Tag Archives: write

Surviving academia as an early career researcher: an unreliable guide

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Being an early career researcher is exciting but terrifying. Use this guide to make the most of your PhD or postdoc experience, says Atma Ivancevic.

In today’s cut-throat world of grants and publications, being an early career researcher (ECR) can feel more than a little daunting. As an ECR myself, I can’t guarantee that this will help you make it to the other side unscathed. But I’m still here, and if you’re reading this, you probably are too. Outlined below are the things I’ve learnt during the ups and downs of post-PhD life.

 

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Science competitions earn you fame, glory and transferable skills

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Competitions aimed at early career researchers fill the gap between a PhD and a ‘real world’ education, says Réka Nagy.

My PhD journey is coming to its end and I am considering a non-academic career. Looking at job descriptions, I know I tick the box marked ‘strong analytical and problem-solving skills.’ However, there are other boxes to consider: ‘Strong time and project management skills.’ ‘A team player with a proven track record of collaborations.’ ‘The ability to communicate clearly and concisely to a wide range of stakeholders.’

I worked in a ten-person research group but I did most of my work on my own – does that really make me a team player? And what does “a wide range of stakeholders” mean, anyway? I don’t have the time or money to pursue further training to gain these skills, and I feel like the four years I spent getting my PhD in Human Genetics were a waste.

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{credit}David Luders/Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/42988571@N08/13158201924{/credit}

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Scientific writing: A very short cheat sheet

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Meenakshi Prabhune has a golden rule for effective science writing—keep it simple.

The life of a researcher is incomplete without undergoing the trauma of writing scientific documents: papers, grants, protocols, theses, and so on and on. Most researchers find this stressful, time-consuming, and difficult; and, despite the enormous time and effort invested in writing, I for one often come across close-to-incomprehensible papers while digging through the literature. Why is that the case, and how do we fix it?

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