KD: What is your educational history (for example, college major or minor)? Did you always want to work in publishing or science?
SV: I was born and brought up in Mumbai, India, and have completed my school and college education here. I earned my master’s degree in Geology from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. After obtaining my degree, while I was looking for jobs I came across Crimson Interactive, where I applied for the position of a research editor. Since I did not have any background in the publishing industry, I did some research about the company before applying and found it to be very interesting. When I joined Crimson, I started off as an academic research editor and I haven’t looked back since. This is the place where I began understanding the different functions of this industry, the different perspectives involved, and the magnitude of the scope of research.
KD: What is your current job title and responsibilities?
SV: I am a quality analyst with Crimson Interactive, and my main responsibilities involve monitoring the quality of in-house editors and training new editors. Additionally, I manage the quality of files delivered to the clients, ensuring that a high-quality output is delivered. In the case of client dissatisfaction, I also provide appropriate solutions and next steps to ensure quick redress of the issue and client delight.
KD: What career path led to your current position?
SV: I began my career in the field of research editing with Crimson as a research editor in 2013. I have worked and am working with some wonderful people who have helped me throughout my tenure as an editor. Quickly enough, I excelled in this role, so I moved on to work on my managerial skills. After being an editor for a year and a half, I was offered the role of a quality analyst at Crimson in 2015. This role has helped me stay in touch with my editing skills and impart the knowledge I have gained to my peers, along with developing newer skills like that of managing work, people, and time.
KD: What do you like most about your work and what challenges do you face?
SV: I love the dynamic environment. Every day presents new challenges and several learning opportunities. The senior management is very helpful. I have learned a great deal from my senior manager, Anupama Kapadia, and team manager, Shailesh Jain, who have mentored me in more ways than one. They have always encouraged me to look at the issues from multiple perspectives so that I can come up with the most appropriate solution. My teammates and peers from other teams have also played a vital role in my progress here at Crimson. I am really grateful for such a friendly work environment; it helps take the stress off things, considering that I work in such a fast-paced setting. I love helping other early career professionals in the research editing industry by training them to become professional editors and reviewing their work. Furthermore, I enjoy conceiving various quality management techniques for these editors.
KD: What skills, abilities, and personal attributes are essential to success in your job/this field?
SV: Some skills are innate, while some I developed after joining Crimson. Some of the essential skills/personal attributes according to my experience are sincerity; readiness to accept feedback, good or bad; time management; stress management; understanding multiple perspectives; being a team player; being open to learning; good verbal and written communication skills; ownership; and keeping oneself up to date about industry standards.
KD: If you hadn’t pursued work in scientific publication, what might you be doing?
SV: I would have surely pursued a career in the oil and gas industry as a petrographer or sedimentologist, if not publishing.
KD: Tell me about your non-work interests. Do you have any hobbies or belong to other organizations? What do you do outside the office?
SV: I am an avid reader and a trekking enthusiast. I enjoy doodling, singing, karaoke with friends, and dancing as well. I love traveling and visiting new places, and I am quite excited about my first international trip to the United States.
KD: What are you currently reading or watching that you would recommend?
SV: Recently I read some of the works of P.G. Wodehouse and enjoyed them immensely. I am currently reading The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. When it comes to what I am watching, I am a big fan of hand-to-hand combat and so I love watching the miniseries Daredevil, although I haven’t read the comics. I recently finished watching season 2 of the series and would recommend it to those who are hand-to-hand combat fans.