Should grant reviewers judge career breaks due to personal circumstances?

Academic careers follow predictable paths: postdoc, assistant professor, tenure track. Industry careers are more flexible and faster-moving. You can advance through performance, not just time served. Promotions happen based on impact and readiness, not seniority. Be proactive about your development and don’t wait for others to manage your career trajectory. Take ownership of your advancement.

Ben Dumbauld, Ph.D. has seen the hiring process from both perspectives—as a PhD navigating a career transition and as a hiring manager. From reviewing applications, he’s identified what makes PhD candidates stand out (and what holds them back). Use these tips if you're considering a career transition out of academe. For his other two tips, read his article here: https://chroni.cl/46KRkVA

I sent 47 emails to potential PhD supervisors in Australia. Only 3 replied. But those 3 replies changed everything – I landed a fully funded PhD worth $180,000+ 💰 Here's the brutal truth most people won't tell you: Your academic credentials mean nothing if you can't get a supervisor's attention. The problem? I was doing what everyone else does: ❌ Sending generic "I'm interested in your research" emails ❌ Focusing on MY achievements instead of THEIR needs ❌ Treating it like a numbers game instead of relationship building So I completely changed my approach... The 3-Email Strategy That Actually Works: Email 1: The Research Connection Instead of "I'm interested in your work," I wrote: "Your 2023 paper on [specific topic] challenges the conventional thinking about [specific aspect]. I've been exploring similar questions in my thesis, particularly around [relevant detail]." I spent 2 hours researching each supervisor. I read their recent papers, understood their current projects, and found genuine connections to my work. Email 2: The Value Proposition I didn't just ask for supervision – I showed what I could bring: "Based on my analysis of [specific research gap], I believe there's an opportunity to [specific contribution]. My background in [relevant skill] could help advance your work on [their current project]." Email 3: The Follow-Up (This is where most people fail) Two weeks later, I didn't just "bump" my original email. I added new value: "I came across this recent study that relates to our potential collaboration...." The results were immediate: ✅ Professor from U of Melbourne replied within 24 hours ✅ PI from ANU wanted to schedule a call ✅ Prof from U of Sydney offered RAship But here's what really made the difference... I stopped thinking like a desperate student and started thinking like a future research partner. Supervisors don't want another student to babysit. They want someone who can contribute to their research goals, bring fresh perspectives, and help advance their work. The moment I shifted from "please accept me" to "here's how we can work together," everything changed. My 6-Step Supervisor Email Framework: 1️⃣ Research their last 3 publications (spend 30+ minutes per supervisor) 2️⃣ Identify specific connections to your work (be precise, not general) 3️⃣ Lead with their research, not your achievements 4️⃣ Propose a specific research direction or collaboration 5️⃣ Follow up with additional value, not just persistence 6️⃣ Think partnership, not desperation The fully funded PhD I secured didn't just happen because of my grades. It happened because I learned to communicate value before asking for opportunity. Most students are still sending the same generic emails and wondering why they're getting ignored. Don't be most students.

I sent 47 emails to potential PhD supervisors in Australia. Only 3 replied. But those 3 replies changed everything – I landed a fully funded PhD worth $180,000+ 💰 Here's the brutal truth most people won't tell you: Your academic credentials mean nothing if you can't get a supervisor's attention. The problem? I was doing what everyone else does: ❌ Sending generic "I'm interested in your research" emails ❌ Focusing on MY achievements instead of THEIR needs ❌ Treating it like a numbers game instead of relationship building So I completely changed my approach... The 3-Email Strategy That Actually Works: Email 1: The Research Connection Instead of "I'm interested in your work," I wrote: "Your 2023 paper on [specific topic] challenges the conventional thinking about [specific aspect]. I've been exploring similar questions in my thesis, particularly around [relevant detail]." I spent 2 hours researching each supervisor. I read their recent papers, understood their current projects, and found genuine connections to my work. Email 2: The Value Proposition I didn't just ask for supervision – I showed what I could bring: "Based on my analysis of [specific research gap], I believe there's an opportunity to [specific contribution]. My background in [relevant skill] could help advance your work on [their current project]." Email 3: The Follow-Up (This is where most people fail) Two weeks later, I didn't just "bump" my original email. I added new value: "I came across this recent study that relates to our potential collaboration...." The results were immediate: ✅ Professor from U of Melbourne replied within 24 hours ✅ PI from ANU wanted to schedule a call ✅ Prof from U of Sydney offered RAship But here's what really made the difference... I stopped thinking like a desperate student and started thinking like a future research partner. Supervisors don't want another student to babysit. They want someone who can contribute to their research goals, bring fresh perspectives, and help advance their work. The moment I shifted from "please accept me" to "here's how we can work together," everything changed. My 6-Step Supervisor Email Framework: 1️⃣ Research their last 3 publications (spend 30+ minutes per supervisor) 2️⃣ Identify specific connections to your work (be precise, not general) 3️⃣ Lead with their research, not your achievements 4️⃣ Propose a specific research direction or collaboration 5️⃣ Follow up with additional value, not just persistence 6️⃣ Think partnership, not desperation The fully funded PhD I secured didn't just happen because of my grades. It happened because I learned to communicate value before asking for opportunity. Most students are still sending the same generic emails and wondering why they're getting ignored. Don't be most students. Source LinkedIn

As I approach the midpoint of my PhD, I am thinking about further employment, rather exhausted by constant forced nomadism and never-ending starting from scratch. I am thinking about corporate logic and the difference between academia and the private and civil society sectors. I guess the good thing about academia is that it might not be so suspicious if it hires professors and keeps them employed for decades. This can even bring value to the institution and to the professors. Nowadays, it is a rare opportunity, but if you see people working for 10,15 years on the same position in the private sector or a civil society organization, you can assume they stagnate. After 4,5 years, let's say, you would master the position, so I guess it becomes a questionable item in your CV why you did not progress or change the workplace to learn something new. It does not reflect well on either the worker or the workplace.

Keeping you academic career fragile keeps you compliant. Think about it - when your entire professional identity hinges on: Grant renewals every 2-3 years OR PI approval for every career move OR Publishing in "acceptable" journals You become institutionally dependent by design. The opposite of academic freedom. The hidden costs compound silently: 🔹 Psychological toll - Constant uncertainty breeds anxiety 🔹 Financial impact - Short-term thinking limits wealth building 🔹 Innovation barriers - Risk aversion stifles breakthrough research Your brilliant mind deserves career security that matches your intellectual capacity. When academics gain strategic career control, research flourishes and personal fulfillment follows. What's one way academic career uncertainty has limited your professional choices? #AcademicCareer #PhDLife #PostdocLife #ResearchCareer #AcademicFreedom

There are many people who discourage others from pursuing a PhD. What encouragement would you provide to someone considering a PhD? A PhD opens the door to some very satisfying career paths. A recent survey by Nature, for instance, found that scientists (most of whom have PhDs) are generally very satisfied with their jobs. Although the figures vary by country, worldwide and in the US, 68% of respondents were satisfied or extremely satisfied. (Salary and careers survey 2018: Results). This compares favourably with the job satisfaction of the population more generally, which in the US is consistently less than 50% (U.S. Job Satisfaction Hits Its Highest Level Since 2005). In the UK, 74% of scientists are satisfied with their jobs while only 64% of the wider population is satisfied (Survey Shows UK Job Satisfaction and Commitment on the Decline). Although most people with PhDs will not become professors, unemployment rates for people with PhDs are very low ('Employment crisis' for new Ph.D.s is an illusion), and people who have PhDs also have higher lifetime earnings: [In the US] The expected lifetime earnings for someone without a high school degree is $973,000; with a high school diploma, $1.3 million; with a bachelor’s degree, $2.3 million; with a master’s degree, $2.7 million; and with a doctoral degree (excluding professional degrees), $3.3 million. #PhDTips #Careers

I sent 47 emails to potential PhD supervisors in Australia. Only 3 replied: "Pretha, The PhD Abroad Coach" But those 3 replies changed everything – I landed a fully funded PhD worth $180,000+ 💰 Here's the brutal truth most people won't tell you: Your academic credentials mean nothing if you can't get a supervisor's attention. The problem? I was doing what everyone else does: ❌ Sending generic "I'm interested in your research" emails ❌ Focusing on MY achievements instead of THEIR needs ❌ Treating it like a numbers game instead of relationship building So I completely changed my approach... The 3-Email Strategy That Actually Works: Email 1: The Research Connection Instead of "I'm interested in your work," I wrote: "Your 2023 paper on [specific topic] challenges the conventional thinking about [specific aspect]. I've been exploring similar questions in my thesis, particularly around [relevant detail]." I spent 2 hours researching each supervisor. I read their recent papers, understood their current projects, and found genuine connections to my work. Email 2: The Value Proposition I didn't just ask for supervision – I showed what I could bring: "Based on my analysis of [specific research gap], I believe there's an opportunity to [specific contribution]. My background in [relevant skill] could help advance your work on [their current project]." Email 3: The Follow-Up (This is where most people fail) Two weeks later, I didn't just "bump" my original email. I added new value: "I came across this recent study that relates to our potential collaboration...." The results were immediate: ✅ Professor from U of Melbourne replied within 24 hours ✅ PI from ANU wanted to schedule a call ✅ Prof from U of Sydney offered RAship But here's what really made the difference... I stopped thinking like a desperate student and started thinking like a future research partner. Supervisors don't want another student to babysit. They want someone who can contribute to their research goals, bring fresh perspectives, and help advance their work. The moment I shifted from "please accept me" to "here's how we can work together," everything changed. My 6-Step Supervisor Email Framework: 1️⃣ Research their last 3 publications (spend 30+ minutes per supervisor) 2️⃣ Identify specific connections to your work (be precise, not general) 3️⃣ Lead with their research, not your achievements 4️⃣ Propose a specific research direction or collaboration 5️⃣ Follow up with additional value, not just persistence 6️⃣ Think partnership, not desperation The fully funded PhD I secured didn't just happen because of my grades. It happened because I learned to communicate value before asking for opportunity. Most students are still sending the same generic emails and wondering why they're getting ignored. Don't be most students.

The academic path seems to be the logical next step for postdocs. Is it so? Or does it have to be so? Today, let’s broaden our scope and explore other career paths. Talking to Dr. Özlem Bulut, who has worked as a PhD and a postdoc at Radboudumc and now started her career as a researcher and business developer at InsectSense, has made it clear that everyone should take the ownership of their own career development. As Özlem suggested: “…postdocs need to be proactive and actively talk about career development. Supervisors are less likely to actively stimulate that from their side, if the postdoc doesn’t start the conversation. ”  Check the full paper out here: https://lnkd.in/gH9AeeU2 #Postdoc-portrait, #PAW_NL

A piece of career advice for those clinicians who are trying to transition into a role in teaching/academia: AVOID THE URGE TO PURSUE THE ALPHABET SOUP. You've seen it before; the list of letters behind the names of academic faculty in your field. So you think that if you get more letters behind your name, you'll get the same job. This is the WRONG MINDSET. If you know their need, and show you can 1) fill it and fill it well, and 2) fit their programs needs (which usually means you know what the accreditors expect), then YOU GET THE JOB. A PhD alone won't get you an academic job because more often than not, those jobs are looking for accomplished/established researchers. If you don't have the research to go along with the letters, you might get an interview (which gets you interview practice!), but it won't get you the job. It can be a complicated puzzle, and might require some leverage. If you are interested in getting into academia, now is the time to have the discussion! (Thats not a marketing push; now is actually the time colleges are hiring for the next academic year 😁 ) If you want help, let's connect. I've helped numerous clinicians successfully get academic interviews and jobs, and I would really love to help you too. Connect with me here, or book a time at the link in the comments.