Biophysical Society Bulletin | February 2022

Career Development

What to Do if I Feel My Career in Academia Is Over? Traditionally, our expectation of a suc- cessful academic career in biophysics, and life sciences in general, revolves around securing a faculty position. The majority of graduate students and post- doctoral researchers aspire to be faculty members. Unfortunately, there are not enough faculty positions available, and only a fraction of postdoctoral research- ers end up securing tenure-track faculty organizations, genomics facilities, the healthcare sector, or clinical studies. Many organizations and governments are also looking for science policy advisors, as well as individuals who can work as science communicators, writers, and knowledge transfer partners. Most importantly, we have also witnessed a rapid surge in new start-up companies, in part due to changes in the policies of many universities and governments, which should inspire graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to develop their entrepreneurial skills.

As graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, naturally we primarily focus on enhancing our research skills. Howev- er, the addition of other skills during our tenure at academic institutions could be tremendously beneficial for an eventual career outside academia. Many academic institutions do offer workshops and seminars to enhance other transferable skills that may aid in the transition from academia. There are a few steps you can take to explore your options. The first would be to ask yourself what type of career choice you would enjoy, and what skills you have that distinguish you from the competition. Next, assess your experiences (academic and non-academic, volunteering, etc.), and how can you can gain or enhance skills that are relevant to the desired career options. Also consider the features that are important to you at the workplace, what values you hold, and what responsibilities you might have in a particular role. The next step would be to find out what orga- nizations might have the positions in which you are interested. Once you narrow down these factors, you can focus on building a network, leveraging existing contacts, looking for relevant jobs, preparing a focused cover letter and resume, and prepar- ing for interviews, activities that have been topics of previous Molly Cule articles. — Molly Cule

or instructor positions. Thus, the transition from graduate studies to postdoctoral researcher and eventually to a fac- ulty position is highly competitive, challenging, and requires many skills, in addition to the ability to perform cutting-edge research. Therefore, it is natural to feel disappointed when we feel that our career in academia is likely not progressing on the trajectory for which we have aimed. One suggestion is to start preparing for a backup plan in the early days. There are several career options a biophysicist or a life scientist can pursue outside academia. One of the most attractive options is a career in biotechnology/biopharmaceuti- cals and related industries. Over the last few decades, we have witnessed a rapid growth in terms of expansion of research, development, and manufacturing capabilities of existing indus- trial sectors, as well as of start-up companies. Furthermore, the companies involved with the production and sale of scientific equipment and reagents are also expanding their operations due to the rapid surge in demand from academic and industrial sectors. Therefore, there is high demand for skilled graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in these sections. The science publishing and communication sectors are also rapidly expanding, providing another alternative to careers in aca- demia. Other options include roles as a manager, supervisor, or consultant for core facilities in government and not-for-profit

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February 2022

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