"Hello and welcome to Working scientist, a Nature Careers podcast. I'm Julie Gould. This is the second episode of our career planning series. Each episode concludes with the sponsored slot from the International Science Council, with support of the China Association for Science and Technology. The ISC is exploring how early and mid-career researchers can navigate their careers in a constantly evolving scientific landscape through conversations with emerging and established scientists."
"Uschi Symmons was a molecular biology postdoc at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, in the US when we first connected in 2017. And she was set on building a career in academia. I had a great postdoc mentor, Arjun Raj, who really took career support very seriously. So we'd have regular meetings to make sure that everything was headed in the right direction, not just scientifically, but really overall."
Career planning resources help researchers assess current skills, values, and professional priorities to inform future career steps. Mentors and supervisors can support career development by holding regular meetings focused on both scientific progress and broader professional goals. Individual development plans (IDPs) and career-development workshops provide structured frameworks and tools for mapping training needs, identifying transferable skills, and exploring alternative career options. Institutional sponsorship and peer conversations expand awareness of pathways and offer practical guidance. Early and mid-career researchers can use these practices to translate experiences into concrete objectives and move forward with greater intent.
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