Attending a scientific meeting can be very inspiring. It may broaden your network and help you to make yourself and your research visible to a broad audience. Nevertheless, it is also often time-consuming and expensive. How do you choose the right meetings to attend?
The world desperately needs experts. We live in a complex world, and knowledge is dramatically expanding. Nobody can comprehend anymore all the data which are produced on a daily basis.
Postdocs often struggle with their publication list. They become the famous “second author”. However, if you strive for a successful academic career, you may have to negotiate better with your supervisor to get first and last authorships to build your career.
Being a professor is amazing because of the intellectual fulfillment derived from research and teaching, the societal impact, and academic freedom. However, the journey to a professorship may strain your personal life and finances because it is hard work, the academic job market is competitive, and it takes a long time to get a tenure-track position.