Laura Manson

Job:

Senior Associate, Supervision

Company:

Ofcom

I supervise social media platforms. My job involves working with platforms to make sure that they comply with their legal duties to protect their users from experiencing harm caused by content viewed on their platforms.

I am...

Empathetic

Warm

Thoughtful

The skills I use most in my job...

Risk assessment

social media

online safety

working with people and businesses

law and regulation

The most interesting thing I've worked on in my career so far...

I used to represent defendants in criminal court, which meant hearing some really interesting stories. Aside from that, online safety supervision is really exciting because this is the first time some of these platforms have been required by law to consider their users' safety.

What inspired me into digital and tech...

IT is a huge part of our every day life now, and affects nearly everything we do. I have seen the introduction and growth in popularity of social media, and I think it is important that these services are held to very high standards of safety and welfare.

My educational background is...

After finishing my A-levels I went to University to study English Language and Literature. After that, I did a law conversion course and trained to be a solicitor. In total I spent six years in full-time post-graduate education, but there are lots of other routes to becoming a lawyer.

What advice I'd give to girls thinking about a career in digital and tech...

Don't think that you have to be a tech, math or IT wizzard to get into digital and tech. I was a lawyer before I joined the digital and tech industry. Approach your career embracing the idea that there is always something new to learn and you'll be fine.