What are Astro Careers?
If your research is based in astronomy, chances are you’ve already heard of the Astro Careers events, organised by Research Associate, Dr Haoyang Ye.
This is an ongoing series that invites speakers to talk about their career as well as sharing advice with others wishing to do something similar.
Their latest event on 15 October at the Eddington Postdoc Centre, included a panel of experts with varied careers ranging from Higher Education and Academia to Machine Learning and Think Tanks. They live-streamed the event, including interactive elements for both the in-person and online audiences.
So they’re not just for people researching or studying astronomy?
Not necessarily! The speakers, while initially studying a degree or PhD in physics, astronomy, engineering or astrophysics have each gone on to do vastly different things. Some have pursued ‘academic-adjacent’ careers in higher education, while others made the leap from theoretical research into science-led innovation or venture capital. With each distinct path, there were insights that could be applied broadly to others.
What were some of the takeaways?
Each of the panel members had a different focus. Some had rewarding academic careers while others had gone on to form a career in industry.
Some had left academia to seek more meaningful impact from their work. Whether this was by influencing policy or helping researchers early in their career think about and plan their future.
Another speaker acknowledged the uncertainty that comes with academia, and how it can sometimes be a challenge to juggle other responsibilities when in pursuit of the next contract. However, they noted that the city of Cambridge is a good place for jobs parallel to academia.
On being asked if they would change their PhD if they were to do it all again, one speaker said that even though not everything went well, they wouldn’t do anything differently, as you learn the most when you’re forced to navigate through difficulties.
Great, sounds like it was a success. How do I host my own event?
It’s really simple! Take a look at our website for the specific centre you’re thinking of hosting at: Mill Lane, Biomedical Campus, or Eddington. Think big (one day conferences or symposia across several days) or small (one-to-one supervisions or reading groups).
You can also send an email to centres.pda@admin.cam.ac.uk if you have an idea for an event, but aren’t quite sure how it will go together.