Jane May Morrison
Current Employer/Organisation Name
SafeDeposits Scotland and TDS Charitable Foundation.
Can you give us an overview of what you have done since you completed your research degree?
I have worked in several third-sector roles in the fields of renewable energy, sustainability, and fuel poverty. The job I found immediately after my research degree was with Energy Saving Trust (in their government-funded Home Energy Scotland division), advising members of the public on energy efficiency schemes, on heat pumps and solar panels, and on general home energy use. After that, I worked for an innovative renewable energy not-for-profit, Ripple Energy, and now I work as a researcher for a housing not-for-profit, with a special focus on energy efficiency in rental homes. I also moved back to Scotland and bought my first home in Central Glasgow. From this base, I’ve been able to do other activism around climate and green energy, such as opening my home to members of the public and journalists who are curious about the experience of living with a renewable heating system (for example, here is one of the interviews a national newspaper did with me: https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24339629.can-fit-heat-pump-old-glasgow-tenement-flat/ ).
How did you become interested in the area you work in?
I’ve been involved in climate activism and sustainability since I was about 15 years old, in high school. I’ve always wanted to do something constructive in this area, that uses my research abilities.
How did you find opportunities in the area you work in and how did the recruitment process work?
What does your current role involve?
It’s split between organizing the SafeDepositsScotland Charitable Trust, and research into housing (particularly housing energy efficiency). Our small research team produces two rigorous and well-respected annual surveys – The Voice of the Tenant and The Voice of the Landlord (https://www.safedepositsscotlandtrust.com/post/the-voice-of-the-tenant-survey). Both the English and Scottish versions of this survey data are used by the Scottish government and Westminister to help make decisions on housing and energy policy. Our team has been called on to present our findings at various governmental events, such as for the Mayor of London and for Florence Eshalomi’s Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee (HCLG). My role also involves conducting other research, such as qualitative deep-dive studies, into related subjects around housing, homelessness, fuel poverty, and the rental sector. I also liaise with other charities in the area that we work with, such as Crisis and Shelter.
What skills are involved in your work and how did your research degree help develop them?
The research skills I learned, such as interview technique, synthesising large volumes of existing findings into a literature review, and basic statistical analysis of findings, are all directly useful in my role. I use these frequently. The ‘softer’ skills around time management, administration, liaising with interview participants, collaborating with colleagues, keeping research files organized and paperwork in order etc have all been directly useful as well. The negative experiences I had with my original University of Exeter PhD supervisor, who was herself a very poor communicator but kept blaming this on me and implying it was my fault for having autism and being difficult, also showed me how to work with difficult colleagues or ableist and unfriendly contacts at other organizations.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I love working on something meaningful. Whilst some would say the pay brackets in the third sector aren’t high enough to suit their ambitions, I find them perfectly reasonable, and am happy to have them if it means NOT having to waste 8 hours of my life on something I know I don’t care about and that doesn’t do anything constructive for the world around me. Helping vulnerable tenants keep their tenancies, working to stamp out the poor-quality and energy-inefficient properties that exacerbate fuel poverty, cutting the UK’s carbon footprint, and raising standards so everyone has a decent roof over their head – it feels like useful work to be doing, especially in the middle of twin housing and climate crises.
What are the challenges in your role?
I have a diagnosis on the autism spectrum, so although I work mostly remotely and my company has an excellent attitude to disabilities/health issues at work, it can still feel very full-on to do a full day of interviewing research participants. That’s a LOT of talking to strangers! I’ve also had a few challenges with ‘big picture’ thinking when trying to select the appropriate information for just a short written piece or findings write-up – I’m very detail-oriented and due to the autism, sometimes struggle to pick out which things are ‘key points’ vs ‘not key points’. They all feel equally important to me! However, my team leader has been amazing at working with me on this, gently challenging me to hone my skills and devise strategies to overcome the natural difficulty.
What has surprised you about your role?
How lovely all my colleagues are. I worry about workplace interpersonal politics as I’m not sure how to navigate gossip and secrets and unspoken rules. But they appear to accept me with great kindness, and we are always keen to help one another with our work.
Did you engage in any additional activities or roles (i.e. organising conferences, entering PGR showcase, being a PGR Rep etc.) during your research degree, and how did these help prepare you for a career beyond academia?
No, not really – not usually these kinds of activities. As an older student, I’d already tried to do a lot of that back when I was an undergraduate, and I’d gotten to know which skills I was naturally talented at vs which ones I would simply struggle with. For example, as an autistic student, it wasn’t remotely likely that I’d shine at event organisation and having to ring up lots of different unknown people to book things and arrange things. So I focused on what I was good at. I didn’t force myself to volunteer for tasks I’d already tried and found hellish. I did enter the PGR showcase and some poster competitions, I think. I pro-actively did a lot of volunteering and activism in climate and sustainability with community groups, though, and put myself forward for things I knew I could use my skillset for – like putting in a funding bid for a local community rewilding project and getting a community planting session done with the wildflowers. I campaigned with Extinction Rebellion and I did local litter-picks, I ran eco crafting workshops, and chatted/made connections with other folk working in the sustainability sector.
What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?
Being able to read large volumes (e.g. an 80-page government report) and take in the information fast, and draw connections with other reports whilst I do it. Huge word-counts on documents don’t faze me. Whether it’s reading 90,000 words or writing 90,000 words, I’ve already done it as part of my PhD. I think it pleases my team manager that I’m just not intimidated by this. A lot of universities are reporting difficulties getting students to read long-form content (because we’re all so tempted by our constantly-accessible smartphones – and they are certainly tempting! – that we get stuck on short TikTok content and punchy little Insta posts). So making sure to slow down and spend quality time with long-form content, of any sort, would be my tip for succeeding. Put the phone away in a drawer for an afternoon. And pick any reasonably dense fiction book that interests you, and just let yourself immerse. That’s what I’ve tried to do, throughout all my degrees. One of the best writing handbooks out there, Stephen King’s ‘On Writing’ posits that ‘writing is refined thinking’. You need to be able to both write and read at length to marshall your thoughts in a nuanced and thorough way.
What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?
It’s OK if you have a ‘spiky’ skills profile and that you’ll be above-average at some things and below-average at others. Play your strengths and don’t force yourself to be an all-rounder. Whilst navel-gazing to the point of over-analysis isn’t helpful (or good for you psychologically!), it’s important to gain an accurate perception of which things you really shine at, vs which things you might need to ask for a little support from your colleagues/fellow students/supervisors with. Sometimes you can only gain this knowledge by trying something and messing it up, and that’s OK. It’s also OK, if you’re in a research team that has a little budget to do so, to outsource the tasks that really slow you down, like participant recruitment – there are agencies that focus on this, so let them do what they’re best at and save you the trouble. If you want to go into research, find a topic area or areas that really excite you. That passion for discovery will carry you through any sticky periods where you’re experiencing setbacks.
What are your plans for the future?
I’m keen to stay with the not-for-profit I’m at. Once my current contract ends, it is my hope that it will be renewabled, or even that a permanent position will be created. If this isn’t possible, then I know this position will still look good on my CV and set me up well for finding a similar role in Environmental Social Sciences.
