Birte is currently in her first postdoc at LOCEAN, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France. There, she is using an ocean model to investigate the response of the ocean to freshwater from recent and projected melting of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Before moving to Paris, she completed her undergraduate studies in Germany and her PhD in Sweden, focusing on mechanisms behind openings in the sea ice in the Weddell Sea, Southern Ocean.
Thoughts on what Birte considers to be the main challenges faced by Early Career Scientists
From my experience, the challenges I and other fellow Early Career Scientists around me faced were highly individual. Some challenges arose from supervisors, some from the lack of funding/budget, and some were of a private nature. But some we all had in common.
I learned that building a network is a necessity for academia, especially when applying for the next position or preparing a proposal. But how you build a network is not always in your control. Sometimes one is hired in a big research project, which naturally integrates one into the field through project meetings; sometimes one is hired in a small research group, where opportunities are limited. Everyone can take control of their network during summer schools/conferences, assuming there are funding/travel grants available. From personal experience, I had to gain courage and ask straight away if someone has a job/opportunity coming up, and I found suitable options for me.
Another major challenge of ECS is temporary contracts. Additionally, there is often the expectation (or requirement for further steps in the academic career) to move countries. Thus, often academics move for positions; I myself moved twice, and while we aim to adapt to our new topic, finish old projects, and publish papers. There is also the administrative nature of a move: breaking the endless cycle of bank accounts, social security, and finding a place to live, sometimes in a language we do not speak at all or are trying to learn. Further, this comes with the adaptation to a new culture and trying to find friends, while also maintaining long-distance friendships and family contacts. Every time the contract comes to an end, we ask ourselves the same questions: “Do I want to stay here? And if so, can I stay here? Am I ready to move on and start over again? What are my personal boundaries for the next step?”