Academia: A Survival Guide (Or: Things I wish I had known) – Part 2
I was recently asked to give a talk to PhD students on how to be successful in academia. It made me think of all the things I wish that I had known when I started. In this blog post, I have tried to summarise some key pieces of advice that I would have liked to have had and will hopefully help you find your way through academia.
Network, collaborate, and expand your opportunities
Academia is more of a team sport these days – you need multidisciplinary approaches to get published in high-impact journals, and you can’t do it all alone! So, now is the time to start building your network. Here we discuss some ideas for how you can branch out – both your network and your research skills!
Build your network and don’t be afraid to be yourself
This can be daunting for many people, as it involves putting yourself out there, but it is worth it. The secret to networking isn't to attend a networking event or conference and hand out as many business cards as you can. You need to actually engage with people, offer value (your expertise), and follow through with what you promise.
There are many ways that you can work on building a network, and some will be more suited to you than others.
Focus on good people – People are at the core of all success. A very wise mentor of mine once said “I’ll work with anyone once”. What this means is that you should test a collaboration, see if it is a good fit, and then only continue if it becomes mutually beneficial. If it isn’t for you, then move on and find new collaborations. Do not waste time on bad collaborations.
Look to your home institute – It is much easier to collaborate at your current university, than abroad. See what expertise lies at your feet, rather than reaching out to begin with.
Create win/win situations – Offer your expertise to a problem and help drive solutions for all parties.
Be willing to give before you receive – You need to establish trust, so first, contribute without expecting anything back. Here, it is important that you are not always asking for something, but rather working as a larger part of a mutually beneficial collaboration.
Become a connector – See a research problem (or any other problem) and link people together who can help solve it. People will see the role you play and want to include you as well.
Remember to reconnect – Keep in touch with people with follow-up emails, ideas, or just a social chat.
Use social networks (Twitter, LinkedIn) – Connecting with people digitally is a great way to build relationships and spark collaboration with people you might not otherwise encounter.
Don’t isolate yourself – Speak to others, learn from them, take an interest. Collaborations will flow naturally.
Go to conferences (even online ones)
Conferences are important. Not just for science, but also to meet people within your extended field, to recharge your scientific ideas, and to make connections. I also am aware that they can be expensive, which prohibits more junior people from attending; however, with the increase in online conferences (largely due to COVID-19), many conferences are now significantly cheaper, if not free.
My best advice at conferences: apply to present (poster or oral presentations), attend talks, seminars, and workshops, be seen by your peers, don’t be scared to ask questions (there are no stupid questions), and don’t be afraid to talk to people! Make conversations, but don’t just discuss academic ideas – academics are people too, and often making friends with people will lead to the best outcomes. Don’t be afraid to talk to the “big” Professor – often they will be more than happy to speak with a young professional. If they don’t want to speak with you (or, snub you off) then you have lost nothing, and you’ve learnt that they aren’t a person you should be working with. Lastly, stay out for the social occasions – in my experience, collaborations are forged over coffee, a beer, or even a late-night karaoke session. Social events are a great way to get to know people, forge partnerships, and often find employment beyond your PhD.
Don’t be afraid to change research directions when you get a postdoc
Changing directions in your research is both scary and exhilarating. On one hand, it can feel like starting from scratch again. But remember - you have done this before and the skills you learnt during you PhD will make this process fast. Further, academic jobs are competitive, so you may not be able to be too picky - having any job is better than a perfect job that you don’t have, so you might find yourself working in an area outside your main expertise.
“Learn new things, as it makes your work more interesting, and importantly – it makes you more employable”
In my opinion, you should aim to do something different, so that you aren’t just repeating the same research that you completed during your PhD. Move on and learn new things, as it makes your work more interesting, and importantly – it makes you more employable. Another benefit is that prospective employers and funding bodies will assess your independence and ability to thrive in new areas of research. A change in your research field is the perfect way to establish this. Don’t be scared to have new ideas – that is the fun of this job!
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
Ideally, you should work on multiple projects with different levels of input i.e. lead some, assist with others, and supply only data for some. This will allow you to build a solid foundation of research publications, while also highlighting your ability to collaborate across numerous projects. It will also mean that you get multiple outputs each year. Lastly, branch out! Attempt to work with multiple groups of people outside your own research group, and experience different ways of working. This will vary your publication track record, show diversity, and improve your team-working skills (which is an valuable transferable skill). Most importantly: you must deliver on the projects you start, as you also need to uphold your professional reputation – don’t over commit to multiple projects and then deliver on none.
Part 3 will discuss tips on how to manage your mental health in the stressful academic environment. Stay tuned!
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