Project Manager Surprised About Her Favorite Part of the Job

Name: Micaela Machado Querido (she/her)

PhD: Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, 2022

What is your current job?

I am a Project Manager for DHI A/S in Copenhagen, Denmark.

I manage projects in the water and maritime industry. It's usually research and development projects and that involves managing budget, time, people, clients, resources, facilities, etc, all that is related to the project I am responsible for.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

I love that I get to do different tasks. It´s not a repetitive job.

What is the most important skill you developed or experience you had during your PhD that now helps you in your current position?

Planning and adaptability

How did you build the skills necessary for your current role?

I took a project management course from Google.

How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?

LinkedIn

PhD graduate ➡️ R&D Engineer ➡️ Project Manager

If someone is interested in a similar role, what would you recommend they start doing now to prepare?

Start doing project management courses. There are many online. Some of them are free or not very expensive.

Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?

It came easily during my PhD. I did my PhD in partnership with a company, and I was very curious about being on the other side. Plus, I really wanted to have a job with better working conditions (working hours, salary, employee benefits, etc).

What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?

Work on your soft skills. Communication is particularly important as communication style in academia and companies is so different.

Are there any components of your identity you would like to share, including how they have impacted your journey?

I used to be very shy, so when I was younger I maybe would have not considered a position where I need to communicate with so many people, but during the years, I learned this is actually my favorite part of the job.

And for those interested, what was your main area of research?

I developed and tested products with antimicrobial properties for application on surfaces in healthcare facilities to prevent contamination and disease spreading. I focused mainly on paints, to be applied on surfaces in hospitals that could eliminate bacteria, to prevent them from spreading from person to person. I tested the efficacy of these paints on killing bacteria and also tested their safety towards humans.