Alexandra M.
About me
| Alexandra M. | |
| Archaeology | |
| Archaeological Practice | |
| Taught Postgraduate | |
| United States |
My employment
| Senior Fellow | |
| Pitney Bowes | |
| United States | |
| Engineering and manufacturing | |
| Large business (250+ employees) | |
| 2003 |
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A day in the life of a Senior Fellow in the United States
Product and service development at Pitney Bowes
My career goals when I graduated
When I graduated from York I still wanted to be a professor, and went on to a PhD in the States. During that process (which is much longer than in the UK) I realized I did not want to work in academia. I learned that people with my background worked in design as well, so started pursuing employment in design firms.
My career history
Right after finishing my PhD I started working for a design firm. After a couple of years, I was ready to move on and a position opened at my current employer, where I have been for a while, moving into more senior roles.
What has helped my career to progress
Having a good idea of what I want to do and what makes me happy while also remaining flexible to the opportunities available. Not considering a "higher level position" the goal, rather focusing on the kind of work I want to be doing.
Courses taken since graduation
I have a PhD from an American university, in Anthropology (which includes Archaeology in the States). I was able to leverage my understanding of both material culture and human behavior in selling myself as a researcher in design and innovation environments.
What surprised me about my career so far
That I have been at one company for so long!
My advice to students considering work
Focus on the skills you can bring to a job, and how you can illustrate or demonstrate for an employer that you have those skills. Show how you are adaptable and able to learn quickly.
What I do
My work is focused on developing ideas for new products, services, and technologies based on a deep understanding of people's behavior, values and how they work.
Skills I use and how I developed them
Research design, ethnography, presentation skills, flexibility. Some of these are skills I learned doing my MA at York and later a PhD in the States. But I also had to learn to adapt them to an industry environment, which happened on the job.
What I like most
The people I work with
What surprised me most
Moving from academia to industry I had to learn a different set of people interaction skills
Next steps...
If you like the look of Alexandra’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Alexandra a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Alexandra to be your mentor.