How do you find your way as an early career researcher in the academic pressure cooker?
From inspiring career stories to hands-on workshops, the Career Event for PhD candidates and postdocs offered young researchers an insight into the many possibilities and choices shaping their future paths.
‘Doing a PhD is the best time in an academic career’, opens FGGA Dean Koen Caminada at the Career Event on 23 March. In front of him sits a packed room of researchers from Archaeology, Social Sciences, Humanities and Governance and Global Affairs. ‘As a PhD candidate, there’s a great deal of pressure, but you also get the opportunity to pursue research that is truly your own.’
The path is rarely as linear as your CV suggests
Rector Magnificus Sarah de Rijcke continues the day with an honest reflection on her own academic journey. She smiles as the slide with her CV appears: ‘It’s lovely to see this all listed so neatly, but the path behind it is far bumpier than this linear sequence suggests.’ Many choices come into play, she notes, and each one requires reflection. ‘Which direction do I want to take? Inside or outside academia?’, these questions keep you up at night and she acknowledges the weight many researchers feel. ‘Doing research is a privilege, but it’s also a pressure cooker.’ She encourages everyone to regularly revisit their own values. ‘Ask yourself, too: what do I not want? Often that’s easier to answer — and it naturally leads you towards the right path.’
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Rector magnificus Sarah de Rijcke -
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Welcome by FGGA Dean Koen Caminada -
She concludes by reminding PhD candidates and postdocs not to underestimate their own value. ‘You learn an enormous amount of skills that are useful both within and beyond the university. You can apply them in so many places, so trust that things will fall into place.’
Workshops full of insight
For the rest of the day, participants were given plenty of time to actively work on their career development. They reflected on their talents, explored potential directions and practised how to communicate their strengths to employers.
Lieke Smits (Young Academy Leiden) introduced the job market to the researchers. With side quests and dead ends, how do you navigate your way through it after completing your PhD?
During the workshop on conveying your value to employers, the atmosphere was energetic and engaged. Participants worked directly on their own professional profiles and received practical tools to articulate their strengths effectively. 'The combination of explanation and exercises made it immediately applicable, a valuable session for PhD candidates exploring their next step', says career adviser Laura van der Plas.
There were also sessions on:
- Delivering a compelling elevator pitch
- The PhD Competence Model
- Getting started with science communication
- What to do after completing your research
- How to prepare for securing research funding in the future
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Workshop 'Communicating your value to an employer' by Laura van der Plas -
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Workshop 'Science communication' by Eva Slings en Judith Zijp -
Alumnipanel moderated by Amanda Henry
Closing with alumni
The day concluded with an alumni panel, moderated by Amanda Henry, Director of the Graduate School of Archaeology. Former PhD candidates shared their experiences and insights on pursuing careers both inside and outside academia.