Chris Webber

Research assistant, Centre for Cities

Chris Webber, 26, is a research assistant at the Centre for Cities, part of think-tank the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). He is currently involved with several projects, including a study of various cities' economic performance designed to identify the key factors for success, the production of advisory papers for city leaders, and an analysis of local transport policies.

What has been your most beneficial career experience to date?
Working on the City Growth project, which aimed to improve the local economy in run-down areas of London and thus drive regeneration. I engaged with a lot of private sector groups and brought them on board with the work we were doing. That experience of dealing with business people is really helping in my current job.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?
My dad once told me the hardest things to do are usually the ones most worth doing. It's solace when things are difficult, and it also inspires me to try new things.

What's the best training you've had?
My Masters course was very good: the in-depth analysis of economics and politics really reinforced my wish to move into a career in practical research. Since starting at the IPPR, I've also done some practical short courses, such as presentation training, which was helpful. And I did a statistics course recently: I'm hoping it will improve my ability to assess the credibility of different studies.

What book would you recommend?
The book that inspired me to study economics at university was The Affluent Society by JK Galbraith. It's fairly old, but beautifully written, and while it's a great introduction to some economic concepts, it's also very accessible to the lay reader.

What do you wish you'd known when you started out?
It can take time to persuade people about an idea, so don't give up when you come up against barriers. Your efforts will bear fruit in the end.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2003: Graduates with a BA in economics and politics from the University of Liverpool.

2004: Completes MA in European political economy at the London School of Economics; joins the City Growth project, covering Park Royal, Wembley and White City in north London.

2006: Joins IPPR as Centre for Cities research assistant.

Interview by Kate Allen