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However, as students progressed towards the end of their studies, they often started to question their drive for a career in academia. \u201cThere is often a mismatch between initial expectations and the reality of working in science; students often stated that publications are the currency in science and this influences the work you can do. Being a good scientist doesn\u2019t mean that you will be successful, because you might not get funding for the topic you want to pursue,\u201d says Matija. Various additional factors such as long working hours, short-term contracts, and a highly competitive environment sometimes discourages students from remaining in academia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the other hand, participants in the study stated that the scientific community at EMBL constituted a very strong element of support. This was especially important when students faced self-doubt or pressure. The community provided them with a feeling of identity and they felt proud to be part of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Looking beyond the labels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s EMBL\u2019s Career Day 2019, and an EMBL alumnus is describing his first-hand experience of making career decisions. In a short presentation, Henning Falk shows the audience the steps of his scientific education. Its structure is classic: bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees in molecular biotechnology at Heidelberg University, and a PhD acquired in the Aulehla group at EMBL. But where to go from there?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor me, the most difficult thing in the beginning was to find out what was possible to do,\u201d Henning says. \u201cI saw myself labelled as a biologist with a certain interest in developmental biology and certainly some experience in microscopy. If you type that into LinkedIn, you\u2019re not going to find a job with this as a title.\u201d Henning\u2019s strategy was to figure out what he really enjoyed doing: microscopy and tool development. His search led him to Intuity Media Lab, a company that provides innovation consulting for businesses. Initially, it was their 3D printer for organic tissue that caught his attention. Now, Henning works on his current project: a small automatic microscope, attached to a neural network that detects specific features in a sample. His job includes planning, assembling the microscope, working on the software, and coordinating the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat really helped me in making the switch was looking beyond the labels and not thinking \u2018I\u2019m a biologist, I need a job for a biologist,\u2019\u201d Henning says as he closes his speech. \u201cInstead I looked at what I enjoyed doing and what I did well, and tried to find a combination of these things in a job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Preparing for the future<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Similar to Henning, many students interviewed by Matija were undecided about their career path at the end of their PhD. What surprised Matija was that, despite the perceived challenges, many students saw academia as the model of a successful career. This perception could be influenced by the strong academic values of the scientific community, which sees a PhD in the life sciences as preparation for a career in academia. \u201cIt also indicates that students might not be aware of the full range of career options, and that supervisors may not feel able to mentor students for non-academic careers,\u201d says Matija.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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