Martin S.
About me
| Martin S. | |
| History | |
| History | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Derwent | |
| 2008 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Head of European Innovation Management | |
| UCL | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Science and research | |
| Large business (250+ employees) | |
| 2010 |
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A day in the life of a Head of European Innovation Management in the United Kingdom
Try to establish reasonable proficiency across a broad range of digital skills, as they'll always come in handy during your career.
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
UCL was rated the top university in the UK for research strength in the most recent Research Excellence Framework.
What do you do?
I work to maximise UCL's engagement with companies and other research organisations in order to deliver successful EU "Horizon 2020" research and innovation projects. UCL is currently the most successful organisation engaged in collaborative projects under this programme.
Outside of UCL, I am also a co-founder of Crowdhelix, an Open Innovation platform connecting an international network of universities, research organisations & companies.
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
Luck, really! I was always interested in the Arctic as well as international relations, and with my York degree I managed to get onto a postgraduate course studying International Project Management at Lapland University of Applied Sciences in Finland.
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
I anticipated ending up in project management, as I think I'd started to focus my attention towards this as I neared the end of my degree. Founding a company was much more of a surprise!
Describe your most memorable day at work
I had the pleasure of visiting the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, where we were hosting a meeting of representatives from universities all over the world.
Are there any challenges associated with your job?
Lots! The technology transfer process is long and features many moving parts across many different organisations and countries. Brexit is also creating multiple issues, both legal and practical.
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
I was Treasurer of the rock society, which used to be called the Fringe (and it may well be still). I also worked at Boots Opticians, and was a member of the archery club.
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
Try to establish reasonable proficiency across a broad range of digital skills, as they'll always come in handy during your career. Being detail-oriented is very important when it comes to applying for jobs - your CV should be pixel-perfect, clear, and concise.
Next steps...
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