The Many Hats You Need to Wear in Academia

I applied for a professorship position with a focus on research. I enjoy coding and conducting experiments in the lab, skills I acquired during my Ph.D. and postdoctoral research. However, excelling as a professor requires more than scientific expertise. You can be an exceptional scientist yet struggle as a professor. A professor must also be a good teacher, mentor, manager, and importantly, an entrepreneur and leader, not solely a good researcher. Balancing these diverse roles was challenging for me upon entering the field. Managing time effectively, optimizing every aspect of the job, and knowing when to decline tasks are crucial skills that accompany these responsibilities. In this talk, I will discuss some of these struggles and the lessons I have learned over the past 10 years of my career.