Abstract

Invited Talk - Splinter Careers

Wednesday, 23 September 2020, 11:20   (virtual room A)

Approaching the chase for academic success with healthy boundaries

K. Poppenhaeger
Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam

When trying to succeed in academia, the temptation is large to go by the principle "more is more" - give more talks, publish more, work longer hours, just do more than your colleagues who are competing for the same kind of jobs. This is not without cost, namely to one's personal well-being. But is the pay-off big enough to justify burning the candle at both ends? In this talk, I will give examples from my own career to illustrate the extent and the limitations of control that one has over one's own career path. I will discuss the inherent issues of academic selection processes, and how one can - in my personal opinion - find a mindset that allows one to stay sane and draw healthy boundaries in academia.