Coastal ocean modelling scientist — Julia Rulent

Working with a supportive team of scientists, Julia focuses on projects relating to sea level rise, extreme events and their impact over coastal areas. Find out more about her route into oceanography

What degree did you study?

I graduated with an MSci Physical Oceanography from Bangor University, with a fifth year of international experience at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China. I then did a PhD with Bangor University as a CASE partnership with the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) and the UK Met Office.

How did you get your job?

As my PhD was a partnership with NOC, I was based in Liverpool even though my Doctorate was awarded by Bangor. While finishing my thesis at NOC, I got the opportunity to start working for them on postdoctoral projects.

What's a typical working day like?

As most of my work is based on numerical modelling, I spend a lot of time on a computer. I start the day by looking at my Linux box to analyse and interpret model results. This is a lot more interactive than it sounds. While I work on my own at times, there is always someone around I can ask for advice. A lot of what we do has to be shared, so it is very much a team effort and a lot of fun.

What do you enjoy most?

I love the flexibility when it comes to developing research questions and what you want to target with your work. You never quite know what you are going to discover, and it takes a lot of creativity to 'play' with model data, understand and interpret it, and communicate your ideas and findings.

I can also work from home quite easily, which is a great advantage for a good work/life balance.

What are the challenges?

The technical challenges can be quite complicated. Numerical models are increasingly complex and getting one to run correctly is not always easy.

How is your degree relevant?

During my degree I learnt about the physical processes that the computer models I now use aim to reproduce. I would not be able to understand what my results mean without a solid knowledge of ocean and wave dynamics, and oceanography in general.

How has your role developed?

During my Masters I learnt the basics of independent research, and from there my career has become increasingly stimulating. During my PhD I became more independent, which is challenging but also satisfying, as I got a chance to focus on what I found interesting. When moving onto postdoctoral research I became less isolated as my work became part of bigger teamwork projects and I started to take on more responsibility for my work.

What are your career ambitions?

I would like to stay in research and also travel more by collaborating on projects based in other institutions around the world.

What are your top tips for choosing a Masters?

• Pick a topic that interests you, rather than one that may or may not give you more chance of finding a job. What matters most is that you are motivated to do your best work.
• Choose your PhD supervisor carefully as this can make all the difference. Base your choice on someone you work well with, who can give you the support you need.
• I find that projects involving multiple institutions or partnerships tend to open more doors in the future.

What advice can you give to others?

• Don't be shy. Contact people or institutions that are involved in the areas you are interested in. A lot of jobs exist within research institutes before they are advertised elsewhere. Just be careful you don’t put too much pressure on anyone as that can put them off.
• Develop your coding skills (e.g., Python, MATLAB, Fortran) as this can be a big advantage.
• Be ready to have a cross-disciplinary approach to your work. Your results will end up being applicable to a wide range of studies, not just what you had planned in the first place.

Find out more

• Read all about being an oceanographer.
• Discover what doing a PhD involves.