Profile
Laura Murgatroyd
My CV
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Education:
I attended Aylesbury High School before I went to the University of Birmingham.
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Qualifications:
Degree: MSci Physics with Particle Physics and Cosmology
A-Level: Physics, Maths, Further Maths, Computing
AS-Level: BiologyGCSEs: Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, ICT, German, Music, Citizenship, Geography, English Language, English Literature.
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Work History:
In school I did some work experience in a physics lab at the Open University.
Whilst at university I did a summer placement writing some online maths test questions for students. I also did a placement at Imperial College helping to design a particle accelerator for medical applications.
My current job is the first one I got since leaving university.
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Current Job:
Graduate Trainee in Scientfic Computing
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About Me:
I graduated from university last year with a physics degree and I’m now working in scientific computing at STFC.
I enjoy playing boardgames, doing escape rooms, and crafts such as cross-stitch. Recently I have started gardening, growing lots of fruit and vegetables!
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I really enjoy learning about science experiments and space missions, so I attend lectures whenever I can at work. My favourite TV shows include Doctor Who and Taskmaster.
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I work at the Science and Technology Facilities Council, which is a government agency that carries out science research. The site I work at is called the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) and has lots of exciting science experiments such as Diamond Light Source and the Central Laser Facility (which at one point had the world’s most powerful laser).
I work in the scientific computing department, which provides software, data storage solutions, and more for science experiments and research.
As I only graduated from university last year, I am currently on the graduate scheme, which means I get to carry out four different six month long placements in different groups in the department. I am currently working in the Computational Biology and Life Sciences group.
As part of my job I also get involved with public engagement events that we run on site at work, such as open days where the public get to visit and find out about the science we do, and activities such as the FIRST Lego League – we hosted the Oxfordshire final at RAL.
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My Typical Day:
I have a meeting with my team every morning where we update each other on what we achieved the previous day and I ask for help if I am stuck on anything. I spend most of my day coding.
At lunchtime I often have a club I attend such as crafts, boardgames or a quiz.After work I usually go out for a walk, and spend some time catching up with friends over video call.
I usually manage to attend a couple of lectures per week about science research going on within our organisation.
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Here is a sample day from this week (whilst working from home due to the pandemic)….
9:00: After eating my breakfast, I start work from the day. I check my to-do list from yesterday to see if there was anything I missed out doing, and aim to finish things off and prepare questions or a demo for my meeting at 10am.
10:00: I have a meeting with my team. I show them what I achieved the day before and ask about anything I am stuck on. They then do the same. My manager often suggests how to fix my problems or give me more problems to work on solving!
11:00: I make a list for the day (based on what I learnt in my meeting) for what I want to achieve today, and get started on working on the first item!
12:30: I attend the craft club over video call (this happens once a fortnight). Today I was making birthday cards (thought it would be a good use of my craft materials as I’m unable to go shopping for cards at the moment, and a good way to start clearing out my cupboards)
13:15: I eat my lunch.
14:00: I have a meeting with my senior line manager. As part of the graduate scheme I will rotate around 5 different groups. I will have a different “line manager” (boss) in each of these, but my senior line manager stays the same throughout the process. I meet up with him once a month to discuss how things are going with my current project. Today we discussed my annual performance review. This happens once a year and is a record of our goals, achievements and reflections for the past year.
14:30: I get back to working through my to do list, either improving parts of my code or adding new features. Today I was working on making my program run faster!
16:00: I have a quick break for ice cream, and sit in the garden.
16:15: I try to complete the tasks I set myself for the day.
17:45: I make sure I back up my code, before finishing work for the day!
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Enthusastic, Fun, Determined
What did you want to be after you left school?
A scientist!
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Delain (they're a symphonic metal band from the Netherlands)
What's your favourite food?
Ice-cream
Tell us a joke.
Why didn't the photon take a suitcase on holiday? Because it was travelling light!
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