Pathfinder at the University of Glasgow’s Post

The Power of Being a Skilled Researcher In today’s fast-paced world, the ability to research effectively is one of the most valuable skills anyone can develop. It’s not just about finding information; it’s about finding the right information, analyzing it, and applying it in practical, meaningful ways. For professionals, being a good researcher can: 1. Enhance problem-solving abilities. 2. Provide deeper insights into your field. 3. Drive innovation by uncovering new opportunities. 4. Foster continuous personal and professional growth. Research isn’t just for academics; it’s for anyone who wants to excel in their area of expertise. A good researcher isn’t just someone who looks for answers but someone who searches smartly, learns continuously, and adapts creatively. By improving our research skills, we not only expand our knowledge but also gain a competitive edge, allowing us to make better decisions and contribute more effectively in our fields. What are your thoughts on the importance of research skills? How do you apply them in your professional journey? #Skills #research #Development

As a young graduate, I struggled to find my path in science, and this read resonated with me. The article explores the evolving landscape of meaningful work for researchers, especially as younger generations prioritize societal impact in their careers. Here are the key takeaways: -Make what you love benefit the world: Align your passion with societal needs. Turn your expertise into a force for good, whether it's regulating technology or contributing to solutions for pressing issues like emissions. -Choose a pressing problem: Consider pursuing research in areas that address significant global challenges. Organizations like 80,000 Hours help individuals identify impactful career paths by focusing on pressing issues affecting many people. -Be prepared to work behind the scenes: Impactful research often involves influencing policies. Researchers can make a difference by understanding the policymaking process, even if it means working behind closed doors and not always receiving immediate credit. -Do your homework and follow the data: While current data may not fully guide career choices, following successful researchers and emerging fields can provide valuable insights. Stay informed about industries and skills in demand for a more strategic career path. -Keep sight of the big picture: Viewing work as a 'calling' can enhance overall well-being. Passion is crucial, but balance is key to avoid overworking or neglecting personal well-being. Remembering the broader purpose of your research can help during mundane moments. -Remember that changing the world is hard: Acknowledge the role of timing and chance in a researcher's impact. Embrace the reality that meaningful change requires hard work, dedication, and sometimes a bit of luck. This article reaffirms the importance of aligning personal passions with global challenges for a fulfilling science career. 🔗 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/d_zBttbk As we navigate these complexities, let's share our experiences and insights to inspire and guide fellow researchers. #ScienceCareer #MeaningfulWork #ResearchImpact

As a Researcher, one key tip I’d like to share with aspiring researchers is the importance of originality. It’s crucial to study others’ work and reference it properly, but don’t just study because it’s your job—study to truly understand. When you gain deeper knowledge, you’ll be able to contribute fresh insights and add real value to your industry, rather than simply repeating what’s already been said. So, my question for you today is: What comes to mind when you hear the word "Research"? #ResearchTips #OriginalityMatters #ContinuousLearning #day11of14 #Linkedinpowerup #14dayslinkedInpowerupchallengewithalice

The path to becoming a researcher may seem like a dream come true, but what is the reality of this career? Let's explore the expectations versus the reality of the life of a researcher. Expectation: Researchers spend most of their time conducting experiments and analyzing data in a lab. Reality: While some researchers do work in a lab, many spend a significant amount of time writing grant proposals, attending conferences, and collaborating with other researchers. Expectation: Researchers have complete control over their projects and experimental design. Reality: Research projects are often funded by external organizations and may have strict guidelines and requirements that must be met. Additionally, unforeseen obstacles can arise, requiring researchers to pivot their focus or approach. Expectation: Researchers work independently. Reality: Collaboration and teamwork are crucial in the world of research. Researchers often work in teams with other scientists, graduate students, and research assistants. While the life of a researcher may not always meet our expectations, it can still be a fulfilling and exciting career. What has been your experience in the field of research? Share in the comments below. #paruluniversity #ResearchLife #AcademicCareer #ScienceCommunication #LabLife #ResearchReality #STEMCareers #AcademicResearch #ResearchCollaboration #GrantWriting #ConferenceNetworking #SCOPEparuluniversity #SCOPE #SCOPEparul #parulSCOPE #paruluniversitySCOPE

🔍 Calling All Researchers! 🔍 Hello LinkedIn community, As I continue to develop my research skills, I am eager to learn about the best tips and practices that have helped you get the most out of the research papers available. We all know how crucial it is to stay updated with the latest findings and literature in our fields. However, with the vast amount of research available, it can be challenging to get the most out of each paper we read. I would love to hear about your strategies and best practices for reading and comprehending research papers. Do you have a specific approach or method that helps you understand and retain information better? How do you identify the key points and takeaways? Are there techniques that you find particularly useful? Please share your experiences, tips, and any resources you recommend in the comments below. Let's create a thread that can benefit researchers at all stages of their careers. Thank you in advance for your contributions! #Research #Academia #ResearchTips #AcademicCommunity #ResearchPaper

🚀 Calling All Doctoral Candidates & Researchers! 🚀 Is anyone else finding the publication process tougher than landing a job? 😅 I've been navigating through endless rejections and a sea of criteria that's starting to dilute the very essence of my work. After dedicating six months to a qualitative study, it's frustrating to see it potentially lose its purpose and integrity due to excessive edits. Need Advice: How do you successfully publish your work without compromising its integrity? Any tips or tricks to share? Let's support each other in maintaining the quality and impact of our research! 📚💡 #DoctoralCommunity #PhDLife #Research #PublicationJourney #AcademicPublishing #QualitativeResearch #KeepTheIntegrity #ResearchSupport #PhDTips #AcademicLife #GradSchoolStruggles

Hello Everyone, I am comparatively new in LinkedIn though my profile reflects a long time association. Better late than never, so I am now planning to be more frequent with posts and updates. But, I was not having a great idea on what I can write here as a readout of my daily work life. The first thing that came up was obviously talking about my research work, the scientific questions, the techniques and so on. But somehow it didn't convince me much. Abstract writing, manuscript preparation, data presentation all are an integral part of science communication, which I (we) do everyday. So what else can I offer to myself? Then I thought "why don't I come up with the other part of our professional life"? As a postdoc, we are considered specially skilled. We are neither a student, nor an independent scientist. We are expected to deliver the best, but we need to constantly strive for a secured future. Our position is not easily comprehensive by the rests. Very few people actually understand what a postdoctoral work means; often we are a part of academia, often a part of industrial wings. But regardless of all these redundancies, we do have our own challenges and success stories as meaningful as for the other working sectors. Hence, finally I thought of sharing those experiences on this platform, so that we are much more transparent to other working sectors. Academia and industries collaborate quite often, academia needs industrial intervention and industries need skilled performers from academia. But unfortunately, there is still a silent discrimination (/preferential acceptance) to each other. If we, the postdocs can talk about our strategic skills, reflect our daily jobs in terms of leadership, teamwork, planning, we will definitely be better identified as a candidate of the larger fraternity. So let's try to talk, rather than whispering or complaining. #academia #postdoc #postdoctoral #postdocposition #research #researchjobs #industry #dailylife #workculture #stress #leadership #teamspirit #successstory #speakout #challenges

### My Research Journey ### Whenever I post about any of my papers, the most common responses I receive are requests to "please put my name in a research" or "teach me research; I am interested in doing research but don't know where to start." To address these requests, I decided to share my journey, hoping it might guide those eager to embark on their own research paths. One to two years ago, I was struggling to find any research opportunities. Today, I have more than ten published research articles, with several more at different stages of publication. Notably, I have also published research in the Elsevier , Willey's and British Medical Journal. Initially, I followed the conventional route of seeking research opportunities by asking seniors and professors for guidance. Despite approaching many experienced individuals, I found limited interest or willingness to assist. This initial disappointment led me to try something else. I enrolled in some online courses—some free, some paid—that provided me the enough motivation and some basic knowledge to work on some project. .... text removed due to word limit.... The bottom line is: if you really want to learn, take initiative, put in real effort, and then ask for help. Do not fear rejections; they are only there to improve your work. Whenever someone seeks help with their research, I strive to assist them to the best of my ability. This post is also an open invitation to anyone needing support with their research endeavors. However, I must emphasize: please do not ask me to simply include your name on a paper. Instead, learn how to conduct research. Show genuine interest, take the initiative, select a topic, or atleast put some effort. If you get stuck or encounter challenges, approach me for guidance. Thank you. Happy Publishing. You can see the full post here https://lnkd.in/dqdEzRxN

Here is the story of a busy life scientist. When I was employed as a graduate student, postdoctoral scientist, and then staff scientist, I always had lots of projects and tasks to do. Not only were there #DataAnalysis and other #ScientificResearch work, but there were also uncountable amounts of ad-hoc work like ordering consumables, organizing supplies, keeping my bibliography in a structured and usable state, writing reports, correcting students' reports, preparing teaching materials, writing papers and project reports, preparing for presentations, helping junior staff members, doing tech support, and dealing with emergencies. In addition, searching for information, inspiration, solutions to problems, and reference papers on the internet took hours, even days and weeks at a time. Delegating research-related work is usually a breeze in a research-oriented institute. Somebody always wants the glory of being a part of a project and learning the ropes by doing. However, the number of times that I was able (or allowed) to delegate the non-research-related ad-hoc tasks and administrative work to an assistant or expert can probably be counted on the fingers belonging to just one of my hands; and mind you, I have all my fingers, and I have been working in the life sciences for over 20 years by now. I am also unable to count the number of times I left my office past 6 pm, nor the number of times people outside of my workplace were upset that I worked way more hours than I should given what I was paid. Back then, the concept of being an academic scientist meant that we were, by nature, overworked, underappreciated, and underpaid. In certain institutes and in industry, the degree to which these three concepts are true varies, but the idea that we are doing a significant amount of administrative and technical work that eats into the precious time we can spend advancing scientific innovation is likely fact for many scientific staff members. In hindsight, I also look back on those sleepless nights working on additional projects for free just hoping that one of them would be my ticket to the next dream job... Was I right or was I wrong to pursue a lifestyle so filled with duty and stress? Do you ask yourself this question too? I strongly believe that I am by no means an exception to the general rule in the world of science when it comes to "marrying one's work." Being solution-oriented by nature, I also support the idea that I can do something to provide needed support to those who wish to continue striving and thriving in scientific innovation. I have worked in the #lifescience #ResearchSupport sector for many years already. As a #FreelanceScientist focused on research and research support, I am eager to offer my expertise to fellow scientists, lend a helping hand to lighten up their load, and contribute to solving their scientific challenges, even if I no longer have the "employee" label. Like my post. Write me soon! Don't ghost me, it hurts.

Advice for PhD/Postdoc Applicants for Approaching a Professor. While writing email/applying for a PhD or Postdoc position, many candidates often do not receive response to their mails. Considering this, I have following suggestions for the candidates; 1.     Not Contacting the Right Professor:  It is always recommended to approach the professor whose expertise/research work matches with your area of research and experience. If you will write to person working in the different field, or not aware of your research area, it will not leave a good impression. 2.     Generic or AI generated Emails: Writing a standard/generic or AI generated email and sending it to every professor is of No Use. You have to dig deeper into the professor’s research work, explain how your research is connected, highlight their important publications and how you can contribute in his/her group. In this manner you can establish the fact that you are well aware with their research and get some extra points. 3.     Emails to Multiple Professors in Same Department: A department has many professors who also have discussions between them. So, sending the same email to multiple professors of different fields in the same department is never advised. They can figure it out easily and then it will only show your lack of commitment. 4.     Content of the Email: Professors usually receive a huge number of applications and don’t have much time to read lengthy emails. So, you should try to be short, precise and to the point. Avoid boasting achievements and mention the right things (skills, experience, expertise, fellowship options etc.) and highlight how you can be asset to the group. 5.     Timing of Email: It is not advised to write emails outside the office hours and during the weekend/vacation period. You should always try to send the email on working days (not weekend/holidays) and plan the email in such a manner that it should be delivered in morning time. Else it is suppressed below other emails and remains unread. 6.     Be Patient: Being pateint is the key in this game, as sometimes professors do not have the funding or have found another person more deserving than you. Then, they avoid giving you the bad news and hence do not respond. So, you need to be patient and keep applying without getting depressed or frustrated. I hope these points would help you. If yes, feel free to share it in your network. #job #jobmarket #opportunity #hiring #PhD #PhDstudent #PhDadmission #market #advice #research #science #engineer #master #thesis #academia #work #life #comment #trend #university #rankings #tech #technology #engineering #global #education #vacancy #growth #share #reach #linkedin #fellowship #grant #award #career #growth #professional #data #analysis #communcation #writing #global #world #college #student #application #india #position #manager #it #admission #postdoc #alert #marketing #Jobalert #comittment #time #email #ai #artificialintelligence #Cv #professor