1) Always remember that you are often your own harshest critic.
Looking back at my graduate work I always felt as thought I was not smart enough to be doing what I was doing. I thought I got into the program as a fluke. This mindset held me back for years. I assumed everyone around me was more qualified then me and thus let them take the lead, even when I had really good ideas I did not defend them. It was not until I started to teach others that I realized that I truly was an expert in my field. Once I had that realization I was much more willing to stand up for my ideas and was all the better for it. I only wish that I had noticed sooner that I deserved to be in my program so that I could have had more ownership of the experiments that I performed early in my career.
2) Make sure to keep tabs on your mental health.
Work in STEM can be hard. The hours are often grueling and failure is an incredibly common outcome of an experiment that you worked really hard on. On top of all of this, there is unfortunately still a strong undercurrent of sexism in most fields that you have to fight against. Remember that you are not alone. Throughout my career I have found help and support in some very unlikely places. Also remember that seeking professional help is not something to be ashamed of. Sometimes you really just need an external observer to listen to what is going on and be supportive. Find something that makes you happy and make sure that you make time for it.
-Dr. Rebecca Rivard, Post Doctoral Fellow at Villanova University
Comments