Hi all, Today is my last day curating this account, and I figured I'd spend today giving some advice about careers in science, but also answering any questions people might have

so if you have any questions, feel free to tweet at me and I'll see if I have something that looks like a sensible response

On science careers, I'm probably going to do something slightly unusual in that I'm going to recommend people *not* do most of the things I have done

Things I would recommend that I did:
(a) Try really hard to work for decent people and avoid terrible ones
(b) Follow what you find interesting/exciting

(c) Try to be a decent person yourself. Be the person who people in your circles know they can come to if they have a problem

Things I recommend that I am terrible at:
(a) Invest *heavily* in time management skills. Make the best use you can of your work hours, be as productive as possible
(b) Have long term plans. Have a feel for what you want your future to look like and plan for it

(c) Prioritize academic output. Don't put your name on terrible papers, but if you do anything actually interesting, get it published
(d) Be tactical. Chase collaborations, chase speaking engagements, make sure important people know who you are

Also, be realistic about job prospects. Academic science in the 2020s is not a viable career path for the majority of the people who are skilled enough and motivated enough to do the work

...So keep an eye out on all of the possible career paths that exist outside of academia. And recognise that you aren't planning this because you are incapable of doing the work, but because you may not get a chance regardless

I was asked if I have any extra advice that especially counts if you are part of an underrepresented group. I'd say everything I said before applies, but even more so because the odds are worse....

Also, finding a support structure for yourself becomes incredibly vital, and especially one that understands the ways in which your experiences will not be like those of most of your colleagues