Career longevity often requires reinvention
Photo by Maria Lupan on Unsplash
Whether you’re a fan of their music or not, we can all (reasonably) agree that a key to the long-term success of artists such as Madonna or Beyoncé is their continual reinvention. Throughout their careers, they have each created music in a variety of different genres, established new trends, and uplifted other musicians through diverse collaborations. The same benefits of reinvention can be seen in professional athletes: those who remain at the top of their game for decades, such as LeBron James, do so by evolving their training and recovery regimens to meet the unique demands of the sport and their (aging) bodies. In business or entrepreneurship, ‘reinvention’ is the concept behind the oft-repeated mantra ‘What got you here won’t get you there’. Whether in music, sports, or business, reinvention is the fuel that drives long-term success. And academia is no exception. In fact, researchers are constantly reinventing themselves—often without even realizing it.
The research you do as postdoctoral fellows is necessarily different from the work done in graduate school, as the goal is to gain new skills or perspectives and craft your emerging identity. As a faculty member, you establish a new ‘brand’ with your lab name, logo, and the lines of research that you pursue. In order to gain promotions and receive tenure, you must demonstrate that you are substantially different from your previous supervisors and that you contribute something unique to the department and your field. In other words, it’s not enough to continually do the same kind of work that you did with your previous supervisors. It requires reinvention. The larger context you operate in—the questions that are being asked and answered by the field, and the methods used—also continues to evolve. In order to stay relevant, and to continue to be successful obtaining grant funding, awards, and additional promotions, you will likely need to evolve your interests and expertise as well.
Of course, you cannot engage in the process of reinvention every week of every year; to do so would result in scattered, unfocused behaviour with little to no results. So, when should reinvention happen? There is no defined timetable, but look for signs that may be either internal or external. For example, an internal sign may be if, over an extended period of time, you find yourself increasingly bored or uninspired with your work. A different internal sign may be nagging voice in the back of your head that wants something more or different, whether that’s a research idea, an outreach program, or a leadership role. An external sign may be that reviewers give kind of bland, ‘meh’, responses to your papers or grant proposals. If you’re on to something exciting, reviewers will likely either love it, or absolutely hate it, but ambivalence? That suggests that your work may not be evolving appropriately. Another external sign may be if your colleagues are sending you ads for higher-level positions, or recommending you for leadership opportunities in or outside your institution. What they are seeing is that the time may be right for you to challenge yourself with a move to the next level, or to hone your expertise in a particular area.
If these signs seem to be cropping up more and more, take a moment to pause and take stock of who you are, where the field is, and where you want to go. (Take a few minutes to actually write down your answers to these questions. Putting pen to paper will help you clarify what reinvention might look like for you):
What parts of your workflow no longer feel valuable? What kinds of tasks and projects do you value now? What do you look forward to doing?
What aspects of your identity no longer serve you, and which ones would you like to embrace?
What skills and expertise do you have, and which ones do you want to refine or cultivate?
With respect to your field, what are the new technologies or methods being used and how?
What questions are being asked, and perhaps even more importantly, what are the questions that no one is asking yet?
Then, set new goals for yourself—ones that light you up with excitement—and list out the steps that it will take to achieve those goals.
By embracing the process of reinvention, you not only set yourself up for continual success, but you ensure that your career remains fulfilling and meaningful to you and the communities you serve. Although reinvention starts with reflection, it doesn’t end there. If you’re ready to transform these insights into a clear path forward, let’s talk. Book a free discovery call and we’ll chart your next steps together.
Next week: What are you bringing to the table?
