Vulnerable
Artem comments:
late graduate students and Postdocs are vulnerable…
the challenge is to stick out from the background of young researchers…
Vulnerable in the sense of being attacked
The logical response is to defend, but be careful how you do so
The reflex is to follow protocol, keep your head down and get a paper published. What other options do you have? You aren’t in charge, it’s not your lab.
Getting ready to move on, you search for job openings, ask your boss who they know, polish the CV and get ready for interviews.
The job opening appears and 300 people apply. A mountain of applications, all saying the same thing.
Maybe the riskiest thing you can do, is not take any risks at all.
This is the part of the post where you want 10 things to try
This is the part of the post where we list what is remarkable
This is the part where I don’t tell you what you are capable of
olchemist
February 3rd, 2010 at 8:49 AM #
In my opinion, if a company is looking for those polished folks that always think about their career with a shiny CV. Those that are trained rather than educated. Those that fear nothing more than a gap in their CV. If the company really only wants those, then I don’t want to work for them anyways!
Sapere aude,
Oliver
milkshake
February 4th, 2010 at 4:26 PM #
one thing you definitely do not wish to happen is to damage the relationship with your advisor (ex-advisor) because you will always need him as a reference – and sometimes even to pick up the phone and call his buddies to help you. Academia is pretty feudal in this since, and it is a pretty small world.
Mary Canady
February 5th, 2010 at 12:20 PM #
I spent most of my academic career wanting to be a professor because that’s what was expected. Now, I know that career would not suit me at all. Ever consider that the number of applicants for each professor position is indicative of this fact, that really only few are suited for it?
Consider other options, and make your own destiny, because nobody else can carve it out for you like you can.