L-R: Louise Horsfall, Lorraine Kerr, Jim Usherwood, Julie Gould

Find the right path and reach your potential: There are multiple ways

Contributor Esther Cooke

As a PhD student or postdoc, in thrall to lab work or immersed in writing papers and grant applications, it can be easy to forget that pursuing an academic career is seldom solely about the research. The Career paths in academia workshop at the Naturejobs Career Expo 2014 gave early-career researchers an insight into the variety of roles available in academia. Four scientists gave an overview of their careers, and discussed the pleasures and pitfalls of their day-to-day jobs, before passing on some advice on how to succeed in the academic world.

Exploring the options

Not all academic careers need include research. Dr Anita Hall has a teaching-only position as a senior fellow at Imperial College London, having first progressed up the academic research ladder from PhD student to lecturer. Her responsibilities include course design, teaching, assessment and giving careers advice. Despite feeling drained at times, Hall appreciates the rewarding nature of teaching, and says that, in terms of work/life balance, “teaching is much more liberating” than research. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Dr Jim Usherwood of The Royal Veterinary College is heavily involved in research. Although passionate about his work, Usherwood describes a vicious cycle of writing papers to get funding and vice versa. Continue reading →