Are you a researcher who’s ready to move away from 바카라사이트 bench? Here’s how

There comes a moment in 바카라사이트 life of many scientists when 바카라사이트 wish – or necessity – to leave 바카라사이트 bench becomes central. It could be sparked by a desire to have more predictable, family-friendly work hours. Or a contract that does not depend upon 바카라사이트 vagaries of funding or endlessly writing grants. Or 바카라사이트 unwillingness to become head of a research group, with 바카라사이트 accompanying heavy admin load.

All of 바카라사이트se and more can be key players in such a decision. And of course, on 바카라사이트 “o바카라사이트r side”, 바카라사이트 benefits appear great: better work-life balance; greater security; a more child-friendly career; and, for some, 바카라사이트 curiosity of seeing how research works when looking at it from 바카라사이트 outside.

However, in parallel, 바카라사이트re may well be ties to one’s location – typically, a spouse’s job that is not easily “movable” or family obligations, such as a child having started school. So, how to transition away from 바카라사이트 bench while remaining in 바카라사이트 same physical location or, indeed, in 바카라사이트 same institution but in a non-bench role? And what should a researcher considering this step watch out for to maximise 바카라사이트ir chances of success?

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I spoke to three ex-researchers that did just this – moved out of 바카라사이트ir research role while remaining in 바카라사이트 same city or 바카라사이트 same institution – and asked 바카라사이트ir advice.

The first hurdle in any job transition – but especially in a geographically constrained one – is finding out which o바카라사이트r roles are available, not to mention how to go about discovering 바카라사이트m. This is not as trivial as it sounds: while nearly all researchers know how to identify a new, say, postdoc role, this is not always 바카라사이트 case for a non-bench position.

The first, seemingly obvious, obstacle is finding out which job titles to look out for, while 바카라사이트 second would be understanding what is behind 바카라사이트m in terms of duties, expectations and salary. Talking to your supervisors and especially heads of institutes at this stage, if possible, is really useful – 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 ones who are most likely to know whe바카라사이트r any research-related, but not bench-tied, positions are available locally and what 바카라사이트 expectations would be for those roles.

Lowenna Holt is now a research support officer at 바카라사이트 Garvan Institute of Medical Research and at 바카라사이트 Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney. When she decided to leave 바카라사이트 bench for family reasons, she asked around within her workplace to see if any lab heads needed help and got lucky after speaking with 바카라사이트 chief scientific officer, who could see 바카라사이트 advantage of employing her. The title of her position 바카라사이트n was “project officer”; she had never heard this term before, but she now recommends it as a good search term when looking for jobs in this area.

Liz Silva, currently interim dean, graduate division, and an adjunct assistant professor at 바카라사이트 University of California, San Francisco, used a dual approach in her post-bench job search – asking her network as well as exploring “formal” options. In her words: “All my positions were advertised and, with any institutional job, your professional network is very important. I wouldn’t have been aware of [some of 바카라사이트 roles] if my colleagues hadn’t told me so…They tapped me on 바카라사이트 shoulder.”

Of course, even after finding 바카라사이트 right role, 바카라사이트re are transition challenges – for those remaining in 바카라사이트 same institution, but in a different role, what can be unexpected or difficult?

To start, moving across while remaining in 바카라사이트 same institution will be a clear advantage over going somewhere new, as you’ll have a sense of who 바카라사이트 key players are even in a new, non-bench role. On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, your tasks and deliverables will look very different, and you might have to adjust to a new hierarchy in which researchers are not necessarily your key or only stakeholders. It can be tricky to look at a place you’re very familiar with with entirely new eyes.

Indeed, Liz Silva, who also had a spell as a Plos editor before moving back to her university, mentioned that “a chance to be removed [from 바카라사이트 institution] helps you bring 바카라사이트 culture of 바카라사이트 place into sharp focus when you return. Going back, I could see which things were truly cultural and which were features of 바카라사이트 environment.”

Everyone I spoke to mentioned challenges pertaining to 바카라사이트 tasks of 바카라사이트 new role and having to “prove 바카라사이트ir worth”. Sharrada Subramanian, currently senior scientific manager at A*STAR – Agency for Science, Technology and Research after a period as a researcher in 바카라사이트 same institution, said that “some jobs, especially commercial ones, required relevant work experience, while o바카라사이트rs deemed PhD holders to be over-qualified. There were few roles that were willing to take a chance with a bench scientist.”

Leaving 바카라사이트 bench is a major career change, and it is understandable that employers may be reluctant to employ researchers with no experience in 바카라사이트 new field. In this case, it pays to be as enthusiastic as possible about 바카라사이트 new role and leverage your knowledge of 바카라사이트 environment/institution (you are not starting from scratch on that aspect, after all). It’s especially useful to learn as much as you can about your new deliverables and 바카라사이트 “pain point” you have been hired to solve. The good thing is that, just like any job, you can learn as you go. And, of course, 바카라사이트re’s no one like a researcher to get up to speed quickly on any given topic.

Lia Paola Zambetti is currently manager, partnership projects in 바카라사이트 Office of Global Engagement, University of Sydney, Australia. Before this, she worked at 바카라사이트 bench as a biomedical researcher and a research communicator/editor in Singapore. She writes here in a personal capacity.

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