Kelly Louise Preece is the Researcher Development Manager for PGRs in the Doctoral College. You’ll recognise her face from workshops, her voice from WEBINARs, and her jokes from the 90s. You can follow her on twitter for musings about Researcher Development and the PGR experience…interspersed with tweets about superheros and sewing.…
Last week I was delighted to present at the SWDTP Conference at the SS Great Britain. I was asked by organisers Anastasiia Kovalenko and Debbie Kinsey to talk about careers beyond academia – and more specifically about my career ‘side-step’ from an academic to a professional services role. The ‘personal’ aspect of the presentation resonated with people, so I tweeted a version of the presentation. Here is the twitter thread if you’re interested in what my 5 year old desire to be Queen, and my current job in Researcher Development, have in common…
Career consultants, better qualified than I, could tell you all the theory and practice surrounding self-awareness and career planning. So instead I'm going to share my personal career journey – and how I wasn't at all self-aware, didn't plan ahead but learnt a lot along the way
— Kelly-Lou Preece (@Preece_Kelly) November 15, 2018
What this flip flop in career goals should have told me, had I been in any way self-aware at age 5, was that I wanted to help people (and animals), and to be a leader. But it took me a while to realise that. To be precise, about 23 years.
— Kelly-Lou Preece (@Preece_Kelly) November 15, 2018
…so at 16, I auditioned from drama school. I was offered a place @TheBRITSchool to study musical theatre, but changed my mind last minute&decided to do A Levels instead. That was my first rash&unexpected career decision. And if I'd gone…well, by now I could have been Adele pic.twitter.com/ncAdP6mI6n
— Kelly-Lou Preece (@Preece_Kelly) November 15, 2018
Over the next few years I put everything in to working towards my dream. I completed my Masters by Research with @DMUDance at the perfect time to apply for a job as a part-time lecturer and part-time PhD student @UniversityLeeds . I had achieved my dream. pic.twitter.com/PTYUwniXbt
— Kelly-Lou Preece (@Preece_Kelly) November 15, 2018
But the most I had to learn was about the culture of overwork in academia, and how damaging that was for me as a person. I burnt myself out and struggled so severely with my mental health I had to withdraw from my PhD.
— Kelly-Lou Preece (@Preece_Kelly) November 15, 2018
After 5 years I moved to @UniNorthants. I had some amazing opportunities there, including achieving a long held dream of making a dance piece about Monty Python, performed by our professional company @thecorecorby, in which I had a cameo as a very serious choreographer. pic.twitter.com/cNLKri7SVX
— Kelly-Lou Preece (@Preece_Kelly) November 15, 2018
This all came to a head when the most wonderful human I have ever known, my Nan, became ill. Not seriously at first, so I continued overworking and didn't go home to visit her. pic.twitter.com/E6YT1OYcDE
— Kelly-Lou Preece (@Preece_Kelly) November 15, 2018
This was a defining moment for me. I almost missed me there for one of the people I loved most in this world. I knew if I hadn't seen her before she died, and been with her for her passing, I'd never have forgiven myself. So I quit my job.
— Kelly-Lou Preece (@Preece_Kelly) November 15, 2018
So I did the only logical thing, I phoned my best friend in tears. And, over the phone and a glass of wine, she gave me some fantastic straight talking and career guidance. pic.twitter.com/W8uUgx60Ec
— Kelly-Lou Preece (@Preece_Kelly) November 15, 2018
Miraculously, something came up at the ideal place – @UniofExeter. It involved some teaching, and supporting #PGRs and #ECRs. I thought I'd give it a shot. And a day after we said goodbye to my beloved Nan, I interviewed for and was offered my current job @ExeterDoctoral
— Kelly-Lou Preece (@Preece_Kelly) November 15, 2018
I still care about animals too – I work to keep my rescue cat warm, and I regularly walk my 'niece and nephew' pic.twitter.com/Bu8OUy6JzC
— Kelly-Lou Preece (@Preece_Kelly) November 15, 2018
So what has Insights, MBTI and Profiling for Success taught me? What my 5 year old self knew but couldn't articulate. In short – I want to help people, and I want to be a leader.
— Kelly-Lou Preece (@Preece_Kelly) November 15, 2018
I was really lucky – after years of 'living my dream', which in reality was my nightmare, I feel in to the right job for me. It gives me what I need out of work, and what I need out of life. My advice: learn that now. And get a pet.
— Kelly-Lou Preece (@Preece_Kelly) November 15, 2018