate role?
Speaking as someone working in a scientific field, being comfortable with technology is always going to be important. Having experience in programming languages such as Python, R, Matlab, Bash etc. and knowing how to use other operating systems, such as Unix and Linux, will always be very useful skills to have.
What do you hope to achieve as a mentor?
I have entered into the process hoping that my mentee and I would get along, and that I'd be useful to them whilst they figure out their next move.
As one of our overseas mentors, how have you found international mentoring?
I haven't found it to be difficult even though we are based in different countries; I think it's worked well. Having regular face to face meetings, even if it is using video chat, is familiar to the phone/video meetings you have in a work environment. It can sometimes take a little getting used to from the side of the mentee if they don't have this kind of meeting regularly, but I've found that they adjust fairly quickly.
On a different note, it's interesting to hear about the UK whilst you're abroad from someone outside of your normal social circle and to hear how the University is doing and what's changed since you've left. It also works in reverse, as often students who chose an overseas mentor are interested in working abroad, so your current position enables you to talk practically about the benefits/problems of working abroad and what your personal experiences have been.
What advice would you give to other mentors who are based outside of the UK?
I'd recommend using video chat rather than the phone to make it feel more like a face to face meeting. It's also more helpful in terms of reading unspoken cues, such as body language and facial expressions to help you to not misinterpret anything and feel more comfortable with each other. Also, ensure you can be flexible in terms of when you can meet as time zones can sometimes make this difficult. Lastly, to discuss and utilise any form of communication that you're both comfortable using to ensure that you can communicate easily and well.
