Sum up what you do at News UK in the shortest sentence possible.

I’m the deputy editor of the Times2 daily features section.

Lay a bit of context on that?

My job involves everything from coming up with feature and interview ideas to commissioning and briefing writers, editing copy, writing headlines and standfirsts, working with designers on page layouts and attending news conference and forward-planning meetings. I also oversee the growing Times2 social media presence and contribute to developing our online offering by working on video and digital-first projects.

What attracted you to the role in the first place?

Absolutely everything about it. I’ve long been a Times reader and I’ve admired its journalism for years. I am constantly dazzled by the talent that surrounds me.

What’s the most interesting/challenging part of your job?

I love the creativity and collaboration. Having spent the best part of a decade as a writer and reporter before moving into editing five years ago, I relish the multidisciplinary approach – the opportunity to work with so many people with distinct skills, from writers to designers and picture or video editors. Our remit on Times2 takes in everything from hard-hitting interviews to fabulous fashion – I adore the mix. Maintaining that – while also keeping pace with changes in the industry as digital consumption evolves – is a challenge, but it’s also endlessly refreshing, stimulating and huge fun.

What are the three most important things on your working agenda today?

This will be totally different depending on the day of the week it is. But today it’s preparing for pre-conference and news conference which I attend on Tuesdays or when Times2’s editor Grace Bradberry is away. Then I need to commission some features, especially for next week’s health pages – ideas can come from news stories which warrant a more in-depth examination, reading new studies and research papers, looking at upcoming books and more. And third – of course – producing a sparkling, smart, stimulating section for the readers tomorrow.

Why do you want to be a part of the News UK mentoring programme and who is your ideal mentee?

My ideal mentee is really anyone who is prepared to work hard and give new challenges a go. I feel strongly that mentorship is a key way we can broaden access to the media industry. I count myself as privileged in a lot of ways, but having grown up in South Africa I didn’t really know anyone who worked in the British press before I started out. And I had absolutely no idea how the industry itself worked. I was also quite shy and remember feeling like a total fish out of water on my first work experience placement, with no real idea of how to act or what to do or who to speak to. It goes without saying that if you want to work with the best, most talented people, you need to draw from the broadest pool possible, and that means nurturing those who may not have benefited from – for instance – having a relative or family friend who can help them get their foot in the door, or being part of an elite school or university alumni network. That’s where mentorship can come in.

Who is your role model? And why?

I think perhaps a better approach is to observe the qualities you admire in people around you and think about how you could develop your own equivalent – a bit more pick’n’mix.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Examine your mistakes – really interrogate why they happened, and how they can be avoided in future – and then learn from them. It is painful but productive.

What one bit of advice would you give someone wanting to do your job?

Do it! You’ll have the best time. Also: make sure you completely understand your readership, your audience, and what you have to offer them.

Tell us something not many people know about you?

I’m not naturally blonde. And my mother is in Confessions of a Window Cleaner, which quite a lot of people –  especially men –  seem to have seen. There: two things!