I was generally interested in atmospheric chemistry and was looking for opportunities to carry out a PhD in the area. I chose SCENARIO because the project that was advertised looked interesting and unique, combining two different areas of chemistry. My highlight of my time with SCENARIO was the Christmas social.
I am a postdoctoral research fellow at the university of Birmingham, where I will be starting a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship next year. My current work is related to what I did during my PhD and I have started to branch out into different areas of science as a result of the contacts I made. I would say the training and careers advice I received during my time with SCENARIO were very helpful and I recommend SCENARIO to anyone who would like to pursue an academic career.
I would advise new starters not to put too much pressure on getting results early on. A lot of the first year involves finding your feet and seeing what works.
If you are passionate about your subject and are keen to find out new things, go for a PhD. I am the first person in my family to do a PhD (and go to university) and I really enjoyed the experience. You will learn very quickly to cope with failure!