Dr Petia Tzokova completed a PhD in Structural Engineering at the University of Cambridge. She is now a Research Fellow at Newnham College, working on graphical methods in structural design, and teaches structural mechanics and design to undergraduate engineering and architecture students, as an Affiliated Lecturer.
What are you working on at the moment?
Until recently, I’ve been working with the construction industry to help decarbonise the built environment at the Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction, aiming to be at net zero carbon by 2045.
I have also worked on a book on structural engineering with some colleagues, and very recently began a research fellowship in October with a focus on graphical methods in structural analysis and design.
As well as this, I have worked as a Teaching Assistant in the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge and teach undergraduates structural design as an Affiliated Lecturer.
How did you learn about PdA and all we offer?
After the pandemic, I was revisiting events and took a look at what PdA were offering. I also signed up to the weekly Bulletin.
Which of PdA’s training have you found the most useful?
I’ve enjoyed the various leadership events, and the Team Dynamics one was also helpful (and different!). I’ve been to a wide range. I’ve also gone to some of the PdOC events, for the social aspect.
Do you have any suggestions for improvements to the events?
I generally prefer in-person events so will aim for those, where possible. Aside from that, the topics covered are all very relevant, such as those focused on careers, writing fellowship grants, and research skills.
Have you used the events as an opportunity to network?
Yes. As the leadership course I went on was spread out over a few weeks, you got to know the people on the course. This course was online, but in-person would definitely help even more with this networking aspect!
What drew you to the leadership training?
I was interested in leadership training in general as I felt that this is something I had less experience with and wanted to improve. This seemed like a good course to do, as it wasn’t just a one-hour or one-day thing, and I thought the longer nature of it would result in better learning of leadership skills.
Were you hoping to address an issue you had at the time, or was it to benefit your career?
It was to benefit my career, and also to grow my skills. I was also about to start a Research Fellowship where I would lead my own project, potentially eventually leading people too, so it was relevant for my next career step.
As it's been a while since you took the training, have you been able to apply what you learned to your work?
One of the things they suggested in the course is if someone asks for help with a problem, to not immediately jump to giving them solutions, and this is something I try to think about now in these situations. My natural instinct is to help by providing solutions, but in the course we covered that this isn’t always best for the person coming to you for help.
What else have you found beneficial about the training you’ve attended?
At the start of the leadership course, we covered the theory of different types of leadership styles, which I found quite useful as a starting point, as I’d never thought about the theory side of it.
More generally, the Virtual Writing Retreats have been very useful, as they make me block out time in my calendar for focused work.
Additionally, I’ve found the wellbeing sessions from Tiny Pause helpful, also for helping me be able to get more focused with my work. The concept of the “deep work hour” has been very useful – booking in my calendar just one hour per day to focus on the most meaningful work.
What would you recommend to postdocs looking to follow a similar path to you?
Try and make time for activities outside of work. It can be too easy to only do things related to your work, and this can take a toll.
Aim to establish realistic boundaries (and stick to them!)
Put aside some time to develop yourself professionally, either through the university or outside it.