CINXE.COM

<!doctype html><html lang="en-US" class="js-disabled wpn- wpn-naturejobs wpn-wordpress wpn-ltr wpn-en-us wpn-child-theme wpn-multisite wpn-blog-23 wpn-y2024 wpn-m11 wpn-d24 wpn-h20 wpn-sunday wpn-logged-out wpn-singular wpn-singular-post wpn-singular-post-15397 wpn-single-15397 wpn-msie wpn-primary-active wpn-secondary-inactive wpn-subsidiary-inactive"> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=2.5,user-scalable=yes"> <title>Surviving academia as an early career researcher: an unreliable guide : Naturejobs Blog</title> <link rel="profile" href="http://gmpg.org/xfn/11" /> <meta name="access" content="Yes" /> <meta name="WT.cg_n" content="nature.com staff blogs" /> <meta name="WT.cg_s" content="Naturejobs" /> <script> document.getElementsByTagName('html')[0].className += ' js-enabled'; </script>    <script type="text/javascript" src="https://nexus.ensighten.com/npg/Bootstrap.js"></script> <link rel="search" href="https://www.nature.com/search/executeSearch" /> <link title="nature.com" rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="https://www.nature.com/opensearch/opensearch.xml" /> <link title="nature.com" rel="search" type="application/sru+xml" href="https://www.nature.com/opensearch/request" /><link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//s.w.org' /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Naturejobs Blog » Feed" href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/feed/" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Naturejobs Blog » Comments Feed" href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/comments/feed/" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Naturejobs Blog » Surviving academia as an early career researcher: an unreliable guide Comments Feed" href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/10/27/surviving-academia-as-an-ecr-an-unreliable-guide/feed/" /> <script type="text/javascript"> window._wpemojiSettings = {"baseUrl":"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/11\/72x72\/","ext":".png","svgUrl":"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/11\/svg\/","svgExt":".svg","source":{"concatemoji":"https:\/\/blogs.nature.com\/naturejobs\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-emoji-release.min.js?ver=4.9.25"}}; !function(e,a,t){var n,r,o,i=a.createElement("canvas"),p=i.getContext&&i.getContext("2d");function s(e,t){var a=String.fromCharCode;p.clearRect(0,0,i.width,i.height),p.fillText(a.apply(this,e),0,0);e=i.toDataURL();return p.clearRect(0,0,i.width,i.height),p.fillText(a.apply(this,t),0,0),e===i.toDataURL()}function c(e){var t=a.createElement("script");t.src=e,t.defer=t.type="text/javascript",a.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(t)}for(o=Array("flag","emoji"),t.supports={everything:!0,everythingExceptFlag:!0},r=0;r<o.length;r++)t.supports[o[r]]=function(e){if(!p||!p.fillText)return!1;switch(p.textBaseline="top",p.font="600 32px Arial",e){case"flag":return s([55356,56826,55356,56819],[55356,56826,8203,55356,56819])?!1:!s([55356,57332,56128,56423,56128,56418,56128,56421,56128,56430,56128,56423,56128,56447],[55356,57332,8203,56128,56423,8203,56128,56418,8203,56128,56421,8203,56128,56430,8203,56128,56423,8203,56128,56447]);case"emoji":return!s([55358,56760,9792,65039],[55358,56760,8203,9792,65039])}return!1}(o[r]),t.supports.everything=t.supports.everything&&t.supports[o[r]],"flag"!==o[r]&&(t.supports.everythingExceptFlag=t.supports.everythingExceptFlag&&t.supports[o[r]]);t.supports.everythingExceptFlag=t.supports.everythingExceptFlag&&!t.supports.flag,t.DOMReady=!1,t.readyCallback=function(){t.DOMReady=!0},t.supports.everything||(n=function(){t.readyCallback()},a.addEventListener?(a.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",n,!1),e.addEventListener("load",n,!1)):(e.attachEvent("onload",n),a.attachEvent("onreadystatechange",function(){"complete"===a.readyState&&t.readyCallback()})),(n=t.source||{}).concatemoji?c(n.concatemoji):n.wpemoji&&n.twemoji&&(c(n.twemoji),c(n.wpemoji)))}(window,document,window._wpemojiSettings); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all" href="/staffblogs-source/view/builds/staffblogs-source/6gk8xqk.css" />   <style type="text/css"> img.wp-smiley, img.emoji { display: inline !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; height: 1em !important; width: 1em !important; margin: 0 .07em !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; background: none !important; padding: 0 !important; } </style> <link rel="stylesheet" id="wpn-nature-section-css-css" href="https://blogs.nature.com/staffblogs-source/view/builds/staffblogs-source/section.css?ver=4.9.25" type="text/css" media="all" /> <link rel="stylesheet" id="wpn-staffblogs-css-css" href="https://blogs.nature.com/wp-content/themes/npg-staff-blogs/css/site.css?ver=20051" type="text/css" media="all" /> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://blogs.nature.com/staffblogs-source/view/builds/staffblogs-source/wo308z5.js?ver=1'></script> <link rel='https://api.w.org/' href='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/wp-json/' /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/10/27/surviving-academia-as-an-ecr-an-unreliable-guide/" /> <link rel='shortlink' href='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/?p=15397' /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/json+oembed" href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/wp-json/oembed/1.0/embed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblogs.nature.com%2Fnaturejobs%2F2017%2F10%2F27%2Fsurviving-academia-as-an-ecr-an-unreliable-guide%2F" /> <link rel="alternate" type="text/xml+oembed" href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/wp-json/oembed/1.0/embed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblogs.nature.com%2Fnaturejobs%2F2017%2F10%2F27%2Fsurviving-academia-as-an-ecr-an-unreliable-guide%2F&format=xml" /> <script type="text/javascript"><![CDATA[//><!]]></script> <style type="text/css">#header { background: #666 url(https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/files/theme/header_blogs_naturejobs.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; }</style></head>      <body class="blogs-nature-com"> <div id="constrain">  <div class="cleared" id="constrain-header"> <header> <div id="foreword" class="constrain cleared"> <nav> <h1 id="top" class="home"> <a href="https://www.nature.com/">nature.com</a> </h1> <p class="sitemap"> <a href="https://www.nature.com/siteindex">Sitemap</a> </p> <ul class="right"><li class="login"><a href="https://idp.nature.com/login/natureuser/?target=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.nature.com%2Fnaturejobs%2F2017%2F10%2F27%2Fsurviving-academia-as-an-ecr-an-unreliable-guide%2F%3Fcookie-test%3D0">Log In</a></li><li class="register"><a href="https://idp.nature.com/register/natureuser">Register</a></li></ul> </nav> </div> <div class="constrain cleared" id="top-ads"> <div id="div-gpt-ad-1732481691" class="div-gpt-ad ad adunit-leaderboard leaderboard" data-gpt-unitpath="/285/blogs.nature.com/naturejobs" data-gpt-sizes="728x90" data-gpt-targeting="abr=!webtv;ptile=1" ><script type="text/javascript" src="https://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/blogs.nature.com/naturejobs;type=cc;pos=top;abr=!webtv;ptile=1;sz=728x90;ord=7188916616474221?"> </script> <noscript><a href="https://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/blogs.nature.com/naturejobs;type=cc;pos=top;abr=!webtv;ptile=1;sz=728x90;ord=7188916616474221?"><img src="https://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/blogs.nature.com/naturejobs;type=cc;pos=top;abr=!webtv;ptile=2;sz=728x90;ord=7188916616474221?" alt="Advertisment" /></a></noscript></div></div> <div id="header" class="constrain"> <hgroup> <h1><a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/">Naturejobs Blog</a></h1> <h2>a blog from Naturejobs</h2> </hgroup><form method="get" action="http:" id="header-search" class="search-form"> <fieldset> <label for="header-keyword">Search</label> <input type="search" id="header-keyword" name="sp-q" value="" class="txt" maxlength="200"/> <button type="submit" id="header-search-submit">Go</button> <a href="http:">Advanced search</a> </fieldset> </form> </div> <div id="breadcrumbs" class="constrain"> <nav> <ul id="sub-navigation" class="clear"><li class="first parent parent-1 next-parent"><a href="https://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/welcome">Naturejobs</a></li><li class="parent parent-2 next-current"><a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/">Blog</a></li><li class="current"><span>Post</span></li></ul> </nav> </div> </header> </div> <div id="constrain-content" class="cleared">  <div id="content" class="col article-template hfeed wpn-content">  <article> <div id="wpn-post-15397" class="hentry wpn-post wpn-publish wpn-post-1 wpn-odd wpn-author-rebecca-wild wpn-has-excerpt wpn-category-academia-2 wpn-category-career-paths wpn-category-data wpn-category-funding-2 wpn-category-multimedia wpn-category-phd wpn-category-postdoc-2 wpn-category-postgraduate-2 wpn-category-relationships wpn-category-research-2 wpn-post-tag-atma-ivancevic wpn-post-tag-competitions wpn-post-tag-data wpn-post-tag-exercise-as-a-scientist wpn-post-tag-networking wpn-post-tag-online-presence wpn-post-tag-open-data wpn-post-tag-open-source wpn-post-tag-paper wpn-post-tag-read wpn-post-tag-results wpn-post-tag-scientific-writing wpn-post-tag-socialising wpn-post-tag-to-do-list wpn-post-tag-travel wpn-post-tag-vizualisation wpn-post-tag-work-life-balance wpn-post-tag-worklife-balance wpn-post-tag-write wpn-post-tag-writing"> <header> <nav><div id="wpn-top-links" class="top-links cleared"><ul class="wpn-prev-next-article"> <li class="prev wpn-ellipsis"><div><span class="wpn-nav-label">Previous post</span><a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/10/27/how-to-mentor-your-supervisor/" rel="prev">How to mentor your supervisor</a></div></li> <li class="next wpn-ellipsis"><div><span class="wpn-nav-label">Next post</span><a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/10/30/naturejobs-career-expo-of-message-and-meaning/" rel="next">Of message and meaning</a></div></li> </ul></div></nav><p class="article-type"><span class="journal-title">Naturejobs</span><span class="divider"> | </span>Naturejobs Blog</p><h1 class='wpn-post-title entry-title article-heading'><a href='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/10/27/surviving-academia-as-an-ecr-an-unreliable-guide/'>Surviving academia as an early career researcher: an unreliable guide</a></h1><p class="wpn-byline"><time datetime="2017-10-27T13:00:59+00:00" pubdate><span class="published"><abbr class="value" title="2017-10-27">27 Oct 2017 </abbr>|<abbr class="value" title="13:00:59+0000"> 13:00 GMT</abbr></span></time><span class="divider"> | </span>Posted by <span class="author vcard"><a class="url fn n" href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/author/rebecca-wild/" title="Rebecca Wild">Rebecca Wild</a></span><span class="divider"> | </span><span class="category"><span class="before">Category: </span><a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/category/academia-2/" rel="tag">Academia</a>, <a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/category/career-paths/" rel="tag">Career paths</a>, <a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/category/data/" rel="tag">Data</a>, <a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/category/funding-2/" rel="tag">Funding</a>, <a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/category/multimedia/" rel="tag">Multimedia</a>, <a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/category/phd/" rel="tag">PhD</a>, <a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/category/postdoc-2/" rel="tag">Postdoc</a>, <a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/category/postgraduate-2/" rel="tag">Postgraduate</a>, <a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/category/relationships/" rel="tag">Relationships</a>, <a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/category/research-2/" rel="tag">Research</a></span> </p> </header> <section> <div class="wpn-entry-content content"> <h2>Being an early career researcher is exciting but terrifying. Use this guide to make the most of your PhD or postdoc experience, says Atma Ivancevic.</h2> <p>In today’s cut-throat world of grants and publications, being an early career researcher (ECR) can feel more than a little daunting. As an ECR myself, I can’t guarantee that this will help you make it to the other side unscathed. But I’m still here, and if you’re reading this, you probably are too. Outlined below are the things I’ve learnt during the ups and downs of post-PhD life.</p> <p> </p> <p><a class="wpn-image-link" href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/files/2017/10/circos-table-myxvjxw-smaller.png"><img class="wpn-image alignnone wp-image-15425 " title="circos-table-myxvjxw-smaller" src="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/files/2017/10/circos-table-myxvjxw-smaller-961x1024.png" alt="circos-table-myxvjxw-smaller" width="1378" height="1469" srcset="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/files/2017/10/circos-table-myxvjxw-smaller-961x1024.png 961w, https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/files/2017/10/circos-table-myxvjxw-smaller-281x300.png 281w, https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/files/2017/10/circos-table-myxvjxw-smaller.png 1595w" sizes="(max-width: 1378px) 100vw, 1378px" /></a></p> <p><span id="more-15397"></span></p> <h2>1) Travel</h2> <p>Conferences and networking events promote personal growth in a way that sitting at home never will. You’ll meet scientists who share your passions and experience new cultures. A good rule of thumb is to attend at least one conference per year (preferably international events). This is particularly important towards the end of your PhD, whether you’re looking for future postdocs or interested in industry. Keep up to date with upcoming meetings and registration discounts. Here’s my conference ‘wish list’, all of which have travel scholarships available for students and ECRs:</p> <p>– <a href="https://www.abacbs.org/conference/">ABACBS & COMBINE Symposium</a>, Nov 2017 in Adelaide, Australia</p> <p>– <a href="https://amsi.org.au/events/event/amsi-bioinfosummer-2017-2/">AMSI BioInfoSummer</a>, Dec 2017 in Monash, Australia</p> <p>– <a href="https://www.keystonesymposia.org/18B7">Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology</a>, Feb 2018 in Santa Fe, New Mexico</p> <p>– <a href="https://www.hugo-international.org/">Human Genome Meeting</a>, March 2018 in Yokohama, Japan</p> <h2>2) Enter competitions</h2> <p>This includes travel grants, poster presentations, <a href="https://www.atascientific.com.au/awards/ata-scientific-encouragement-award-sept-2016/">young scientist awards</a>, <a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/04/24/all-in-three-how-to-pitch-your-phd-in-180-seconds/">three minute theses</a>, <a href="https://gonzolabs.org/dance/">interpretive dance theses</a>, hackathons, <a href="https://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/articles/10.1038/nj7652-123a">photo</a> or <a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2016/12/14/scidata16-open-data-should-be-easy/">writing</a> competitions: anything and everything you’re eligible for. Being able to quickly compose a logical and engaging competition entry is an invaluable skill, regardless of whether you actually win. And you can’t win if you never try.</p> <div id="attachment_2401" style="width:218px" class="wpn-caption alignright"><a class="wpn-image-link" href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/files/2014/03/books.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2401 wpn-image" title="books" src="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/files/2014/03/books-218x300.jpg" alt="books" width="218" height="300" srcset="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/files/2014/03/books-218x300.jpg 218w, https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/files/2014/03/books-747x1024.jpg 747w" sizes="(max-width: 218px) 100vw, 218px" /></a><div class="wpn-caption-text"><p class="credit">PhotoDisc/Getty Images</p></div> </div> <h2>3) Read and write regularly</h2> <p>You need to be able to write well. Finding ground-breaking results will only turn into a <em>Nature</em> paper if you can also communicate them clearly, both within the scientific community and to the public. If you’re seriously considering a career in academia, you should know that half your time will be spent writing papers, grants, fellowships and countless other applications to secure future funding. Practicing frequently will make the whole process a little less stressful and a lot more efficient.</p> <p>It’s also important to read and write outside of work. Restrict your scientific reading to weekday hours; in your spare time, read or listen to something else. Set yourself a challenge, like one new novel per week or month. This can increase creativity and help you avoid burnout from dense scientific literature.</p> <h2>4) Learn how to visualize results</h2> <p>People are more likely to read your paper if your figures are compelling and informative. Learn how to make schematic diagrams to summarise key ideas using <a href="https://inkscape.org/en/">Inkscape</a> or <a href="https://www.gimp.org/">GIMP</a>. Use <a href="https://www.latex-project.org/">LaTeX</a> to create method workflows. If you want to go one step further, try making interactive figures with software packages like <a href="https://circos.ca/">circos</a> and <a href="https://itol.embl.de/">iTOL</a>. Need more inspiration? Check out <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/">/</a><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/">r/dataisbeautiful</a>.</p> <h2>5) Use open source tools</h2> <p>All of the tools listed above are freely available for download and use. Using open resources is a good habit to get into, and captures the <a href="https://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/articles/10.1038/nj7584-117a">very spirit of science</a>. Don’t buy pretty, commercial products for things you can do yourself. Many forums list <a href="https://www.osalt.com/">open source alternatives to commonly used software</a>. In the long run, you’ll save a lot of money and gain valuable skills.</p> <h2>6) Network and socialize</h2> <p>See those local networking events advertised in emails and around campus? Trying going to a few. If there’s no nearby PhD or postdoc group, try starting one by inviting colleagues out to the pub. At conferences, avoid slinking into the back row and sitting by yourself. Always go to welcome receptions and closing drinks. “It’s not what you know, but <em>who</em> you know” holds strong in science, so learn to socialise and keep in touch.</p> <h2>7) Establish an online presence</h2> <p>Socialising is important both in person and online. Make a <a href="https://twitter.com/">Twitter</a> profile, update your <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/uas/login">LinkedIn</a> account, and keep your public <a href="https://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a> pages professional. Use <a href="https://orcid.org/">ORCID</a>, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/">ResearchGate</a>, <a href="https://github.com/join">GitHub</a>, <a href="https://scholar.google.com.au/">Google Scholar</a>, <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/">Stack Overflow</a>, University student and staff directories. Upload new results and unpublished manuscripts to preprint servers, such as <a href="https://arxiv.org/">aRxiv</a> and <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/">bioRxiv</a>. Some institutions have started including social media activity and public presence as a <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/careers/features/2017/02/new-tools-measuring-academic-performance">measure of academic success</a>. Google yourself to see what comes up — this is what your prospective supervisors will see.</p> <h2>8) Make use of the people around you</h2> <p>Never be afraid to ask for help, for fear of looking ignorant. In all honesty, yes, there is such a thing as a <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/yahooanswers/top/?sort=top&t=all">dumb question</a>. But will it ruin your career, or even your day? Highly unlikely. Better to ask now and learn than spend years timid and bluffing your way through science.</p> <p>Group learning is also incredibly useful. Having a strong support group in the lab will alleviate stress and make impossible tasks seem achievable. If possible, try to join a lab with other PhD students and postdocs – it’s reassuring to have company while struggling through a difficult period.</p> <p><a class="wpn-image-link" href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/files/2017/10/Screenshot_3.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15449 wpn-image" title="Screenshot_3" src="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/files/2017/10/Screenshot_3.png" alt="Screenshot_3" width="1567" height="653" srcset="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/files/2017/10/Screenshot_3.png 1567w, https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/files/2017/10/Screenshot_3-300x125.png 300w, https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/files/2017/10/Screenshot_3-1024x427.png 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1567px) 100vw, 1567px" /></a></p> <h2>9) Remember there IS life outside of work</h2> <p>Getting stuck in the same routine will quickly leave you disillusioned and miserable. Remember to regularly try new things. This year, I tried aerial silks: a bizarre sport where you use hanging silks to contort your body into ridiculous positions. It was physically demanding, but a welcome relief from academic troubles. When looking for potential postdocs, seek out labs that encourage work-life balance and offer adequate sick and annual leave.</p> <h2>10) Exercise</h2> <p>Your work-life balance should include a regular exercise regime. You don’t need to be a professional athlete to stay healthy. I currently use the following phone apps to stay motivated:</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px">– <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.popularapp.thirtydayfitnesschallenge&hl=en">30 Day Fitness</a>: Daily workouts that start easy but increase in difficulty as you go on.</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px">– <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.strava&hl=en">Strava</a>: To keep track of longer runs and bike rides.</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px">– <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rainfrog.yoga&hl=en">Pocket Yoga</a>: For when I need to relax.</p> <h2>11) Plan your career as a to-do list of goals</h2> <p>Writing down a list of career goals and aspirations can help you plan the next few years of your life. Find role models online: people who have accomplished the things you hope to. Look through their resumes and LinkedIn profiles to determine exactly what you need to do, and how far along you already are. But don’t be discouraged by their seemingly endless accomplishments. Remember that resumes rarely portray the whole story, since they <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/04/28/it-feels-really-good-to-read-about-this-princeton-professors-failures/?utm_term=.ca45be34ccc6">don’t show failures or unsuccessful applications</a>.</p> <h2>12) Find a mentor</h2> <p>Once you have a clear idea of your academic goals, find a mentor to guide you through the murky waters of grant writing and research proposals. Your mentor should be someone outside of your immediate lab, who can objectively offer career advice without a vested interest in your project. It doesn’t have to be part of a structured university program – feel free to approach senior postdocs and faculty members yourself — people like free coffee.</p> <h2>13) Talk to yourself</h2> <p>At some point, you’ll have to start giving presentations about your research. Unfortunately, public speaking does not come naturally for most of us. Practice speaking professionally and clearly as much as you can. Talk to your friends, your family, your dog and your mirror. Record skype conversations and play them back afterwards. If you are confident in your work, you’ll have an easier time making others confident in your work, too.</p> <h2>14) Don’t sacrifice your dreams for someone else</h2> <p>The PhD/postdoc period is a terrifying time where you have the opportunity to travel overseas, explore different labs, move around a lot and figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life. But it often falls at around the same time people start thinking of long-term relationship goals. Will your relationship <a href="https://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/articles/10.1038/nj7310-1144a">survive long distance</a> for a few years? How soon do you want kids? Do your career goals align with your partner’s? And if not — will the relationship last?</p> <p>This depends completely on your personal relationships and everyone’s ability to compromise. But it’s important to objectively evaluate what you want in life, and communicate those desires to others. Don’t miss an opportunity for fear of losing someone. Life has a funny way of working things out, <a href="https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/the-best-laid-schemes-of-mice-and-men.html">regardless of our input</a>.</p> <h2>15) Feeling overwhelmed? Take one step at a time</h2> <p>No one finishes a PhD overnight, or learns how to play Led Zeppelin riffs in one sitting. The above points are <a href="https://pirates.wikia.com/wiki/Code_of_the_Pirate_Brethren">more like guidelines than rules</a>. I’m not going to pretend that I always exercise, or present well, or maturely handle <a href="https://twitter.com/yourpapersucks?lang=en">reviewer two’s comments</a>. It is hard and often feels pointless. But the worst thing you can do is stop trying.</p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: right"><a class="wpn-image-link" href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/files/2017/10/pic-smaller-e1503653441435-150x150.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-15411 wpn-image alignright" title="pic-smaller-e1503653441435-150×150" src="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/files/2017/10/pic-smaller-e1503653441435-150x150.jpg" alt="pic-smaller-e1503653441435-150x150" width="150" height="150" /></a></p> <p><em><br /> Atma Ivancevic is a mathematician turned bioinformatician with a passion for writing. She currently works at the Adelaide Medical School in Australia, using bioinformatics to investigate junk DNA and neurological disorders. Next year, she hopes to travel abroad for her first overseas postdoc. <em>You can follow her on </em></em><a href="https://twitter.com/atma_ivancevic"><em>Twitter</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Atma_Ivancevic"><em>ResearchGate</em></a><em> or </em><em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/atma-ivancevic-42aa4342/">LinkedIn</a>.</em></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Suggested posts</strong></p> <p class="wpn-post-title entry-title article-heading"><a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/08/28/in-sickness-and-in-health-the-importance-of-taking-regular-breaks/">In sickness and in health: the importance of taking regular breaks</a></p> <p class="wpn-post-title entry-title article-heading"><a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/03/15/promoting-open-science-and-beer-the-panton-principles/">Promoting open science from a pub: the Panton Principles</a></p> <p class="wpn-post-title entry-title article-heading"><a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2016/12/14/scidata16-open-data-should-be-easy/">Open data should be easy</a></p> <p class="wpn-post-title entry-title article-heading"><a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2016/09/30/how-is-the-rise-of-data-intensive-research-changing-what-it-means-to-be-a-scientist/">How is the rise of data-intensive research changing what it means to be a scientist?</a></p> <p class="wpn-post-title entry-title article-heading"> </div> </section> <div class="wpn-entry-meta"> <aside> <div class="article-tools cleared"> <h2 class="hidden">Article tools</h2> <ul id="wpn-share-post-15397" class="wpn-entry-user-actions"> <li class="wpn-entry-comment-link"><a class="comments-link" href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/10/27/surviving-academia-as-an-ecr-an-unreliable-guide/#respond" title="Comment on Surviving academia as an early career researcher: an unreliable guide">add a comment</a></li> <li class="sendtofriend"><a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/tell-a-friend?id=15397">Email</a></li> <li class="print"><a id="print-link" class="track" href="javascript:window.print();">Print</a></li> <li class="wpn-share-bookmark"> <h3 class="toggle-bookmarking-links">Share/bookmark</h3> <div id="bookmarking-links" class="bookmarking-popup"> <ul class="bookmarking" id="wpn-share-post-15397"> <li class="facebook"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fblogs.nature.com%2Fnaturejobs%2F2017%2F10%2F27%2Fsurviving-academia-as-an-ecr-an-unreliable-guide%2F">Facebook</a></li> <li class="twitter"><a href="https://twitter.com/?status=Surviving+academia+as+an+early+career+researcher%3A+an+unreliable+guide+https%3A%2F%2Fblogs.nature.com%2Fnaturejobs%2F2017%2F10%2F27%2Fsurviving-academia-as-an-ecr-an-unreliable-guide%2F">Twitter</a></li> <li class="delicious"><a href="http://del.icio.us/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblogs.nature.com%2Fnaturejobs%2F2017%2F10%2F27%2Fsurviving-academia-as-an-ecr-an-unreliable-guide%2F&title=Surviving+academia+as+an+early+career+researcher%3A+an+unreliable+guide">Delicious</a></li> <li class="digg"><a href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblogs.nature.com%2Fnaturejobs%2F2017%2F10%2F27%2Fsurviving-academia-as-an-ecr-an-unreliable-guide%2F&title=Surviving+academia+as+an+early+career+researcher%3A+an+unreliable+guide">Digg</a></li> <li class="googleplus"><a href="https://plus.google.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblogs.nature.com%2Fnaturejobs%2F2017%2F10%2F27%2Fsurviving-academia-as-an-ecr-an-unreliable-guide%2F">Google+</a></li> <li class="linkedin"><a href="http://linkedin.com/cws/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblogs.nature.com%2Fnaturejobs%2F2017%2F10%2F27%2Fsurviving-academia-as-an-ecr-an-unreliable-guide%2F&title=Surviving+academia+as+an+early+career+researcher%3A+an+unreliable+guide">LinkedIn</a></li> <li class="reddit"><a href="http://reddit.com/s/https%3A%2F%2Fblogs.nature.com%2Fnaturejobs%2F2017%2F10%2F27%2Fsurviving-academia-as-an-ecr-an-unreliable-guide%2F">Reddit</a></li> <li class="stumbleupon"><a href="http://stumbleupon.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblogs.nature.com%2Fnaturejobs%2F2017%2F10%2F27%2Fsurviving-academia-as-an-ecr-an-unreliable-guide%2F&title=Surviving+academia+as+an+early+career+researcher%3A+an+unreliable+guide">StumbleUpon</a></li> </ul> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </aside> </div><nav><div id="wpn-bottom-links" class="top-links cleared"><ul class="wpn-prev-next-article"> <li class="prev wpn-ellipsis"><div><span class="wpn-nav-label">Previous post</span><a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/10/27/how-to-mentor-your-supervisor/" rel="prev">How to mentor your supervisor</a></div></li> <li class="next wpn-ellipsis"><div><span class="wpn-nav-label">Next post</span><a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/10/30/naturejobs-career-expo-of-message-and-meaning/" rel="next">Of message and meaning</a></div></li> </ul></div></nav> </div> </article>  <section> <div class="section expanded cleared" id="comments"> <h1 class="section-heading toggle">Comments</h1> <div class="content"> <p>There are currently no comments.</p> <ol class="after-comments"><div id="wp-temp-form-div"> <p class="must-log-in">You need to <a href="https://idp.nature.com/login/natureuser/?target=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.nature.com%2Fnaturejobs%2F2017%2F10%2F27%2Fsurviving-academia-as-an-ecr-an-unreliable-guide%2F%3Fcookie-test%3D0">log in</a> or <a href="https://idp.nature.com/register/natureuser">register</a> to comment.</p> </div></ol> </div> </div></section>  </div> <div class="col" id="extranav"> <div id="wpn-primary" class="wpn-id-primary sidebar aside"> <div id="wpn-about-blog" class="current-issue-box"><div class="wrap"><h1 class="wpn-archived wpn-expander">About this blog</h1> <div><em>Naturejobs</em> is the world’s leading dedicated science jobs board. The <em>Naturejobs</em> blog aims to be the leading online resource for scientists in academia and industry who seek guidance in developing their careers. The blog delivers a mix of expert advice and personal stories to help readers review, set and achieve their career goals. We like to interact with our readers – we want to know what you want to know. Please share your thoughts in the comments section and get in touch if you have content suggestions. Pitches for guest posts are encouraged and should be emailed to the editor Jack Leeming at naturejobseditor [at] nature.com</div></div><ul class="footer col4 clear"><li class="ealert"><a href="https://www.nature.com/nams/svc/myaccount/show/alerts">E-alert</a></li><li class="rss"><a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/feed/">RSS</a></li><li class="facebook"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/naturejobs">Facebook</a></li><li class="twitter"><a href="https://twitter.com/#!/NatureJobs">Twitter</a></li></ul></div><div id="submit-box"> <a href="https://blogs.nature.com/">nature.com blogs home</a> </div> <div id="wpn-about-blog" class="current-issue-box"> <div class="wrap"> <h1 class="wpn-archived wpn-expander">Naturejobs Careers Community</h1> <div>NEW from Naturejobs, the Naturejobs Careers Community, an open forum for the sharing of expert advice and opinion on developing a career in science. Join today to network, learn and raise your profile to further your career. </div> <br /> <div> <a href="https://careerscommunity.nature.com/">https://careerscommunity.nature.com/ </a> </div> </div> </div><div id="wpn-npg-recent-comments-widget-2" class="wpn-widget wpn-comment-text wpn-npg-recent-comments-widget wpn-"><h2 class="box-heading">Recent comments on this blog</h2><ul> <li><div><q>Very inspiring post. Onwards Isaac</q> ... <a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2018/02/28/african-astronomy-and-how-one-student-broke-into-the-field/#comment-4823" class="more-link">Read more</a></div><span class="comment-author vcard">-- <cite class="fn">Dennis Kulvinder</cite></span><h2 class="wpn-post-title"><a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2018/02/28/african-astronomy-and-how-one-student-broke-into-the-field/">African astronomy and how one student broke into the field</a></h2></li> <li><div><q>Dear Grace, A very inspiring post and very well written. However, could you also give us inputs of how you…</q> ... <a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/07/21/from-doctorate-to-data-science-a-very-short-guide/#comment-4795" class="more-link">Read more</a></div><span class="comment-author vcard">-- <cite class="fn">debatosh das</cite></span><h2 class="wpn-post-title"><a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/07/21/from-doctorate-to-data-science-a-very-short-guide/">From Doctorate to Data Science: A very short guide</a></h2></li> <li><div><q>Thank you Susan for you apportation. I’ m close to start with a post doc an i’m quite worry about…</q> ... <a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2015/05/11/work-life-balance-new-definitions/#comment-4793" class="more-link">Read more</a></div><span class="comment-author vcard">-- <cite class="fn">alexander bontempo</cite></span><h2 class="wpn-post-title"><a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2015/05/11/work-life-balance-new-definitions/">Work/life balance: New definitions</a></h2></li> </ul></div><div id="wpn-npg-archives-widget-2" class="wpn-widget wpn-npg-archives-widget wpn- wpn-archive-selector clear"><h2 class="box-heading">Blog Archive</h2> <div class="wpn-widget-content"><select name="archive-dropdown" onchange="location.href=this.options[this.selectedIndex].value"> <option value="">Select month</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2018/08/'> August 2018  (1)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2018/07/'> July 2018  (8)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2018/06/'> June 2018  (11)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2018/05/'> May 2018  (12)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2018/04/'> April 2018  (11)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2018/03/'> March 2018  (23)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2018/02/'> February 2018  (15)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2018/01/'> January 2018  (11)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/12/'> December 2017  (14)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/11/'> November 2017  (17)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/10/'> October 2017  (22)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/09/'> September 2017  (16)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/08/'> August 2017  (13)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/07/'> July 2017  (12)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/06/'> June 2017  (15)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/05/'> May 2017  (16)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/04/'> April 2017  (18)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/03/'> March 2017  (17)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/02/'> February 2017  (15)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/01/'> January 2017  (24)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2016/12/'> December 2016  (26)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2016/11/'> November 2016  (24)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2016/10/'> October 2016  (21)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2016/09/'> September 2016  (21)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2016/08/'> August 2016  (22)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2016/07/'> July 2016  (20)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2016/06/'> June 2016  (20)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2016/05/'> May 2016  (15)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2016/04/'> April 2016  (10)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2016/03/'> March 2016  (10)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2016/02/'> February 2016  (13)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2016/01/'> January 2016  (17)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2015/12/'> December 2015  (28)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2015/11/'> November 2015  (20)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2015/10/'> October 2015  (23)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2015/09/'> September 2015  (19)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2015/08/'> August 2015  (20)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2015/07/'> July 2015  (18)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2015/06/'> June 2015  (17)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2015/05/'> May 2015  (12)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2015/04/'> April 2015  (17)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2015/03/'> March 2015  (15)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2015/02/'> February 2015  (14)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2015/01/'> January 2015  (14)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2014/12/'> December 2014  (15)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2014/11/'> November 2014  (18)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2014/10/'> October 2014  (17)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2014/09/'> September 2014  (17)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2014/08/'> August 2014  (16)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2014/07/'> July 2014  (10)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2014/06/'> June 2014  (18)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2014/05/'> May 2014  (25)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2014/04/'> April 2014  (11)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2014/03/'> March 2014  (17)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2014/02/'> February 2014  (10)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2014/01/'> January 2014  (4)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2013/12/'> December 2013  (5)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2013/11/'> November 2013  (4)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2013/10/'> October 2013  (8)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2013/09/'> September 2013  (5)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2013/08/'> August 2013  (3)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2013/07/'> July 2013  (8)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2013/06/'> June 2013  (6)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2013/05/'> May 2013  (6)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2013/04/'> April 2013  (1)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2013/03/'> March 2013  (5)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2013/02/'> February 2013  (5)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2013/01/'> January 2013  (11)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2012/12/'> December 2012  (7)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2012/11/'> November 2012  (6)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2012/10/'> October 2012  (8)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2012/09/'> September 2012  (2)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2012/07/'> July 2012  (1)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2012/06/'> June 2012  (1)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2012/05/'> May 2012  (2)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2012/04/'> April 2012  (2)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2012/03/'> March 2012  (3)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2012/02/'> February 2012  (4)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2012/01/'> January 2012  (2)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2011/12/'> December 2011  (1)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2011/11/'> November 2011  (6)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2011/10/'> October 2011  (1)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2011/09/'> September 2011  (3)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2011/08/'> August 2011  (2)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2011/07/'> July 2011  (1)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2011/06/'> June 2011  (3)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2011/05/'> May 2011  (4)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2011/04/'> April 2011  (4)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2011/03/'> March 2011  (5)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2011/02/'> February 2011  (5)</option><option value='https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2011/01/'> January 2011  (2)</option></select> </div> </div><div id="wpn-npg-author-list-widget-2" class="wpn-widget wpn-npg-author-list-widget wpn- wpn-archive-selector clear"> <div class="wpn-widget-content"><select name="author-archive-dropdown" onchange="location.href=this.options[this.selectedIndex].value"> <option value="">Select author</option><option value="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/author/Catherine-de-Lange/">Catherine de Lange  (89)</option><option value="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/author/david-payne/">David Payne  (68)</option><option value="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/author/jack-leeming/">Jack Leeming  (321)</option><option value="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/author/jeffrey-perkel/">Jeffrey Perkel  (42)</option><option value="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/author/Julie-Gould-2/">Julie Gould  (387)</option><option value="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/author/karen-kaplan/">Karen Kaplan  (58)</option><option value="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/author/r-bowdenmacmillan-com/">Rachel Bowden  (37)</option><option value="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/author/Rachel-Bowden/">Rachel Bowden  (15)</option><option value="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/author/rebecca-wild/">Rebecca Wild  (29)</option></select> </div> </div><div id="wpn-hybrid-categories-3" class="wpn-widget wpn-categories wpn-"><h2 class="box-heading">Categories</h2><ul class="xoxo categories"><li class="cat-item cat-item-193"><a href="https://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/category/business-2/" >Business</a></li></ul></div><div id="wpn-npg-blogroll-widget-2" class="wpn-widget wpn-npg-blogroll-widget wpn-"><h2 class="box-heading">Blogs we like</h2><ul><li><p class="wpn-catline"><span>Blogs we like</span></p><h2><a href="https://blogs.nature.com/news/">Nature’s News blog</a></h2></li> <li><p class="wpn-catline"><span>Blogs we like</span></p><h2><a href="https://blogs.nature.com/nm/spoonful/">Spoonful of Medicine</a></h2></li> <li><p class="wpn-catline"><span>Blogs we like</span></p><h2><a href="https://blogs.nature.com/trade_secrets/">Trade Secrets</a></h2></li> </ul></div><div id="wpn-npg-ads-4" class="wpn-widget wpn-widget-npg-ads wpn-"><script type="text/javascript" src="https://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/blogs.nature.com/naturejobs;type=cc;pos=right;abr=!webtv;ptile=2;sz=300x100;ord=7188916616474221?"> </script> <noscript><a href="https://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/blogs.nature.com/naturejobs;type=cc;pos=right;abr=!webtv;ptile=2;sz=300x100;ord=7188916616474221?"><img src="https://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/blogs.nature.com/naturejobs;type=cc;pos=right;abr=!webtv;ptile=1;sz=300x100;ord=7188916616474221?" alt="Advertisment" /></a></noscript></div><div id="wpn-npg-natureblogs-links-widget-2" class="wpn-widget wpn-npg-natureblogs-links-widget wpn-"><h2 class="box-heading">All nature.com blogs</h2>