I miss neuroscience. I knew I would miss it even when I made my decision to move on. That said, I have found myself using the same mental research and problem-solving faculties in my current job, even though it has no link to neuroscience.
My take-home message to anyone is always to be realistic and recognise who and what you are and to follow that.
I most enjoy the feeling of being a competent, trusted, and an empowered member of my team; capable and effectual in helping us to achieve the goals that we set.
A Ph.D. is about much more than demonstrating problem solving and analytical abilities. Learning to collaborate and communicate effectively with others is a key aspect of research, both in academia and the workplace.
If you have doubts about whether academia is for you, don’t wait too long thinking “What if I stay a bit longer?” to see if those doubts subside.
When you are deciding on what your goalposts will be, speak to as many people as you can to get a feel for what’s out there.
My motto is ‘always choose the hardest battle, never stop looking for the unbeaten path’.
Be proactive and nurture your skills outside of the lab. Think about your career options early, so you have time to build your CV. Think about what motivates you and follow what you enjoy.
It’s very rewarding working directly with patients and exploring their experiences on different treatments. I also love the collaborative atmosphere and working across multiple areas, as you gain a lot of experience over a relatively short period of time.
During my DPhil I learned the importance of teamwork to obtain the desired outcome in the most efficient time. As all staff working for a company have one common goal that is to deliver a medicine that will improve the lives of patients, I felt teamwork would be even more valuable to a company.
It is great to be part of something where the progress is really tangible and your contributions really do seem to make a difference. I most enjoy the sense of reward when we overcome a difficult problem or successfully bring together technologies we’ve developed.
My research training set me up to believe that academic rigour, the levels of observation and the analytical skills gained, and the way one presents ones arguments, filters into everything one does later on in life.
