Reflections from the Prosper pilot

Posted on: 23 August 2021 in Blog posts

As we open recruitment for our second postdoc career development pilot, we hear from 3 postdocs from our current cohort at the University of Liverpool. Egidijus Kukstas, School of Physical Sciences, Smitha Maretvadakethope, Department of Mathematical Sciences and Blanca Perez Sepulveda, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, reflect on their Prosper experiences so far.

Tell us about your postdoc role and how long have you been a postdoc? Before you found out about Prosper and its approach, how did you feel about your research and career?

Egidijus Kukstas: I’ve been a postdoc in Data Intensive Science within a Particle Accelerator Science group for just under a year now. Prior to that, I did my PhD in Astrophysics. Even before joining Prosper my view was that I enjoy the everyday work of being a researcher but I wasn’t sure whether it was the career choice for me. This motivated my move from Astrophysics (where I would have pursued a more conventional postdoc) more towards Data Science. I was not entirely convinced whether I wanted to leave academia, however.

Smitha Maretvadakethope: Around a year ago I started my current postdoc in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Liverpool. Ever since my bachelor’s dissertation, I knew that I enjoyed doing research as it was simply an extension of my lifelong love of learning new things. And so, I followed the track that I understood to have a clear path where I could continue this process of lifelong learning.

Blanca Perez Sepulveda: I am a molecular microbiologist working on the molecular mechanisms and environmental reservoirs of invasive Salmonella Enteritidis & their phages, and leading the international collaborative “10,000 Salmonella Genomes” project. I’ve been working as a PDRA for 5 years, mostly as a lab-based scientist. I really enjoy research and teaching, but academia has not been easy to navigate without outstanding publications. I have been lucky enough to have mentors who have been very supportive. Unfortunately, a chronic condition forced me to re-think my ability to carry on with my work in a sustainable way.

Prosper and the pilot’s approach is quite novel – did you have any particular preconceptions or reservations about applying?

EK: My first reaction after hearing about Prosper was that it cannot possibly be as it’s described: it sounded too good to be true and I was sure there was a catch somewhere. That was more than a bit cynical of me. I must admit, I also didn’t fully understand what Prosper was going to involve. The project really is all about improving postdocs’ employability prospects – there is no catch.

SM: I got the initial emails about the programme and brushed them off immediately. I was hired to work on a project, not to join a career development programme! Surely joining would show that I lacked resolve and mark me down as lacking passion in my work!

And yet, here I am, part of cohort 1. What changed? Well, my PI talked to me. My PI reached out to me, and pointed out that this pilot scheme might be beneficial and of interest to me. And with that simple gesture, all my previous concerns evaporated. I ended up reading about the scheme, looking at some preliminary materials on the website and tried to get a grip on the application process. But somehow, I still wasn’t completely sure, what the pilot would entail. There was one way to get the answers, and that was to show up to one of multiple information drop-in sessions. [This] really helped me understand what it was that they were looking for in a cohort, and I highly recommend attending a drop-in before applying

BPS: I found out about the Prosper pilot while I was questioning how to change my career path to fit my “new” reality, and I felt like I couldn’t miss this opportunity. The truth is that I was nervous about what the pilot would involve. My main concerns were the time investment and that it wouldn’t let me explore how to continue in academia. Apart from short volunteer work as a scientific advisor, I’ve only worked in academia, so I would definitely like to explore other options. However, I do love what I do, and I’d be lying if I’d say that I wouldn’t want to find a way to make it work.

Having all those thoughts in my mind, I was very sceptical about the pilot. Until I realised that it would allow me to explore different avenues, without excluding academia, and give me tools useful for any option I’d like to pursue.

Now that you’re on the pilot, tell us about your first few months. How have you found getting started and managing your time on the pilot with your research role?

EK: Since starting, I’ve learned a huge amount about Prosper and myself. Most importantly, it gave me a reason to think about careers today. It’s so easy to just keep putting it off until next week, next month, or ‘when I find some free time’. The reality is that, as a researcher, free time doesn’t exist – there are always more projects that I can work on or simply relax after a day of work. Being part of Prosper and meeting my peers on a regular basis has given me a reason to carve out time to think about my career prospects, reflect on my skills, and actively work on improving.

I entered the programme not being entirely sure whether or not I want to stay in academia or make the move to industry. The self-reflection and research done in the first few months of the pilot gave me more clarity as to what I want career-wise. I’m now convinced that, after my current contract, I want to move to a Data Science role in industry.

SM: The pilot has been surprisingly smooth sailing for a pilot. For me, getting started was the easy part. There are so many resources and so much information, and I dived right in. The harder part was getting into journaling, and trying to grasp how much writing is the right amount for me. There are also weeks where life and work are all at maximum intensity and there doesn’t seem to be space to attend all the sessions I want to attend. Thankfully, Prosper’s commitment to flexibility means that most talks get recorded and are available on-demand for precisely this reason.

The resource I was most keen on getting access to are the career clusters. These have gradually been updated, and they have not disappointed. Initially, there were descriptions of each of the clusters, which helped me narrow down my focus. Later, videos from industry professionals were added, and these helped me realise that there is more variety of jobs out there than I had initially considered, and helped me realise what I am and am not comfortable with for a future career.

BPS: Being part of the first cohort has given me a reason and motivation to do the things that I’ve been, for too long, leaving out of my priority list. It took me some time to get my head around what was required from me as a participant and it wasn’t until my first coaching session that I started to fully engage. I started exploring the portal, which is packed with reading material, videos, and self-assessment tools. One of the things I’ve enjoyed more about being part of the pilot is the understanding that our postdoc work goes first, but with an encouragement and support from the Prosper team and other pilot members for allocating dedicated time. The Prosper portal is a great resource, but to be very honest, I wouldn’t have really engaged with it without having that designated time.

What is your number 1 outcome from the pilot so far? And anything that you’ve struggled with?

EK: The number one outcome for me so far is definitely the clarity and direction I’ve gained. The reflection exercises, numerous discussions, and research I’ve done as part of Prosper have helped me make up my mind so that I no longer doubt myself. And that is a powerful feeling. I can now confidently focus on preparing for the next career step, and Prosper continues to help with that too.

SM: At the end of the day, the greatest outcome for me from my involvement with Prosper has been that I understand what boundaries are and aren’t negotiable when it comes to my professional life going forward. Perhaps it can help you realise yours too.

BPS: Part of our commitment is journaling, which I’ve found very useful for recording my journey and reflections. We formed a group with other participants to meet every morning for a few minutes to have a chat and write and that has been a great way of staying focused on my career journey. These past few months as part of the pilot have given me the chance to focus on a part of my career development that I had neglected, but that cannot be delayed anymore.

Tell us about your postdoc role and how long have you been a postdoc? Before you found out about Prosper and its approach, how did you feel about your research and career?

Egidijus Kukstas: I’ve been a postdoc in Data Intensive Science within a Particle Accelerator Science group for just under a year now. Prior to that, I did my PhD in Astrophysics. Even before joining Prosper my view was that I enjoy the everyday work of being a researcher but I wasn’t sure whether it was the career choice for me. This motivated my move from Astrophysics (where I would have pursued a more conventional postdoc) more towards Data Science. I was not entirely convinced whether I wanted to leave academia, however.

Smitha Maretvadakethope: Around a year ago I started my current postdoc in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Liverpool. Ever since my bachelor’s dissertation, I knew that I enjoyed doing research as it was simply an extension of my lifelong love of learning new things. And so, I followed the track that I understood to have a clear path where I could continue this process of lifelong learning.

Blanca Perez Sepulveda: I am a molecular microbiologist working on the molecular mechanisms and environmental reservoirs of invasive Salmonella Enteritidis & their phages, and leading the international collaborative “10,000 Salmonella Genomes” project. I’ve been working as a PDRA for 5 years, mostly as a lab-based scientist. I really enjoy research and teaching, but academia has not been easy to navigate without outstanding publications. I have been lucky enough to have mentors who have been very supportive. Unfortunately, a chronic condition forced me to re-think my ability to carry on with my work in a sustainable way.

Prosper and the pilot’s approach is quite novel – did you have any particular preconceptions or reservations about applying?

EK: My first reaction after hearing about Prosper was that it cannot possibly be as it’s described: it sounded too good to be true and I was sure there was a catch somewhere. That was more than a bit cynical of me. I must admit, I also didn’t fully understand what Prosper was going to involve. The project really is all about improving postdocs’ employability prospects – there is no catch.

SM: I got the initial emails about the programme and brushed them off immediately. I was hired to work on a project, not to join a career development programme! Surely joining would show that I lacked resolve and mark me down as lacking passion in my work!

And yet, here I am, part of cohort 1. What changed? Well, my PI talked to me. My PI reached out to me, and pointed out that this pilot scheme might be beneficial and of interest to me. And with that simple gesture, all my previous concerns evaporated. I ended up reading about the scheme, looking at some preliminary materials on the website and tried to get a grip on the application process. But somehow, I still wasn’t completely sure, what the pilot would entail. There was one way to get the answers, and that was to show up to one of multiple information drop-in sessions. [This] really helped me understand what it was that they were looking for in a cohort, and I highly recommend attending a drop-in before applying

BPS: I found out about the Prosper pilot while I was questioning how to change my career path to fit my “new” reality, and I felt like I couldn’t miss this opportunity. The truth is that I was nervous about what the pilot would involve. My main concerns were the time investment and that it wouldn’t let me explore how to continue in academia. Apart from short volunteer work as a scientific advisor, I’ve only worked in academia, so I would definitely like to explore other options. However, I do love what I do, and I’d be lying if I’d say that I wouldn’t want to find a way to make it work.

Having all those thoughts in my mind, I was very sceptical about the pilot. Until I realised that it would allow me to explore different avenues, without excluding academia, and give me tools useful for any option I’d like to pursue. 

Now that you’re on the pilot, tell us about your first few months. How have you found getting started and managing your time on the pilot with your research role?

EK: Since starting, I’ve learned a huge amount about Prosper and myself. Most importantly, it gave me a reason to think about careers today. It’s so easy to just keep putting it off until next week, next month, or ‘when I find some free time’. The reality is that, as a researcher, free time doesn’t exist – there are always more projects that I can work on or simply relax after a day of work. Being part of Prosper and meeting my peers on a regular basis has given me a reason to carve out time to think about my career prospects, reflect on my skills, and actively work on improving.

I entered the programme not being entirely sure whether or not I want to stay in academia or make the move to industry. The self-reflection and research done in the first few months of the pilot gave me more clarity as to what I want career-wise. I’m now convinced that, after my current contract, I want to move to a Data Science role in industry.

SM: The pilot has been surprisingly smooth sailing for a pilot. For me, getting started was the easy part. There are so many resources and so much information, and I dived right in. The harder part was getting into journaling, and trying to grasp how much writing is the right amount for me. There are also weeks where life and work are all at maximum intensity and there doesn’t seem to be space to attend all the sessions I want to attend. Thankfully, Prosper’s commitment to flexibility means that most talks get recorded and are available on-demand for precisely this reason.

The resource I was most keen on getting access to are the career clusters. These have gradually been updated, and they have not disappointed. Initially, there were descriptions of each of the clusters, which helped me narrow down my focus. Later, videos from industry professionals were added, and these helped me realise that there is more variety of jobs out there than I had initially considered, and helped me realise what I am and am not comfortable with for a future career.

BPS: Being part of the first cohort has given me a reason and motivation to do the things that I’ve been, for too long, leaving out of my priority list. It took me some time to get my head around what was required from me as a participant and it wasn’t until my first coaching session that I started to fully engage. I started exploring the portal, which is packed with reading material, videos, and self-assessment tools. One of the things I’ve enjoyed more about being part of the pilot is the understanding that our postdoc work goes first, but with an encouragement and support from the Prosper team and other pilot members for allocating dedicated time. The Prosper portal is a great resource, but to be very honest, I wouldn’t have really engaged with it without having that designated time.

What is your number 1 outcome from the pilot so far? And anything that you’ve struggled with?

EK: The number one outcome for me so far is definitely the clarity and direction I’ve gained. The reflection exercises, numerous discussions, and research I’ve done as part of Prosper have helped me make up my mind so that I no longer doubt myself. And that is a powerful feeling. I can now confidently focus on preparing for the next career step, and Prosper continues to help with that too.

SM: At the end of the day, the greatest outcome for me from my involvement with Prosper has been that I understand what boundaries are and aren’t negotiable when it comes to my professional life going forward. Perhaps it can help you realise yours too.

BPS: Part of our commitment is journaling, which I’ve found very useful for recording my journey and reflections. We formed a group with other participants to meet every morning for a few minutes to have a chat and write and that has been a great way of staying focused on my career journey. These past few months as part of the pilot have given me the chance to focus on a part of my career development that I had neglected, but that cannot be delayed anymore.

This September, we're opening applications for our second cohort. Up to 90 postdocs from across the University of Liverpool, Univeristy of Manchester and Lancaster University will join us for dedicated career development starting in February 2022. Applications are open from Wednesday 1 - Friday 17 September 2021, find out more on our dedicated pilot webpages.