As a postdoc 15 years ago, I learned I was a mediocre researcher, worse-than-mediocre teacher, and better-than-mediocre research supervisor. This profile is a death sentence in academia, a blessing as a blogger, and good for program management in R&D labs/funding agencies
Conversation
Replying to
I would probably have topped out at program management had I stayed at Xerox. Wouldn’t have had the line management appetite for managing labs/centers/budgets.
1
6
It takes about a decade past trying a career before you gain enough perspective to decipher your experience. But you can tell whether it’s working/not working right then if you’re honest with yourself. Even if you don’t know why/how. That’s all you need to know to stay/quit.
1
3
22
Things I now know I’m no good for: traditional academia, startup entrepreneurship, journalism, theater/acting/directing, middle management, industry analyst, patent generating machine (“fellows” in industrial R&D), marketing. I quit all those things at the right time.
1
2
16

