- Name: Ioana Sovago
- Age: 33
- Current location: Canterbury, United Kingdom
- Home town: Baia Mare, Romania
- Education: PhD in Chemistry, Crystallography, University of Glasgow.
- Current position: Senior Scientist
- Organization description: An American company, with sites all over the world.
- Bio: Ioana Sovago spent the majority of her career climbing the ladder of academia in the field of chemistry. She earned a PhD at the University of Glasgow, and conducted 4 years of post-doctoral research, specializing in crystallography. She now works in the private sector as a senior scientist for AGC Group, at a lab that conducts work to help improve medicines for the pharmaceutical industry.
- Countries I've worked in: Romania, United Kingdom, Denmark
- Sector / subsectors: Science, Chemistry, Crystallography, Pharmeceutical
- Areas of expertise: Crystallography, Solid state, Material science, Chemistry
- Region: Europe
- Sector: Science
- Degree subject: Sciences
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Tell us about the company you work for, and your role there.
Meet Ioana Sovago. Her lab conducts very specific testing for the pharmaceutical industry, to help improve products or solve problems.
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Tell us about your career trajectory. How did you get to where you are now?
Ioana talks to us about crystallography, and x-ray measurements - and how the promise of a crisp, white lab coat jump-started her love of science and chemistry.
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So this is your first job in industry, after spending a long time in academia. Is it necessary to do a post-doc?
Ioana breaks down the 2 options you have once you’ve finished a Ph.D. in chemistry - get a job in industry or go for post-doctoral studies. She tells us the advantages.
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How did you find job opportunities in this field? And your current job in particular?
Ioana talks to us about knowing what keywords you should Google, and searching LinkedIn, and tells us her cover letter wouldn’t have been nearly as good as it was if she hadn’t reached out to people to see templates and samples of theirs.
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What do you think got you the job? What made you stand out?
Ioana says that learning the techniques that you know are used in any given industry, will make you stand out. She tells us how she found spare time during her post-doc to add those skills to her CV.
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What’s a day or week in the life like, in your role as a senior scientist in this field?
Ioana talks us through a life cycle of a project as a senior scientist with AGC Group - from tracking samples to measurements, and writing reports.
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You worked in different countries throughout your academic career. Can you talk to us about those cultural challenges?
Ioana tells us that trying to translate a joke just never works, but that working in different countries enriches your scientific learning
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So you’ve worked in the UK, and Denmark, did you notice differences in how work is done in each?
Ioana talks about some of the workplace and cultural differences she noticed working in both Denmark and the UK.
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Do you have any advice for someone who might be moving to these countries to start work in science?
From learning shorthand terms in other languages, making use of networking opportunities at scientific conferences, and breaking the stereotype of “shy scientist.”
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What’s out there in your field? What is some other work available?
Ioana breaks down all the different streams of work, from solar cells, to colour pigments, if you specialize in crystallography.
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Wow, I had no idea something as specific as crystallography could take you in so many different directions.
Ioana says crystallography could lead to work at museums, and traveling the world to access large synchrotrons in various countries, from Australia, to France, to Oslo.
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What specializations and skills are in demand right now? Are there certain things that will make it easier to find a job in industry?
Ioana talks about techniques that are in demand at the moment.
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What are your best tips, as far as practical things young people can do to stand out in this field?
Ioana suggests taking advantage of ERASMUS and traveling to new countries in each phase of your studies.
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Publishing is really important to succeeding within academia and ultimately finding scientific work. Do you have tips on how to get published?
Ioana says in science it’s important to know when to stop.
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Is there work life balance in science?
Ioana says the definitely of work-life balance in the science sector really varies country by country, and whether you work in industry or in academia.
Tags: work life balance science -
What’s the difference between staying in academia and going into industry, as far as your lifestyle?
Ioana breaks down the pros and cons of academia versus industry, including be able to see something you work on out in the world.