Honor Powrie: 10 things I wish I’d known (or done better) when I started my career

When I started university, I didn't know which career path I wanted to pursue. Initially, I applied to study geophysics, but soon realized it wasn't my passion and switched to mathematics. After my first year, I again changed my major to physics, as I was better at it but still unsure if it was the right choice for my career. During my degree, I joined the Student Industrial Society which allowed me to visit various companies, including a closing session at Llanwern steelworks with a British Steel careers advisor.

The harsh reality of his questions made me realize the need to find out my plans before it was too late. After this experience, I started applying for summer student placements and was offered positions at the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment, which led to me co-authoring a peer-reviewed publication during my summer job. This experience sparked my interest in engineering, leading me to apply for a PhD in high-speed aerodynamics at the University of Southampton.

My PhD experience confirmed my love for engineering, particularly aerospace, but made me realize that an academic career wasn't for me. I then found a job at Stewart Hughes Ltd, building vibration-monitoring equipment for mechanical machines, which utilized my academic background and helped in securing US government research funding.

Looking back on my career journey, I have a few tips for those starting out: try things out, be honest about what you like and dislike, stretch yourself to find out more, remember that your degree subject may not be the most important thing, get a mentor, enjoy doing various things, stay happy in what you do, be prepared for lateral moves, nominate yourself for awards, and network with peers.

A valuable piece of advice I received during a career session was to aim for a specific target, like landing a ball on the green in golf, while being aware of potential pitfalls.