• Question: how hard did you have to work to obtain the career that you have now.

    Asked by anon-249572 on 3 Mar 2020. This question was also asked by anon-249583.
    • Photo: Sarah Brown

      Sarah Brown answered on 3 Mar 2020:


      I believe I have had to work very hard at times however I have also had lots of fun! Being at university is about trying to get a balance of both of these things.

    • Photo: Paige Chandler

      Paige Chandler answered on 3 Mar 2020:


      I’ve had to work very hard, but I’m proud of the work I did and where it has led me. Some people have to work hard in other areas of life too – due to family, health issues, or countless other factors. It’s good to remember this when looking at your progress. Everyone has to work at their own pace, and everyone has a different timeline of progress.

    • Photo: Sophie Arthur

      Sophie Arthur answered on 3 Mar 2020:


      I worked very hard during my degree and my PhD. I always believe that if you work hard you can get to anywhere you want to be, and that is what I have done. Now I have left the lab though to work in science communication, I have to work a little harder again as I am learning new skills and I have to prove to myself and others that I am capable of doing this as well as being able to do experiments in the lab

    • Photo: Sarah Clarke

      Sarah Clarke answered on 3 Mar 2020:


      I always tried to work as hard as I could – I found some subjects harder than others (especially physics) so I had to work really hard on those to keep my grades up. Once I got to university and was studying the things that specifically interested me, I found it easier. But there are still busy times when you have to knuckle down.

    • Photo: Amadou Camara

      Amadou Camara answered on 4 Mar 2020:


      I have to work hard and save enough money to help fund my career dream

    • Photo: Sarah Carter

      Sarah Carter answered on 4 Mar 2020:


      It was hard work in a lot of different ways (studying, remaining focused, submitting applications, going on interviews, etc), but I think the most difficult thing was to remain resilient. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do (I am still figuring it out!) and being able to trust that I was moving toward something even when it was unclear what that was exactly was the hardest bit.

    • Photo: Beth Bartlett

      Beth Bartlett answered on 4 Mar 2020:


      I worked very hard both at school and at university. In my final year of university I worked too hard and made myself quite ill! I think it’s important to work hard enough to achieve your dreams, but not so hard that it is actually bad for you. It’s good to take a break from work sometimes and do something else.

    • Photo: M S

      M S answered on 4 Mar 2020:


      I think I had to work very hard because of how competitive i was but I am happy that i did!

    • Photo: Robyn Kiy

      Robyn Kiy answered on 4 Mar 2020:


      I worked hard for my GCSEs and A-Levels, but didn’t mind too much because I enjoyed most of my subjects and knew that hard work would help me achieve my goals eventually!
      I agree with Sarah – it’s so important to get a good balance between work and fun! I have always preferred working hard so that then I can still have spare time to do fun things when I wasn’t working. Taking breaks is very important to keep yourself happy and healthy šŸ˜Š

    • Photo: Lotte de Winde

      Lotte de Winde answered on 4 Mar 2020:


      I would not say it was very hard to get were I am now. Of course, I had to put effort in my studies and work, and sometimes work evenings or weekends. However, as long as you do that to reach your goal and you like the study/work, it will most likely not feel like very hard work!

    • Photo: Nuru Noor

      Nuru Noor answered on 5 Mar 2020:


      So I’ve definitely had to work hard to become a doctor and now a doctor working in research šŸ˜Ž

      But I would say that if you do things you enjoy then it never feels like hard work – it feels enjoyable!

      So great question – and I would just say to try and do things you enjoy and find interesting, because the hard work will always feel like it’s worth it!

    • Photo: Nathan Kindred

      Nathan Kindred answered on 5 Mar 2020:


      I definitely had to work hard to get here but it was also very fun and interesting šŸ™‚

    • Photo: Kate Mitchell

      Kate Mitchell answered on 5 Mar 2020:


      I worked pretty hard, but I did enjoy a lot of it!

    • Photo: Jennifer Roe

      Jennifer Roe answered on 5 Mar 2020:


      Working hard to get your job is the first step. Its good to understand that jobs need you to be learning and developing all the time. Working hard doesn’t stop once you have the job. Just remember to balance it with plenty of outside of work things that make you happy.

    • Photo: Samir Hopestone

      Samir Hopestone answered on 6 Mar 2020:


      I had to work very hard, but I also spent a lot of time at uni having fun, so my motto is work hard play hard!

    • Photo: Ioana Grigoras

      Ioana Grigoras answered on 9 Mar 2020:


      It was pretty hard, but I think it was worth it! I had to study hard during Uni to get good grades, while working in a research lab for 2 or 3 afternoons a week. I applied for internships during Uni, so Iā€™d get more lab experience and then I applied to a lot of postgraduate programmes to get a place for a PhD. I think all my hard work paid off, because I got to get into the programme that I wanted!

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