• Question: why did you pick the job you did?

    Asked by used536carr94 on 3 Dec 2025.
    • Photo: Milly Bell

      Milly Bell answered on 3 Dec 2025: last edited 3 Dec 2025 11:02

      My current role is in programme support and communications for the Centre for Forest Protection, a Defra-funded research collaboration between Forest Research (part of the Forestry Commission), and Kew Gardens.

      I really like creating compelling and interesting communications content for a wide range of audiences. My day to day role involves taking often quite complex science about tree health research, and translating it into more easily understandable content for our website and other communications channels including LinkedIn, and our newsletter. The research going on across the Forestry Commission is incredible, but communications roles are so important to make sure that the research is not only seen and heard, but is actually understandable in a way that audiences can take away and actually apply to their day to day work.

    • Photo: George Foden

      George Foden answered on 3 Dec 2025:

      I wanted to help people, but I didn’t know what skills I would need to be useful in humanitarian contexts. I realised that I am not very practical (so I would be no use being a frontline aid worker who sometimes has to be on the ground building houses and setting up water pumps etc. in very difficult circumstances!), but that I am quite good at evaluating projects and finding solutions to different challenges that people might run into when their working in the field.

      I decided to become a researcher studying the humanitarian sector because by better understanding the impact of our projects on the people we are aiming to support, we can improve what we do for the next time. It’s a slow process, and there are a lot of challenges, but trying to find new and worthwhile solutions to them is always very interesting and exciting work!

    • Photo: Vanessa Pilley

      Vanessa Pilley answered on 4 Dec 2025:

      I wanted to work for Government for 2 reasons – 1 to help people, 2 for job security.

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