It’s ok to be ambitious and it’s ok to prioritize balance
Over the years, I have seen many different flavours of academics. There are those who hustled, straight out of the gates. They put off relationships, starting a family, didn’t take vacations, worked every evening and every weekend, (long weekends too), all with the hope that they would secure a position at an elite institution, reach the top of their field early in their career, and then stay there. Others started families earlier, and took jobs at less research-intensive universities, where they established relatively smaller labs. Some of them still gained considerable notoriety in their careers, whereas others—although also producing quality research—remained just outside of the academic ‘limelight’.
All approaches are correct. It just depends on your goals. Or even your life stage.
It’s ok to be unapologetically, unabashedly ambitious. If you want to be considered one of the best—have deep expertise, produce research of the highest quality, have millions in grant funding, attract the best students, and be at an internationally-renowned department—then absolutely go for it. Unapologetic, unabashed ambition is practically a requirement if that’s the career you are seeking to have. Study the greats in your field, ask them how they got there, and take those lessons as inspiration for creating your own path forward. Recognize that being the best in your field can take time and considerable effort, and may require trade-offs. Much like Olympians dedicate considerable hours to training, sometimes at the expense of socializing and family planning, you may have to de-prioritize other aspects of your life to get where you want to go.
But those are not the only kinds of academic careers available. And they may not always be the happiest, or even the most fulfilling. You may decide that you would rather start your career with a more balanced approach, working within a capacity that allows you to prioritize your family and relationships, maintain hobbies, and/or have regular and consistent time off. Find mentors of this sort in your field, ask them about their career strategies, and adapt the ones that seem relevant for you. Recognize that this approach may also result in trade-offs of a different kind; for example, you may find it harder to get grants funded or publications accepted, or it may be more challenging to recruit top students, simply because the broader field is less familiar with you and your work.
You may even decide to adopt different approaches at different stages of your career. One famous academic in my field didn’t even consider getting married or having a family until they were firmly ensconced at one of the best institutions in the world. For them, it was a distraction that would prevent them from reaching their academic goals and financial security. However, once they felt they were at the top of their game, they decided to look for a partner, got married, and started a family. In their view, they could then afford to slow down a little bit, and place a higher priority on their non-academic life. Another colleague of mine had their children early in their career, and once the children were grown and off to university, accelerated their research program and took on additional leadership responsibilities within their institution, thereby becoming more visible to the field and getting their rightly-deserved accolades.
Personally, my ambition has waxed and waned over the years as I have been in different seasons of my life. My financial situation, relationships, health, family, and my non-academic goals have all factored into whether I have my foot all the way down on the gas pedal, or if I’m outside smelling the flowers and watching the bees. Did I move through my career in a way that others would have? Assuredly not. Along the way, there have been colleagues who told me to slow down and enjoy my life more, and others who told me that I wasn’t doing enough and that I was ‘falling behind others in the field’. Those vastly different opinions (which I didn’t even ask for, btw) taught me that there is no right way to move in the field. There’s only the right way for me. And that’s for me to decide. And it’s the same for you: you get to decide what feels right to you with respect to how you want to live your life and shape your career.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to academia; academic careers come in all shapes and sizes. If you want support creating a work-life structure that is authentic to you and brings you closer to your goals, reach out! I help early-career researchers navigate the complexity of academia while staying true to your values and keeping your priorities at the forefront.
Next week: Career longevity often requires reinvention
