Pharmacology, Biomedical science and Business to Marketing Lead l TCIM Careers

Name - Haniah Sindhoo
Current job title - Marketing Lead
A levels/ equivalent - I went to High school in Scotland. Highers - Maths, English, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History. Advanced Highers - Chemistry and Biology

Graduate degrees

Favourite science fact - Mitochondria aren't actually the small bean shapes we have seen in textbooks. They often fuse together forming large networks and contain their own circular DNA!

Journey in 3 Words - challenging, rewarding, exciting

Briefly describe your role - I currently work as marketing lead for UK based biotechnology company Nuchido. As a highly scientific company focused on anti-ageing research I bridge the gap between the scientific context of the company and the commercial requirements. My main roles include writing scientific content, creating and managing social media channels and helping with PR. Nuchido is still in the growth stages only being a couple of years old, the beauty of this is that I can get involved in so many different aspects of the company. I get given plenty of responsibility and support from my colleagues and the opportunity to really establish myself which I love. I have learned so many things from digital marketing and analytics, to social media strategy, intellectual property, e-commerce and supplement regulations.

Work- Life Balance- this is something I have really struggled with in the past. The final year of my undergraduate degree I was so stressed out, unable to relax, constantly feeling guilty if I wasn't studying. I was really burnt out and almost quit university. Since then I have made it a priority to take care of myself and give myself boundaries. When I changed my mindset and had more work life balance my work improved and my grades got better. I focused more on being productive during the hours I set myself so that I can enjoy my free time and relax in the evening. Seperating my work space from my relaxing space really helped with this.

What motivated you to pursue a career in science - I have always been fascinated by science. It was my favourite subject in school, I wanted to understand how things worked and why they functioned that way. In high school I loved biology, to me it just made sense and continuously made me gasp in amazement. For me it wasn't really an active decision. I just followed the subjects I enjoyed and applied that same thinking to choosing my degree.

What do/ did you enjoy the most about your degree - what i enjoyed most was the variety. I got a taste of lots of different fields, physiology, pharmacology, neuroscience. With my masters degree everything we were taught had so many practical applications and was related to some of the most exciting areas of research.

What is most important when choosing a masters and what motivated you to pursue one? When I finished my undergraduate degree I was absolutely terrified and lacking in self confidence. I had no clue what I wanted to do but knew that my future wasn't in research. When I found a taught masters that combined my love of science with commercial subjects such as business, corporate finance, marketing I knew I wanted to study that. I am grateful that the University I did my undergrad at was running the course so it meant I didn't have to move and already knew the staff and area.

What transferable skills did you get from your degree and how do you use them in your current role. The main thing I developed during my masters was confidence. I threw myself into networking events, extracurricular activities such as enterprise challenge, and becoming a member of the students representative council. I also developed my public speaking skills via journal clubs and presentations. Another really helpful skill was developing my communication skills. I did a science communication honours project in which I had to explain complex cancer biology subjects to a variety of people of different ages and backgrounds. All of these really help me in my current job.

You completed a degree in a pandemic… how did you cope? Honestly, not well and with the help of lots of wine! It was such an uncertain time and everything changed so quickly. One day we were in classes, the next everything was closed. It was terrifying especially as my mum was immunocompromised and we didn't know what was going to happen. I tried my best to maintain a routine and stay on top of my university work but it wasn't easy. Some days I didn't get out of bed, I didn't do any work and I felt super overwhelmed. I tried to be kind to myself and not put enormous pressure on myself to be productive 24/7. I'm sending lots of support to all students who are still going through this because it's tough! But you can do this!

What advice would you give anyone wanting to follow your career path - Just put yourself out there. I attended lots of careers and networking events to learn about the different career options I had. Speak to people (I know it can be terrifying) and share your career goals, ask questions and ask for advice, you never know who you may connect with!

When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? For me the salary wasn't the most important factor. Obviously, we all have bills to pay but being a broke student for 5 years meant any salary seemed like a lot of money to me. I have to say it is nice having some disposable income for the first time. My main concern was finding a career path which would be a good fit for me. I wanted to work in an environment in which I could grow and develop with opportunities for progression.

Outside science how would you describe yourself - outside of science I have so many different interests. I love watching football, playing sports, cooking and reading. I also love makeup and fashion as a way to express myself.

To stay up to date with Haniah follow her on instagram : @believeinyourcell

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