What first attracted you to IFS?

My interest in working at IFS grew during my undergraduate degree. I had enjoyed the course material - particularly microeconomics and econometrics - so when I noticed that some of my lecturers also worked at IFS, I became curious about careers here. I wanted to remain involved with economics and statistics after graduation; working here as a summer student in 2004 convinced me that IFS offers the best opportunity to do so while making genuinely relevant contributions to public policy.

Which projects are you working on at the moment?

I've just completed a project looking at the school funding system in England and the incentives it creates, the conclusions of which received national media attention. At the moment, I'm involved with the evaluations of two welfare-to-work programmes and an evaluation of the impact of higher education top-up fees.

What kind of things do you do during a typical day at work?

My schedule varies. I often spend time creating and manipulating datasets in order to perform the statistical and econometric analysis that the bulk of my research entails. I also have meetings with colleagues to plan our research projects and discuss any results. But not all my time is spent on specific projects: there are regular seminars and workshops to attend at IFS or UCL, and it's not uncommon to spend a day or two away at a conference.

What do you particularly enjoy about the job?

The technical aspects of the job were what first attracted me to it, so I enjoy those the most, on a day-to-day basis. However, data analysis is only a small step towards having a final report published in hard copy and on the internet, which is the most rewarding feature of working here. Dealing with any subsequent press enquiries can be daunting at first, but is also exciting.

How has your career progressed, so far, at IFS?

I joined in 2005 and am still one of the newer members of staff, but am now starting to take a more managerial role - supervising newer recruits - on some forthcoming research. I'm also due to become a senior research economist in early 2009, which will bring with it managerial responsibilities and the opportunity to write project proposals to apply for funding.

What have you learned from working here?

Our work involves the analysis of policies and institutional features, so I've naturally become more aware of how these aspects of government and public life function. On top of that, seeing how our research is disseminated has increased my appreciation of the policy debate, where we are often cited in order to back up an argument. I've also gained a greater theoretical understanding from the seminars we host, where external academics present their latest research. There are, of course, more mundane skills acquired on the job, such as diarising and time management!

How would you describe the working environment?

Professional but informal, and the combination of full-time staff, academics and PhD scholars certainly lends to this mix. The offices are open-plan so all staff members, even the most senior ones, are quite approachable. We're actively encouraged to voice ideas for future work with research and programme directors.