5 minutes with Rose-Marie Minaisah

Briefly, tell us about your career journey up to this point...

I started my career honing my technical skills as a technician working within the cardiovascular field. I found myself taking on more and more managerial tasks during this time and decided that going into management would enable me to help scientists do research. After four years in management, I can say it has been a true crash course in learning how to deal with people and equipment and I am loving every challenge that has presented so far.

What is a typical working day like for you and how has this changed for you during the pandemic?

No one day is the same which is what I love about my job. One day I could be training someone on a piece of equipment, the next day I could be fixing it with a screwdriver!

A large amount of my job is based on campus, so the pandemic has made work incredibly difficult. Due to essential maintenance, I was still going onto campus regularly during the lockdown and still do now, currently about 2-3 times a week. The remainder of the time gave me the opportunity to complete some courses, as well as obtain my professional registration.

What do you hope to achieve this year? Do you have any current projects that you would like to tell us about?

I’m about to start an amazing leadership course this year with Stellar HE which I am hoping will teach me a lot about how my leadership is affected by my ethnicity, which is a new way of approaching courses like this.

However, my main objective for this year is to help bring everyone back together safely to the department. It’s so important mentally for everyone to see each other again as friends and colleagues. I look forward to celebrating the end of the pandemic with them!

Anything else you would like to add?

I hope that everyone stays safe during this pandemic and takes care of their mental health as much as they do their physical.

QUICK-FIRE...

What’s the best thing that happened to you this month?

I have just completed a Chloe Ting 2 Week Shred Fitness program on YouTube. I feel a lot healthier and stronger for doing it and have lost an inch and a half off my waist so far. This, however, is just the start as I plan to complete a fitness challenge every month in 2021.

Who inspires you most and why?

My parents inspire me the most. They are just so incredibly strong to deal with everything life has thrown at them. To come from where they have to today is awe-inspiring. It’s the main reason I chose to keep my maiden name, so if I do become something then I can make their name proud. 

What advice would you give to your 18-year old self?

Always listen to your gut!