Preparing for a career in academia

ALLISON B. SEKULERProfessor of Psychology, Neuroscience & BehaviourCanada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience

Associate Vice-President & Dean (Graduate Studies)McMaster University

“Career planning is an oxymoron....” Kevin Bacon

Options

• Explore them

• Work toward them

• Keep them open

Options

• Explore them

• Work toward them

• Keep them open

Explore your Options

• Academia, industry, government, NGOs

• Research, teaching

• Location, scale, lifestyle

Options

• Explore them

• Work toward them

• Keep them open

Work toward your Options

• Training

• Knowledge translation

• Records

• Networks

Training

• Field specific

• Generalist

• Soft-skills

• Professional development

Knowledge Translation

• Present

• Publish

• Patent

• Policy

Graham, Logan, Harrison & Straus (2006). Lost in Knowledge Translation: Time for a Map? Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 26, 13-24.

Records

• Keep them

• Update them

• Highlight them

• Tailor them

Networks

• Build them

• Maintain them

• Use them

Options

• Explore them

• Work toward them

• Keep them open

Keep your Options open

• Training

• Knowledge translation

• Records

• Networks

Life

• Keep it balanced

• Expect the unexpected

• Look for and find silver linings

• Make it fun

For your network!

• sekuler@mcmaster.ca