How to know if an academic career is worth pursuing and other crucial questions
“We have an hour together. This appointment is confidential.”
That’s how I start every appointment in a capacity as careers adviser to postdoctoral researchers. The reason this opening is important is because an hour is usually only just enough time to get to the bottom of what advice someone is seeking, and confidentiality allows people to ask questions and seek clarification on things they often feel they should already know. With these two things in mind, I am going to share the most common conversations I have in my office about academic careers.