Academic careers: “Shape your own path”

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On 10 December, LMU will host this year’s Postdoc Career Day statt. As part of the event, Dr. Barbara Riesche and Dr. Anna Pahl will run the workshop workshop „Navigating Academic Careers“ Both work at LMU’s Research Funding Unit, where they provide guidance on funding opportunities and career planning for researchers. In our interview, they talk about pressure and priorities, difficult decisions, and opportunities for support – and about “the rush hour of life.”

What are the biggest challenges in the postdoc phase?

Barbara Riesche: The pressure to perform is particularly intense at this stage. Postdocs are expected to publish, secure funding, build networks, and make themselves visible in the academic community. On top of that comes fierce competition: There are simply far more doctoral and postdoctoral positions than professorships or other permanent academic positions. That’s the bottleneck everyone talks about.

Pahl: At the same time, this demanding career phase often overlaps with important personal decisions relating to family and life planning – the so-called “rush hour of life.” Fixed-term contracts and frequent relocations can make long-term planning even harder.

Riesche: When postdocs come to us for advice, they often say it’s precisely this mix of different expectations that creates the pressure. They would like to know: How do I set the right priorities? How can I invest my time and resources wisely? Even though expectations and working cultures differ widely between disciplines, every postdoc is familiar with this kind of pressure. That’s why in our workshops we encourage open conversations among postdocs: Exchanging experiences and strategies can be both helpful and empowering.

Reflect early on: Is an academic career right for me?

When is a good time to decide whether to stay in academia or to explore alternative options?

Pahl: That’s a question we hear a lot. Some postdocs worry that they’ve waited too long – that it might already be too late to decide whether to pursue a future inside or outside academia. We think that there’s no single right moment. Career choices are highly individual and depend on many professional and personal factors. In our consulting sessions, we invite postdocs to explore what kind of career they really want to build.

For some, that reflection starts right after completing their PhD (or even before that). In other fields, postdoc experience is highly valued even for non-academic careers.

Riesche: We therefore recommend taking time to ask yourself: Does this path, and what I’m doing right now, suit me? Does it fit my strengths, my needs, and my life goals? Thinking consciously about your preferences and options allows you to plan your next steps with purpose. It’s helpful to ask these questions early on and to revisit them whenever your circumstances change.

Pahl: That applies both inside and outside academia. You should make that choice deliberately – and map out your next steps with intention.Waiting too long can make things tough – you might find yourself running out of contract extensions and having to leave academia by necessity rather than choice.

What advice would you give to postdocs in general?

Riesche: Stay open-minded about your future. Many see an academic career as plan A and everything else as plan B – that makes alternatives sound like second best. In our advising sessions, workshops, and events like the Postdoc Career Day, we want to show that your first choice should be the one that truly fits you. Once you know your interests, strengths, and values, exciting opportunities appear – whether in research, industry, culture, politics, NGOs, entrepreneurship, or research management.

Pahl: If you want to stay in academia, start looking ahead early. Find out what’s expected at the next career level and do some benchmarking: Where do I stand compared to others? How far had successful colleagues come when they were at my stage? How many papers had they published? How much funding had they secured? How well connected were they? You can also ask for feedback from mentors and peers: What do you think I’m doing well? Where could I strengthen my profile to move forward?

Mentors: Role models and guidance

What role can mentoring play?

Riesche: Mentoring can be incredibly helpful, especially during the postdoc phase. It supports all those self-reflection processes we’ve just talked about. Mentors often serve as role models when you’re planning your next steps. They can also be sounding boards when making big decisions. Mentors open doors to networks, and help you understand expectations and the unwritten “rules of the game” that shape academic life.

How do you find the right mentor?

Pahl: At LMU, a university-wide mentoring program is available in all faculties. Collaborative research projects such as Clusters of Excellence, Collaborative Research Centers, or graduate programs also run their own mentoring initiatives. And if you’re considering a career outside academia, the LMU Career Service can match you with a mentor to help guide your transition.

Mobility and external funding

How important is spending time abroad for an academic career today?

Riesche: Mobility is still key. A research stay abroad – carefully chosen and matching your research interests – can strengthen your academic independence, expand your international network, and expose you to new methods and leading institutions. But it doesn’t always have to be a long stay. Shorter research visits, collaborations, or participation in international projects can be just as valuable.

How can third-party funding support academic independence?

Pahl: Securing external funding has become a core academic skill. Winning a grant means you’ve succeeded in a competitive peer-review process – that’s already a strong signal. As a project leader, you can then set your own research agenda, manage a budget, make staffing decisions, and perhaps even lead a whole team. These are great opportunities to grow professionally – and an important step toward becoming an independent researcher.

Counseling and qualification opportunities at LMU

Where can postdocs find support beyond Postdoc Career Day?

Riesche: Funding and career advice for postdocs is offered by the Unit for Research Funding throughout the year! There’s also a wide range of training and qualification opportunities covering everything from research-related topics such as open access, data management, and third-party funding to career development, leadership, and communication skills.

The Postdoc Career Day is part of LMU’s #EXCELLerate program, which brings together workshops and information events on all these topics – for careers both inside and outside academia.

Despite all its challenges, what makes an academic career appealing?

Riesche: Despite the uncertainties, academia remains a special place: It means working with great intellectual and creative freedom, in international teams, and offers the chance to shape social developments. Many postdocs value precisely that – the opportunity to explore new ground and contribute to the progress of knowledge.

Pahl: Evidence-based, critical thinking makes science and the humanities cornerstones of our society, and that’s more important now than ever. I’m always inspired by researchers’ passion for their subjects – it’s contagious.

LMU invites all postdocs to the Postdoc Career Day on 10 December – this year under the motto “#EXCELLerate and connect!” The German Research Foundation (DFG) and EU funding advisers of KoWi (EU Liaison Office of German Research Organizations) will provide information about national and European funding programs. Workshops will cover topics such as “How to Become a Professor,” “From Science to Business,” “Ways Into Research Management,” and “Career with a Child.” At the networking fair, participants can learn about the wide range of support services in Munich and at LMU in particular. In the “Living Library,” ten former postdocs will share their career journeys both within and beyond academia.

For more information, see: #EXCELLerate and connect!