One of the biggest challenges anyone leaving their undergraduate degree faces is often what to do next? Do you pursue a career inside academia, or seek work in a different field, in industry or policy, or something completely different? What if you change your mind part way down one of those paths and want to change, either moving back into academic research at a later stage, or leaving academia after doing an additional degree, like a PhD?
Sometimes these decisions can feel daunting – but luckily the EGU community is here to help you with the top 5 careers resources, made by our community. Obviously all of these come with a caveat that you should choose the path that is right for you and that these are just suggestions, designed to help and inspire.
1. EGU’s Jobs and Careers information at the General Assembly!
Each year at the annual General Assembly a team of Early Careers Scientists here at EGU get together to provide support and guidance for anyone interested in seeking a new job or career. All those resources are shared both online and in-person. From activities to help improve your career prospects to advice on how to write a great CV or give an elevator pitch about your research, don’t miss out on the jobs and careers section of the General Assembly.
2. Division blogs advice about non-linear careers
The EGU Division blogs are a wealth of advice about all aspects of life in academia – as well as cool new scientific discoveries and discussions – so if you are looking for resources, it’s a great place to start. For careers that move in and out of academia, or that transition through several different stages or directions, not necessarily in what many people would consider a ‘regular sequence’ (not me – I’m a big fan of unconventional career paths) which are often called non-linear careers, there are a whole range of resources. Why not check out the following to get you started:
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Cryo Careers: Should I stay, or should I go? Non-linear career paths – Crysopheric Sciences blog
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Career Progression – from Academia to Industry – Ocean Sciences blog
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Careers in Geoscience-for-Development: Some Tips and Resources – Geology for Global Development blog
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Careers outside of academia – Cryospheric Sciences blog
3. Division blogs advice for careers inside academia
Likewise the Division blogs have a valuable range of tips and tricks for researchers who want to remain inside academia. These kinds of advice can be especially useful for anyone who doesn’t come from a traditionally academic background, or who is a first-generation academic, so I’ve also included some of our favourite blogs about finding community from the Divisions too – an essential part of building a resilient career in academia.
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Demystifying the Peer-Review Process – Geodynamics blog
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Social media for Early Career Scientists: is it really useful? – Seismology blog
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Geoscience communication series: the perfect vlogging recipe – Natural Hazards blog
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GeoLchat: el experimento de divulgación científica bilingüe hecho por tres geocientíficas colombianas – Geodynamics blog
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What is the Imposter Phenomenon and what can we do about it? – Geochemistry, Mineralogy, Petrology & Volcanology blog
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The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship – Geodynamics blog
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Parenting in Academia: Challenges and Perspectives – Climate: Past, Present & Future blog
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Water Researchers of Color experts in their fields – Hydrological Sciences blog
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Mind your Head: Five tips on mindful productivity at work – Tectonics & Structural Geology blog
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A Community of Support and Change: The Earth Science Women’s Network (ESWN) – Geochemistry, Mineralogy, Petrology & Volcanology blog
4. EGU Geolog blogs and EGUwebinars!
Don’t forget the the Union Office also produces a range of resources to help you whether you plan on entering, staying in, or leaving academia. From how to be a better academic writer to gaining experience in policy work to identifying your transferable skills, we have a wide range of topics covered, so head over to the Geolog blog and see what you can find! If you aren’t sure where to start, you could always just go straight to YouTube and flick through our selection of EGUwebinars specially designed to help you with a range of career skills, like how Open Access publishing works, building an LGBT+ network or finding research funding, but if in doubt, why not start with our careers outside academia webinar:
5. Connect with the Early Career Scientists
EGU’s Early Career Scientists are represented in the Union by the Division representatives, but they lead a thriving and dynamic group of people – and they have a whole team of them interested in supporting other researchers with jobs and careers. The EGU Jobs and Careers group are a great place to start if you are looking for support in your career, whether inside or outside of academia, and they co-ordinate a range of activities, blogs, online meetings (at EGU we call ours ‘EGUcampfires‘) and more. Learn more about the group here or contact your Division Representative and ask how you can get involved.
Once you have decided on your route you may want to start looking for a job straight away – and EGU can help you there too, with our EGUjobs page on our website – an unmoderated page to post jobs and opportunities that people in the Earth, planetary and space sciences may be interested in.
Lastly – why not come work for us! EGU has just advertised an open position in our small, but enthusiastic team based in Munich in Germany for a full-time, permanent Editorial Manager to help co-ordinate all our Open Access publishing, why not take a look and see if this is right for you! The deadline for applications is 14 September 2022.
