How to make it in academia
As a researcher, you have the power to shape the future. Your work today can make a real difference to somebody鈥檚 tomorrow. It鈥檚 an inspirational thought, but when you鈥檙e just starting out in your career, knowing how to make it in academia can be a battle of its own.
Follow your passions, even if it鈥檚 scary
Change can be scary, we get that. But if what you鈥檙e currently doing doesn鈥檛 match up with what you鈥檙e passionate about, that鈥檚 a problem.
For postgraduate student Annie Handmer, that tough realisation meant quitting her job in investment banking to pursue a career in a completely different field.
鈥淚 thought, sure, I can do this job, but there are thousands of people in Sydney who could do it well, or better. But there aren鈥檛 thousands of people who know as much as I do about how science and society interact with international law and custom, or who have the passion to do something about it.鈥�
She鈥檚 now completing a Master of Philosophy by research on international cooperation in space and is aiming to become Australia鈥檚 first space diplomat.
Closer to home, Dr Jacqueline Thomas reflects on how moving from Australia to Africa early in her career helped to shape her success.听
鈥淭he most pivotal moment in my career was having the courage to follow my passion and move to Africa to work for a small non-government organisation 鈥� for virtually no money! Leaving Australia to work with international researchers was invaluable at that early stage of my career.鈥�
听
Be open to new opportunities
The key to keeping your career moving forward is looking forward. Keep your eyes open to any opportunities that come your way, and be open and ready for them. After all, you can鈥檛 take an opportunity you didn鈥檛 know was there.
Speech pathologist and clinical researcher, says her career shifted into something she had never imagined when her mentor took her aside and encouraged her to pursue a PhD.
鈥淢y supervisor helped me think about a different future, giving me the encouragement and confidence to pursue a career in clinical research.鈥�
She鈥檚 now working to improve the lives of brain injury patients, by developing new treatments to improve communication and making them easily available to patients, their family and friends with a digital health platform - a path she may not have ended up following if she wasn鈥檛 open to it.
Find balance, whatever that means to you
The demands of an academic career can make it hard to stop at the end of the day, especially when your supervisor is encouraging you to just keep working, but it鈥檚 important to find balance in your life, whatever that means to you.
For , Professor of Medicine and Cardiologist at Westmead Hospital, she ranks getting a black belt in taekwando at the same time she sat her physicians exam as one of the most pivotal moments in her life (鈥淚 was pretty chuffed!鈥�).
Of course, balance looks different to everyone. You don鈥檛 have to become a black belt to say you鈥檙e living a 鈥榖alanced life鈥�.听 It can be as easy as catching up with friends on the weekend or just leaving that email until Monday.
, pharmacology researcher and Academic Director of the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) program at the University of Sydney,听encourages knowing yourself and what you鈥檙e willing to sacrifice for the sake of your career.
鈥淚 always try to work hard, but I decided early on that I wouldn鈥檛 let my work damage my relationships with family and friends, or prevent me from living. It doesn鈥檛 matter how successful you are; money, papers, grants 鈥� they won鈥檛 hug you when you鈥檙e old.鈥�
At the end of the day, it鈥檚 about prioritising what鈥檚 important to you. 鈥淵ou can have a lot of things in your life, but you don鈥檛 need to 鈥榙o it all鈥�,鈥� Clara concludes.