Laynara
What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?
I have been working as a postdoc researcher at the Free Air CO2 Enrichment project in Manaus, Brazil, at the National Institute of Amazonian Research.
Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?
This career feels like a natural path for me after the PhD. It involves everything I have been trained for since the start of my academic journey. The parts I enjoy the most about my role are to supervise students and discuss scientific data with my peers, aiming to publish in high impact journals.
What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?
My supervisors provided me with the best support I could imagine having during the PhD. I have many colleagues reporting how stressful their PhD experience was and I had the greatest time during mine! I felt very comfortable and supported by my supervisors and they made me grow a lot in my career and as an independent researcher.
What did you enjoy most about studying here?
In addition to the great supervision I got, I enjoyed the study spaces and offices and the access to other facilities at the University, such as the lab to conduct my work and the gym to relax a bit.
Why did you choose to study at Exeter?
I chose Exeter because of my PhD supervisor and the project he approved at the time, in the Amazon, which seemed like a perfect fit to boost my career.
What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?
My time in Exeter was a time of learning and sharing with my supervisors and colleagues. This is what I still do in my current position: I learn from my students and colleagues and I share all the valuable wisdom I got during my PhD. Writing manuscripts and proposals and speaking in public are the skills I most use during my current role as a postdoc. More importantly, the ability to deal with people from different academic and cultural backgrounds is a skill that I use everyday in my job.
What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?
Be open to learn and to recognise that you know a lot already, and knowledge can be complementary, independently of the career level you and your peers are at. My main goal academically is to share what I have learned, so I think that recognising what you wish from your job is important to keep you motivated. Celebrate every small achievement.
