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Writer's picturesamanthaosys
Nov 286 min read

MonthNote #2: November 2024

Disclaimer: This is my personal journal and includes rough notes from my PhD journey. Some thoughts may be incomplete or not thoroughly researched. Please do not consider any content in my monthly notes to be definitive or final. If you have insights on any subjects I discuss or would like to start a conversation on a topic, please do get in touch!


On 1 November, I published a short post about the NaNoWriMo challenge, which I decided to try out this year. This annual challenge involves writers dedicating the month to writing 50,000 words. With 30 days in November, achieving this goal requires writing approximately 1,667 words per day. It’s a demanding task, even more so when balancing a full-time job and preparing an ethics application for a PhD. Despite these challenges, I’m pleased with the progress I made. Here is a list of what I wrote in November:

NaNoWriMo outcome: 16,480/50,000 words.


If you’re interested in learning more about my experience with this challenge, visit this blog post. I share my reflections on the process, what I would do differently, and my plans for next year.


For the past few months, I have participated in fireside chats, research studies, and online discussions as part of the Oxford-Cambridge ARC Universities Group. Representing The Open University, I was one of nine representatives from universities across the OxCam Arc. This collaboration culminated in the Student Summit held on 5th November at the University of Bedfordshire. After months of planning, the event brought together industry experts, academics, and student representatives for a day filled with keynotes, panel discussions, and networking. It was a valuable experience, allowing me to meet many inspiring individuals and learn more about the potential of the OxCam region, which could evolve into much more than a UK version of Silicon Valley. I look forward to seeing how next year’s candidates take this initiative forward.


One of the more challenging moments this month was adding the #OpenToWork banner to my LinkedIn profile. I felt ashamed and initially delayed it for a month, hoping to secure a new role internally at NatWest. Fortunately, I was successful and landed a secondment in what appears to be another fantastic team. I’m excited about the work ahead and feel optimistic about the next 12 months. I also got the opportunity to meet my new team in Edinburgh during a work visit.


That said, the past few months have been difficult. Being put at risk of redundancy is never easy. Despite knowing it’s the role, not the individual that is being made redundant, it’s hard not to take it personally. It affects your confidence and makes you question your skills. To manage the stress, I tried my first deep-tissue massage, which was exactly what I needed—a reminder of the importance of self-care during tough times.


When I started applying for external roles, progress was slow. Out of approximately 70 applications, I received only five responses. After some research, I came across comments suggesting many LinkedIn job postings are “fake,” listed for tax reasons or to meet other administrative requirements. While I can’t confirm the validity of these claims, conversations with friends helped refine my approach.


Here are some strategies that proved helpful:

  • Contact hiring managers: Reach out directly to hiring managers for roles that interest you. They can confirm whether the job is genuinely open or if it’s being filled internally.

  • Engage with specialised recruiters: Find recruiters focused on your field and enquire about available roles.

  • Target specific companies: Create a list of organisations you’d like to work for and contact their hiring teams directly.

  • Expand your network: I advise my mentees and colleagues to connect with someone new every two weeks—whether on LinkedIn, at work, or from an event. Schedule 20–30-minute conversations to introduce yourself, explore collaboration opportunities, and build your network.


Job hunting can be stressful, especially when financial pressures weigh heavily. Having recently spent my savings on a new house, the uncertainty about paying the mortgage kept me up at night. My advice is to stay vigilant, as constant change is now a reality, and to build a small emergency fund for such situations. It provides a safety net for navigating the job market and securing the right role without undue pressure.


One thing that didn’t quite take my mind off the job search while I was still in the process was a family trip to Morocco. Halfway through the trip, however, I received the excellent news that I had successfully secured a new role. The relief was immense, though it came with a gigantic migraine - worth it for the stress release that followed. The holiday itself was a fantastic experience, and you can read more about it in my write-up.


This month has also been full of inspiring conversations. One particularly striking insight I received was that a PhD, or any form of research publication really, is fundamentally about telling the story of data. I found this perspective deeply resonant.


I also met up in Oxford with Cennydd Bowles, author of Future Ethics, the second book I purchased when I began exploring design ethics before deciding to pursue this area for my research. He shared valuable insights about 'pracademics' (individuals who bridge the gap between academia and practice) in the design ethics field. There are currently only around five such figures, and my aim is to become the sixth (or perhaps the seventh or eighth, depending on how long it takes!).


Another rewarding catch-up was with an ex-colleague that I’ve been checking in with every fortnight for the past two years. Despite the regularity, our conversations always bring something new. His focus is on AI for Change, which ties into AI ethics, a shared area of interest. He introduced me to a framework called FATE (Fairness, Accountability, Transparency, Explainability), which he learned from someone formerly at Microsoft. A quick search revealed that this framework is widely used, including in autonomous vehicle development to build trust.

This finding aligns closely with part of my research, which examines how people make sense of the ethics space and the tools or frameworks they use in practice. Discovering the FATE framework's application in real-world contexts, particularly in emerging technologies, was very relevant.


One of the highlights of this week, though I was admittedly a little anxious beforehand, was a qualitative research workshop with my PhD supervisors. In preparation, I wrote a blog post that began as a mini-essay—a way to consolidate my understanding—but it grew into a longer piece due to the wealth of valuable information available. The workshop itself was excellent. I shared insights on the qualitative methods I’ve used in practice, particularly interviews, while my supervisors discussed their own, more academic, experiences and the types of questions they use for various forms of inquiry. The session was incredibly helpful and solidified my approach for my upcoming study.


This workshop also helped me complete my Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) application. I’ve now submitted it for approval. Over the next few weeks, I’ll wait for feedback and, if necessary, make any required adjustments before beginning the interviews.


In the meantime, I’ll focus on developing a participant recruitment strategy. One idea is to create a microsite on my website to share videos of myself asking questions designed to engage designers and encourage them to participate in the study. Additionally, I plan to craft social media posts to run throughout 2025. My goal is to conduct around 40 interviews over the next two years, and while I’m optimistic about finding participants, securing this level of engagement can be challenging. This makes it crucial to design an effective campaign, which will be my key focus throughout December.


Other things I got up to this month include:

  • Drafting a 500-word proposal for a book chapter on my love-hate relationship with writing. If successful, I’ll have the opportunity to contribute a chapter exploring this. Fingers crossed!

  • Being invited to be a guest speaker at the Gender Network Development Programme 2024 Final Dragons’ Den event at work. I shared insights about my career journey, emphasised the importance of networking, and discussed trends in lifelong learning—both within the financial sector and more broadly. I also highlighted key developments to watch for in the future.

  • Attending a Writing for Wonkhe event, which provided practical insights into publishing through Wonkhe. While their content focuses on Higher Education (HE), the topics they cover are quite broad. This session gave me a clearer understanding of the publication process and how to tailor content for their platform.




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