Tell us a bit about your current job.

I’m a Communications Manager at Google which means I am responsible for communicating about our products and business to the media. I’ve been here for almost five and a half years, spending the first three years in London, then a year and a half in San Francisco and more recently back to the London office (and home!). I’ve been fortunate to work on a number of Google’s product, policy and business areas giving me experience with lots of different parts of the business. 

What and where did you study after school?

I studied English Literature at Cambridge University. 

How did you get from answer 2 to answer 1?

Like many people, I didn’t gave particular vocation or career in mind when I left  university. However, I knew there were things I liked to do, like critical thinking and writing so I looked for roles where I might get to do these. Public Relations was an area that came up in my search and I landed a role at an agency called Nelson Bostock where I stayed for five years, representing many technology companies. Starting at an agency is incredibly valuable because you get experience with so many different types of people and companies, as well as formal training, so it gives you a good base to build on. I’d say I “fell into” the tech sector because of the agency’s focus and once I knew I enjoyed this area, I got the experience and contacts I needed to land my job at Google.  

How does your formal education feed into your present career (if at all)?

While I don’t think I could recite much of the day-to day subject matter I learnt, there are two key skills I learnt at Cambridge: how to work efficiently (while still living!) and taking, and acting on, criticism of my work to make it better.  

What things have you learnt outside of formal education that have been helpful to your career?

The most valuable skill I’ve learnt during my career is how to get the best out of people. I will never be the loudest or most opinionated person in the room but I’ve developed ways to get my point across strongly and effectively in my own way. This really comes down to practice and working with lots of different people who work in different jobs, and different levels of seniority. 

What are the really useful skills for someone in your job to possess?

Persuasion and being able to cut through the technical and jargonistic language of the industry to communicate simply and clearly. 

What does an average day at work look like for you?

My job is largely defined by the news agenda so if there is a story about Google I will spend time talking to journalists as my first priority. Secondly, I’ll look at what’s coming up within the area of Google I do comms for and come up with plans and strategies for how to communicate that. I work with many different areas of the business from product and engineering, to legal and marketing so I also spent a lot of time working with these groups. 

What’s the best thing about your job?

There’s two things: The people that I work with and being able to work on a diverse range of products and topics.   

What’s your least favourite aspect of your job?

While my working hours are good for the most part, sometimes news will come out in the evening, or at the weekend, meaning you need to deal with it there and then. 

What advice would you give to someone seeking a job like yours?

Practice writing, and read lots of news! Consider looking at PR agencies that have lots of clients in an industry that interests you. Agencies will give you a wide range of experience, more than you could get if you started off at a single company.