While I was Head of Department, a positive aspect of the job was being able to develop constructive work relationships which included having a mentoring role with colleagues. I get excited and encouraged when I hear positive student feedback, or when colleagues present at conferences, have a paper published or win awards.
In reflecting on my years in academia and as head, here I offer some advice to early career academics who are looking ahead to working in academia and leadership.
Allow yourself space to breathe
It is stressful when beginning your career, but my advice is to don’t rush things and it is important to BREATHE:
- Be your best self – make sure you are true to who you really are
- Rounded Academic – don’t focus on just research if you are employed as a lecturer, as you are also expected to teach and do internal service
- Engage with the work and with others and collaborate – don’t detach yourself from everyone, connect with your job and colleagues
- Always be grateful and willing to help – it’s a privilege to work in academia, so be grateful and show you appreciate this and be open to helping colleagues
- Trust in a champion, mentor, coach or advisor – if you are starting an academic career, you should find yourself a more experienced person to guide and advise you (this can be important during times of stress or a work crisis)
- Health is important – take care of your well-being, including physical, mental, emotional and social; a balance between work and home life is worth establishing and preserving
- Enjoy your work and be positive – having a positive attitude will make for a pleasant work environment, while a negative, complaining demeanor will ensure that colleagues will avoid you
Change is constant
Things may not happen how you expect, but expect things to happen. If I look back at my career and life goals when I was young, I see clearly that things did not go exactly as I’d dreamed. However, I did achieve some of these goals, even if it wasn’t in the way I thought or planned.
Be honest
I tell this to my students but it is also relevant to early career academics: “I’d rather you tell me the truth and disappoint me now than look me in the eye and tell me something that I find out later is a lie and it breaks all trust.” This was particularly important when discussing experiences in the classroom or with students, or progress with research projects. It is very hard to come back from broken trust in a work setting.
Time goes fast, so enjoy each step
An academic career can last decades (mine has so far spanned over 30 years – a scary thought), but time goes quickly, with ups and downs. Take it a step at a time to enjoy it all, and if you are not enjoying it, change something. I’m far along into my career and still enjoying each step of the journey, and I hope you will too.
There will be good times and bad times in an academic career, but always try to make the good times outweigh the bad times. If there are bad times that are difficult for you, don’t hesitate to contact someone, especially if you can have a mentor figure or access to a counsellor.