In this guest blog Dr Sara Shinton, Director of the Future Leaders Fellows Development Network, Director of the ESRC Research Leaders Network and Institutional Lead for the Wellcome InFrame Institutional Research Culture Change Project writes about being the Keynote speaker at CMVM Postdoctoral Symposium on 14th November 2024. Sara discusses the presentation she gave, her perspective on how time as a postdoc was a strong positive influence on the career she’s had and also draws out some lessons for current postdocs.
First let me start by saying I’m incredibly grateful to the organisers for this event, especially Alíz Owolabi, Lorraine Jackson and Joe Rainger. It was a wonderful, informative, encouraging day and I left feeling positive about way research culture (and wider society) has changed in the time since I was a lab scientist. I’m also re-energised to continue to push for further improvement and inclusion.
The title of my talk reflects a concept that first came to me when I was talking to postdocs in careers events about 15 years ago. At this, many described the fear of the cliff edge they were facing in terms of ends of contracts and not seeing any options for what came next. On a fixed term contract it feels like you’re on a conveyer belt taking you to the cliff edge, but shifting this sense of passivity is one of the first things you need to do. Put yourself back in control. If you see the end of your postdoc time as a springboard, then you can start to think about the energy you can put in to create a glorious launch into what comes next.
I started with a summary of my career: PhD and postdoc Chemistry, UG Communication Skills project, Careers Adviser, Academic Developer, Researcher Developer (freelance), Head of Research Development and now lead of a collection of strategic projects.
This career makes a lot of sense viewed backwards, but it was experienced without the knowledge of what each move would lead to. I try to give confidence to postdocs I talk to by reassuring them that every step will lead to something new. A few things to note are that I did my degree, PhD and postdoc in the same institution which added anxiety that I would be viewed as unambitious or lacking in drive. My first role outside postdocing was advertised as a low grade administrative support role, but on a really interesting project, so I took a risk that this would lead me to a new path. The project lead negotiated a higher salary for me (back in the days where this was less constrained by finance and HR systems) and I took on many additional responsibilities. I should note it was a 12 month fixed term role, so there was less risk of being exploited and getting stuck. Something to bear in mind if you see a similar escape tunnel.
From this point the moves were more iterative – the skills project included a substantial careers element; a collaboration with the Careers Service led to a consideration of this as a career and after a few false starts I secured a role as a trainee careers adviser. Another project in that service led me towards academic development before securing my own funding gave me the opportunity to move closer to researchers. Starting a family whilst living the “two body problem” meant I gave up my job and started a business just ahead of the injection of investment in researcher development which I was perfectly positioned to make the core of my business. In my talk I reflected that in 2000 when I made this decision, it didn’t really occur to me that I could continue with my career whilst my husband could become primary carer. I like to think things have moved on now, especially as my family is three amazing women.
I moved back into a university role because of the conversations with many postdocs about how difficult their lives were because of poor management, leadership and exploitation. I had a naïve belief that I could change this. It was really gratifying to hear in the introduction to my talk that people feel I have made a difference at Edinburgh from my time as Head of Researcher Development and now leading the Future Leaders Fellows Development Network and the Wellcome InFrame Institutional Research Culture project. When you still see so much that needs to change, it’s easy to forget that things are better than they were and that you have played a part.
My first career lesson – remember how broad the value of your experience is
Reflecting on my career for an audience of postdocs reminded me how little confidence I had at that stage which is why I’m always determined to show them how much confidence I have for and in them. This difference comes down to a few lessons which I’ll share in the rest of this blog. The first is that the skills I developed as a postdoc were more important than the knowledge (because I stopped being a scientist). Those skills have carried me a long way from the lab but they started there. I won’t add to the wealth of literature about what skills these are – seek them out for yourself through your own researcher development support, conversations and asking your bot of choice (here I want to give a plug to our own Edinburgh Language Model which provides safer access to AI support).
I also realised that universities are often one of the biggest employers in their cities and regions. Over 10,000 people work at the University of Edinburgh, with more than half of them classified by the catch all “administrative” label. There are so many exciting careers hidden under this. Start looking and you’ll discover that many of them relate to research. Researcher development, research funding support, research library services, research ethics and integrity, open access, research project management, public engagement… If you think about what you like about research as well as the actual research, there’s probably a career focused on this. Outside the universities are the funders, publishers, government and charities before we even start to look at the huge commercial research sector. So many choices.
So my first lesson in the talk was that the context you are in as a postdoc is a source of huge opportunities.
Lesson 2 – make sure you keep moving
A question I often get asked is about the plan I had at the start of my career. Age 12 I was determined to be a forensic scientist. At university I studied analytical chemistry with this goal in mind and discovered I was perfectly unsuited to it – following rules and protocols with incredible attention to detail and consistency is not in my personal toolkit. But chemistry led me to research, led me to loving being in a university, led me to the joy of supporting others, led me to the desire to create systems that support others. Easy to see in hindsight, but little was evident at the point of making the decisions that led me to where I am.
So from the point where I abandoned my plan to be a scientific crime solver, there was no plan. However, there were guiding principles which helped me to make each choice. I’m a natural born volunteer and will usually put my hand up for any opportunity on the table. Organising departmental dinners, meetings, being on the committees, helping people learn – later in life this became an issue when I had to learn to say no, but as a postdoc it broadened my experience and therefore the pool of data I had available for career decision making.
I also asked for the perspectives of others as you can only see part of the contribution you make to the world. Many years later I discovered this is described in leadership training as the “Johari window”, but as a postdoc it was prompted by a question on an application form which asked “how would other people describe you?” Having no idea, I asked other people and (after the inevitable good-humoured abuse) I learnt that I was viewed as resourceful. And this has stuck with me and been one of the hallmarks of my career. I’m good at making things happen. Ask those around you what they value about you and see how that adds to your view of what’s possible in your future.
I also made a point of telling people what I wanted and I remain convinced that this is one of the most effective career development tools. Your desire for an opportunity could solve someone else’s problem. Many of us who have too many commitments struggle to manage them all. An enthusiastic volunteer who wants that opportunity provides a win-win. Tell people what you want.
And finally, keep moving and keep adding to your CV. I used to run a lot of workshops for postdocs on career development and options and I used to show them a slide of lots of apples. Imagine each year of your experience as a postdoc (or whatever you are doing) is a piece of fruit. Too many of us do the same thing year after year and quickly reach the point when we are not gaining more years of experience, but are REPEATING the years we already have. Make a conscious effort to do something different every year. Aspire to ADD to your CV and demonstrate that you are moving forwards.
Which is my second lesson – make sure you convey momentum in your career story. If I can sense the progression and the growth inherent in you, I’ll be more confident that you can thrive in new environments and meet new challenges.
The third lesson was to start today. If you act you are taking control back in your career.
A slightly overlapping third lesson is the call to act rather than flow passively through your career. Make sure you are diversifying your skills and interests (within the constraints of your project demands). In the symposium we heard many stories about this – speakers who had taught themselves to code, volunteered in science museums and of course the amazing team of postdocs who took responsibility to deliver the symposium. Where can you be active and build a valuble skill, bank experience or grow your network?
You should also start demonstrating your leadership, rather than waiting until you are in a formal leadership role. For postdocs, leadership is manifested when you make things happen. Set up a journal club. Initiate a wellbeing walk. Invite a different kind of speaker to talk at your institute. Look for the many small, but impactful things that you can do and then grow your leadership as your confidence, ambition and the faith that others have in you grows.
And I’m going to say it again – tell people. Tell your PI that you want responsibility for some part of your project’s management or governance so you can learn how to run that aspect of a group. Tell formal classmates or PhD colleagues that you are thinking about the next move in your career and ask for their ideas or connections. Remember that outside the academic sector, the skills that postdocs can evidence are unusual and attractive. You could be the solution to someone else’s problem.
Lesson 4 is to make sure you are easy to find and memorable
You’ve probably all experienced that moment at a party or family get-together when you realise not everyone knows what a postdoc is (No, I’m not a student. No, I don’t get summers off. Yes, it is a proper job.) This is also true in the labour market. Obviously if you are moving into a research-intensive role, there’s a decent chance that many of your future colleagues have a similar background, but for other paths you need to reposition your skills in the context of your new career and never assume the recruiter will understand what you’ve got and what you’ve done.
Also think really carefully about how you represent what value a postdoc has in the wider world. A long list of impenetrable papers screams “I want to be an academic” even when that might not be true. Papers represent an idea brought from concept to fruition so talk about how you achieved this if the subject of the project isn’t relevant to the reader. Problem solving, project management, adaptability, resourcefulness, tenacity, initiative have a much broader appeal and value than my knowledge of dielectric relaxation spectroscopy had once I stepped off the academic conveyer.
Get your LInkedIn profile up to date and start connecting with people. Your network is likely to be the route to future opportunities – and not just jobs. Invitations to do cool things, connections with potential collaborators. It’s also a really easy way to stay in touch with people.
Most postdoc’s university profiles are shocking. When I comment on this I usually hear “It’s difficult to edit” but is it? Have you tried and failed to edit yours? Or just accepted this urban myth? If you can’t represent yourself on your institution’s website then talk to your postdoc champion because it is vital to be a visible member of your university because of the next lesson.
Being part of a big university is a huge privilege. USE IT.
After running a business for nearly 17 years I always had huge envy of my colleagues in institutions. They didn’t have to prove themselves – the credibility of their institutions was conveyed automatically onto them. Being part of a university means something to people. It impresses them. It means you are a part of something special. Make use of this security blanket of esteem. When I moved into the University of Edinburgh I was suddenly allowed into all kinds of rooms that would have been impossible as a freelancer. Think about the benefits of your affiliation. Although Box of Broadcasts and eduroam are great perks, there are far stronger career benefits.
Finally, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know where you are going. Enjoy it anyway.
Finally I wanted to leave on a positive note, which was that not knowing where you are heading shouldn’t be a source of anxiety. Take your first steps into your amazing future and just try to aim in the right direction. Your skills and knowledge will change throughout your life, but if you can understand your values and align these in your choices, that’s a great start.
And remember this is your choice. You are the one who is going to have to get up every day and engage in your work choices, so make them your own. Your family and friends may be surprised when you step away from the front line of research. They may be perpetually confused by what you do once you aren’t a chemist (or whatever they think you are at the moment), but if they are on your team then they’ll support the journey that takes you to a motivating and rewarding job.
And of course, don’t forget to enjoy each step. Although the precarity associated with postdocing (and sadly many other roles including my own) combined with the uncertainty that career change brings have the potential to be the thief of joy, try to stay aware of the positives and things that you love. My career has grown from these and I hope yours will too.
