Launching a sustainable career

By Anja Adamov, Lena Flörl and Lina Kim*

01 Dec 2022 - For female researchers, career sustainability is particularly difficult in the academic disciplines of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) – where women still represent a minority group confronted with gender stereotypes. Additionally, the exciting yet demanding world of academic research presents the common struggle in balancing scientific contribution and a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, there are few spaces to openly address such issues or provide mutual support.

Our peer group is committed to develop competencies for a sustainable career: one that is purposeful, personally integrated, and tailored to our strengths. Supported by a professional workshop instructor, we meet regularly to learn and apply techniques for a sustainable career. These include personalized strategies to prioritize tasks, increase work impact, respond to environmental gender bias, and effectively unwind to maintain a healthy work-life balance. We are supported by the external pageFix the Leaky Pipeline initiativecall_made.

We additionally aim to foster a supportive community within our group, which comprises female researchers of varying career stages. With our diverse work experiences and temperaments, we are committed to openly discuss challenges, seek advice in difficult situations, and actively support one another. Our growth derives from both our engagement with professional workshops and regular exchange within a trusted group.