15 minutes to develop your research career: a podcast for researchers

Boost your professional development with our research career podcast

As an early career researcher, developing your research career is likely to be high on your list of priorities. The required skills for researchers to be successful are shifting and changing all the time, so we’ve developed a podcast series packed with tips and advice to help you stay on track.

Vector illustration of a giant digital tablet, around it is a giant pair of black headphones and on the top left side of the tablet is a play button. There is a female character leaning against the digital tablet with arms crossed.

Created with Vitae, the international program which champions professional development for researchers, the podcast features insights from a range of research and career experts.

From getting published to tips for researchers of the future, and even exploring the world outside academia, we’ve got your career covered. Scroll down to listen to each episode.

Episode 1: Public engagement in research

What does ‘public engagement’ mean and why does it matter for your research career? This episode explores tips for researchers on how to engage the public with your work and why it’s so important to do so. Listen to the episode below.

Read the Public engagement in research podcast transcript.

Episode 2: Stepping up, moving on and alternative career paths for researchers

What do researchers go on to do after their PhD? What are the different career options open to you? And how can you develop transferable skills as a researcher?

This episode is packed with tips for researchers on the range of career paths open to you and offers advice for choosing the right one. Listen to the episode below.

Read the Stepping up, moving on, and alternative career paths for researchers podcast transcript.

Get some more tips on careers for PhDs outside of academia.

Episode 3: Academic mentoring

Can mentoring support your research career and boost your professional development? This episode of the podcast explores what different mentoring opportunities are out there and how you can get the most out of a mentoring relationship.

You’ll hear tips for researchers from a range of mentors and mentees including Dr Uzma Asghar from the Institute of Cancer Research and Maryanne Dever, Joint Editor-in-Chief of Australian Feminist Studies. Listen below.

Read the Academic mentoring podcast transcript.

Episode 4: Overcoming imposter syndrome

Impostor syndrome describes the feeling that you’re somehow a fraud, that you don’t deserve your status, and that your successes are simply down to chance. It’s normally attributed to highly qualified individuals (like researchers) and can be a real hindrance in achieving your research career goals. So it’ll come as no surprise that the topic is becoming increasingly discussed in academia.

This episode tackles impostor syndrome head on. We discuss what it is, how it emerges, and includes plenty of tips and advice for researchers about how you can overcome it. Listen below.

Read the Overcoming impostor syndrome podcast transcript.

Episode 5: Getting published for the first time

Getting published is a vital part of any research career. In this episode, we guide listeners through the essentials of getting published in an academic journal. Starting from the question of why getting published is so important, right through to what happens during peer review.

You’ll also get to grips with how publishing works from the inside, with insights and advice from a journal editor. Listen below.

Read the Getting published for the first time podcast transcript.

Episode 6: The unspoken challenges of research life

Developing a research career is challenging – we all know this. From the research itself, to getting published, there’s a lot discussed openly about the challenges for researchers. But what about the hidden challenges of research life?

In this episode we take a closer look at the challenges faced by researchers taking parental leave, as well as issues around gender and diversity in the research world. Listen below.

Read The unspoken challenges of research life podcast transcript.

Episode 7: Making your research open

What is open research and why does it matter to your research career? This episode explores the opportunities and challenges of adopting open research practices. And looks at how conducting research openly benefits you as a researcher.

There’s practical advice on what you need to know about the open research landscape, including steps you can take to make your research more open. Listen below.

Read the Making your research open podcast transcript.

Episode 8: Academic conference tips

How do you use academic conferences to develop your career? And what can you do to get the most out of them? This episode of the podcast guides you through the key aspects of conferences, including how to prepare for them, developing networking skills, and delivering a conference paper presentation.

Interviewees include Pat Thomson, Professor of Education and creator of the popular ‘Patter’ blog which is packed with advice for researchers at all stages.

Read the Academic conference tips podcast transcript.

Find out the top tips for academic conferences.

Episode 9: 4 skills for researchers of the future

The world of academic research is changing rapidly and so are the skills required by researchers. While skills for writing a research paper are undoubtedly still vital, upcoming researchers need to be thinking about digital skills, societal impact, communication skills, and more.

In this episode discover four key skills for researchers of the future, including advice on developing digital skills from Inger Mewburn, Managing Editor of the Thesis Whisperer blog. Listen below.

Read the 4 skills for researchers of the future podcast transcript.

Find out more about future-proofing your research skills.

Where to next?

If you’ve found this podcast series useful, you should also look at these resources:

  • Our Insights newsletter – the latest news, tips, and resources delivered straight to your inbox.

  • Vitae careers – advice and support for researchers on careers inside and outside academia.

Share this post on social