Endocrine Abstracts

Within any scientific career there is one constant… change. Moving from PhD through to postdoctoral positions we have to constantly evolve to establish ourselves as independent researchers with our own unique research area and group. Academia poses several challenges for early career scientists including obtaining fellowships in an ever increasingly competitive environment, grant funding running out and short term contracts making it difficult to plan life events. Whilst there is no ‘one size fits all’ pathway to achieving a long-term career in academia, obtaining a lecturer position, for many, is a natural next step in cementing a permanent academic position. With lectureship positions becoming increasingly competitive this talk will discuss some of the ways in which you can get appropriate experience to put yourself in an ideal position to apply for these roles whilst still ensuring that you continue to maintain a strong research career and publications, which is vital for any young researcher. I will discuss some of the ways in which you can get teaching experience both through traditional routes, such as undertaking lectures and small group teaching, but also through alternative routes, for anyone who may not have access to these more traditional opportunities. This talk will also provide some insights into what different Universities look for when recruiting lecturers and importantly some of things to look out for when trying to find lectureship positions which will provide you with the best environment to support both your research and teaching ambitions. I will also discuss some of my own experience of how I found the first few years of undertaking a lectureship, including some of the challenges and successes along the way, which will hopefully provide you with some insights into whether the lectureship route within academia could be a suitable career path for you.