Hannah Ladd-Jones
Current Employer/Organisation Name
University of St Andrews
What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?
I completed my Conservation and Biodiversity MSc in August 2017, then I took three months off. I applied for the role f Project Manager of the Scottish Inshore Fisheries Integrated Database System project in the School of Biology at the University of St Andrews in December 2017 and was offered the position. I began in January 2018.
Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?
My job requires me to operate at the interface between fisheries science, policy and industry. SIFIDS is a £1.5m research project investigating the development of an integrated system for the collection, collation, analysis and interrogation of data from the Scottish inshore fishing fleet. My job allows me to interact with many individuals within Marine Scotland, as well as the different Scottish university/research teams involved in the project. I love how no two days are the same and how i get to see policy, research and industry collaborating on a nationally important issue.
What did you enjoy most about studying here?
The location, the students, the breadth of research, the modern facilities and the Kenya field trip!
Why did you choose to study at Exeter?
Personal recommendations, course content and quality of University.
What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?
From the MSc – the stats module, the independence and confidence you develop when doing your research thesis and knowing when to ask for help. externally to my MSc – management of people, time and money from previous employment, ability to work independently.
What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?
Obtain as much experience as possible, not just experience that relates to your degree but real-world experiences. Management and administration skills are essential as I manage not only my time but the spending of the project, others time and the core whilst monitoring the overall progress of the project.
What are your plans for the future?
My contract with SIFIDS and the University of St Andrews end May 2019. However, I wish to remain involved in inshore fisheries research and management afterwards but I haven’t decided where just yet! I would eventually like to progress onto a PhD on the subject of fisheries management and sustainability.
