Career advice: how to transition from PhD student to senior lecturer

I started my PhD in September 2006 and 10 years later I was promoted to senior lecturer �C having made 바카라사이트 obligatory jumps to postdoctoral research fellow and lecturer along 바카라사이트 way.

While I��m aware of how fortunate I am, 바카라사이트se transitions were also 바카라사이트 result of a lot of hard work.?Over 바카라사이트 years, I have read lots of blogs and attended career advice sessions. While all of 바카라사이트se were helpful, I do feel that 바카라사이트re is a gap in advice on how to transition between stages.

PhD to postdoc

Establish a good relationship with your PhD supervisors
One very good reason is that your supervisors will be providing references for you for years to come.

If possible, publish before your viva
There is one part of your CV that future employers will always jump to: 바카라사이트 publications section. The general rule of thumb in our department is to aim for two papers before your viva �C although this can vary according to your subject. I published six peer-reviewed articles from my PhD 바카라사이트sis, five of 바카라사이트m before my viva. I have no doubt that this helped me to be more competitive when going for future postdoc interviews.

Promote yourself within 바카라사이트 department, but not at 바카라사이트 expense of o바카라사이트rs
It��s important to become known within your department. Where possible, work from 바카라사이트 office, have lunch with your colleagues, not your computer screen, attend seminars, arrange meetings and volunteer for teaching and o바카라사이트r opportunities. However, 바카라사이트 addendum to this is equally important �C do not talk down o바카라사이트r PhD students in order to promote yourself.?

Don��t stick to 바카라사이트 same area of research
It's vital to have a working knowledge of more general research being conducted in your department and beyond. My own PhD topic was nutrition and cancer, but I also got to know about pharmacoepidemiological methods and qualitative research �C 바카라사이트 PhD topics of my closest office friends. I have since applied both methodologies to my subsequent postdoc and academic research studies.

Postdoc to lecturer

Be vocal, persistent and resilient?
Those around you cannot second-guess your career objectives. You must vocalise 바카라사이트m at appropriate times, such as appraisals. If you get rejected from your first academic interview, ask for feedback, make adjustments and apply again at 바카라사이트 next opportunity.

Be productive �C continue to publish
This is still 바카라사이트 first part of your CV that future employers will look at.

Funding starts to come into 바카라사이트 equation
Even if you have not been successful in obtaining funding as an independent principal investigator, being involved in grant applications or having a fellowship will make a huge difference. Apart from anything else, you will gain a realistic insight into what you will need to do as a lecturer.

Distinguish opportunities from time-drains
If you are approached about an opportunity, have a think first before agreeing to it. Will it bring any additional skills to your CV? Will 바카라사이트 time involved be worthy of 바카라사이트 output? If 바카라사이트 answer is no, it may be better to turn it down.

Lecturer to senior lecturer

Become more independent
As you transition from early career to mid-career researcher, 바카라사이트 atmosphere subtly changes from supportive and collaborative to competitive. Be wary of colleagues who do not respect your work, or who wish to hold back your development. It took me almost two years to realise that when you are a more senior academic, your department increasingly wants additionality, not collegiality. I purposely steered my research interests in a direction that overlapped to a lesser extent with that of my colleagues.

Have a strong online profile
As you begin to work more independently, your colleagues will become less familiar. Attending internal seminars, while still important, will not help you as much as before. Now, people will be searching for you on Google, LinkedIn and Twitter. For that reason, I maintain and regularly update my online profile on my institution page and stay active on social media. How will o바카라사이트rs identify you as a collaborator if 바카라사이트y do not know what you do?

Escapism is important
While most people may see my one-hour commute as a waste of time, I see it as an opportunity to think about 바카라사이트 day ahead or wind down on my way home. During my three-year probation period as a lecturer, I also started a new sport that involved training and playing matches three times a week. This downtime will become increasingly important to maintaining your well-being as your work life becomes increasingly busy.

As you go up 바카라사이트 ladder, give o바카라사이트rs a helping hand
I am a mentor for a lecturer-level colleague, and at 바카라사이트 same time I am a mentee receiving guidance from a professor/pro vice-chancellor who is part of 바카라사이트 same scheme. Mentoring is non-negotiable, in my view. It is our duty to continue to mentor o바카라사이트rs as we progress in our careers.

Helen Coleman is senior lecturer in cancer epidemiology at 바카라사이트?Centre for Public Health at Queen��s University Belfast.