Advice for Early Career Colleagues
Dr Declan O'Loughlin
I was recently invited by the Department's Early Career Academic Development Programme to offer a few reflections on the challenges facing colleagues at the beginning of their academic careers. I initially declined – who am I to offer advice? However, after a second invitation, and reassurances that this need not become an ongoing commitment, I’ve agreed to put together some observations. I offer them in a spirit of collegiality.
1. Choosing your research agenda
One of the most important decisions you will make is what to work on. My advice is to pursue questions that genuinely interest you, rather than attempting to anticipate the latest intellectual fashion.
Trends in academia come and go. A theoretical framework that’s considered indispensable one year may be quietly abandoned the next, often by the very people who insisted upon its importance. Without naming names, I have watched certain colleagues reinvent themselves as discourse analysts, neuroscientists, digital humanists and, most recently, artificial intelligence specialists. And while there’s nothing wrong with intellectual flexibility, it is worth asking whether these sudden changes of research direction reflect genuine scholarly curiosity or intellectual bankruptcy?
2. Developing productive working relationships
Good relationships with colleagues can make an enormous difference to your working life. You are going to encounter a variety of personalities. Some colleagues are generous with their time and expertise. Others will be generous with their opinions instead.
So try to distinguish between those colleagues who are interested in helping you develop and those who simply enjoy having an audience. The latter group can be particularly enthusiastic about arranging informal meetings.
Without naming anyone in particular, I want to note that seniority does not necessarily confer wisdom. A professorial title is evidence that someone was once successful. It does not mean that they are currently continuing to publish or that they do anything of value in the department to warrant their high salary really.
3. Managing your teaching responsibilities
Teaching is one of the most rewarding aspects of academic life, and I have been fortunate to work with many outstanding students over the years.
It is nevertheless important to establish boundaries. A common mistake among early career colleagues is to imagine that every student query requires an immediate and detailed response. In practice, students benefit enormously from being encouraged to develop their own independence.
I would also caution against equating teaching excellence with theatricality. Students undoubtedly appreciate enthusiasm, but there is a difference between making a subject engaging and making oneself the subject. Without naming anyone in particular, I have found that some colleagues appear to have difficulty maintaining this distinction.
4. Making the most of academic conferences
Conferences offer valuable opportunities to exchange ideas, establish collaborations and develop an international research profile.
I have attended conferences in some of the world's most exciting environments, and I would encourage younger colleagues to take full advantage of these opportunities. The conversations and encounters that occur outside the formal sessions are frequently as productive as those that take place within them.
Conferences are physically and intellectually demanding so you should take care to travel in style and stay in a comfortable hotel, ideally one with a good pool and gym. Research is demanding enough!
5. Understanding departmental politics
New academics are often surprised by the amount of time devoted to departmental administration. Meetings, committees and working groups are unavoidable features of university life, and participation in them is an important part of being a responsible colleague.
It is worth remembering, however, that not every issue requires the establishment of a working group, and not every working group requires a chair, deputy chair, steering committee and six-month consultation period.
You will also encounter colleagues who are unusually committed to particular administrative processes. I have found it helpful to remind myself that people derive professional satisfaction from different sources, and that what may appear to be an obsession with the wording of a committee's terms of reference is, for some individuals, the nearest approximation to original scholarship they are likely to achieve.
6. Maintaining a healthy work–life balance
Finally, I would encourage early career colleagues to cultivate interests outside the university. Academic work can easily become all-consuming, and it is important to maintain a sense of perspective.
Travel, exercise, good food and the company of interesting people have always helped me return to my research with renewed energy. I have been fortunate enough to combine many of these interests with my international academic commitments.
There is, I think, a tendency among some academics to wear exhaustion as a badge of honour. One occasionally encounters colleagues who announce, without prompting, that they have not taken a holiday in seven years. I have never been entirely certain whether this is intended to inspire admiration or sympathy.
A successful academic career should enrich your life, not consume it. And while it is undoubtedly satisfying to be recognised for one's achievements, it is equally important to remember that the university will continue functioning perfectly well during your absence.
In most cases, at least.
Dr O'Loughlin would like to thank the Department's Early Career Academic Development Programme for inviting him to contribute these reflections. He regrets that he is unable to respond to individual requests for further career advice.