What’s challenging?<\/strong><\/p>\nWell, the big challenge for me, as an early career researcher, is the continual background pressure to get papers out and expand my research profile and network with a view to securing my next post, whether that\u2019s another temporary research contract, or a more permanent teaching or research position. Publications are essentially one of my main forms of academic \u2018currency\u2019 when it comes to securing the next position, or future grant funding, so these are always in the back of my mind.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m currently working on a large (5 year) independent research fellowship application which takes up virtually all of my time when I\u2019m not doing my actual job. I\u2019ve prepared a couple of these over the last 2 years or so, and they\u2019re extremely challenging to do well, but the payoff, i.e. potentially my next job, would be well worth the countless evenings and weekends spent working on it.<\/p>\n
Fieldwork can also be very challenging at times, but incredibly rewarding. We spent the best part of 5 weeks at high altitude (~5000 m) during trips to Nepal for my PhD, and the toughest thing in those situations isn\u2019t necessarily the physical demands of trekking, living and working in such a harsh environment for an extended period of time, but to keep everyone\u2019s spirits up. The two go hand in hand, but in my experience, the latter can often be more important.<\/p>\n
What’s your advice to students?<\/strong><\/p>\nIf you find a field that you\u2019re really, really interested in, then pursue it and be persistent. My interest in glaciology was sparked whilst studying for my A-Levels, and at that point, I pretty much made a conscious decision that this was what I wanted to do. So, I enrolled in all of the cryospheric-type modules I could at university, got involved with as many opportunities for fieldwork as possible, and have tried my hardest to forge the beginnings of a career for myself.<\/p>\n
The enthusiasm of lecturing staff and academic supervisors to teach and guide you around a subject can make an enormous difference, but it also works both ways \u2013 don\u2019t be scared to ask for guidance from your tutors, as you\u2019ll often find that they\u2019re more than happy to impart what advice they can, and this will often always help!<\/p>\n
Another top tip is to search for little pots of money to support fieldwork at conference attendance for undergraduate, Masters, or doctoral study, even if this is a few hundred pounds. You could try this through your department or university, or a larger research body (e.g. the Royal Geographical Society). If you can secure these, and they\u2019re often quite competitive, it will help to demonstrate to potential future supervisors\/employers that you\u2019ve got the initiative to secure funding for and carry out your own research. You can begin to do this at whatever stage of education you\u2019re in, and it\u2019s all great experience.<\/p>\n