Speakers:

Oya Cingöz, Principal Investigator Robert Koch Institute

Philippa Cook, Behavioral and communication trainer

Leo Kurian, Professor Goethe University Frankfurt

Moderation: Anne Schreiter

»Believe in yourself, ask for help, stop worrying about what people think of you.« – Philippa Cook

Key Messages:

There is no blueprint for how to become a professor or group leader in the German system. Positions can look quite different depending on the kind of research institute you are at (government-funded, non-university, university).

»The system is not against you. You just have to find your way in it. Try not to remain in a negative headspace for too long if things don’t work out. Know strategies that help you remember why you are doing what you are doing.« – Leo Kurian

Be aware that you are confronted with a lack of transparency regarding criteria for success and an estimation on where you stand. Be prepared for a lack of logic in bureaucracy and rules (WissZeitVG) and for possibly steep hierarchies. 

The system is changing, but does so very slowly.

So what can you do?

Inform yourself: Talk to Admin, to peers, to colleagues. Know how to strategically position yourself, for instance by making sure to catch deadlines for important funding programs, such as Emmy Noether junior research groups or by understanding mechanisms like the Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz

Be proactive and direct: Say what you want to achieve, articulate what you need. 

Reach out to people and find (multiple) mentors – those can be informal connections, for instance colleagues or people higher up the career ladder who read your proposals and applications and give you “deadly honest” feedback, who help you prepare for interviews, who introduce you to someone important, who you can go to if you have a problem or need advice.

Be open and friendly. Make connections – be interested in others and remember “The best networking happens when people meet for reasons other than networking” (Adam Grant). 

»Know yourself and what’s important to you. Be honest to yourself. Keep going – but it’s ok to give up if you realize that something else has become more important.« – Oya Cingöz

Learn German. Even when you speak English in your team, German helps to navigate exchanges with admin who do not speak English and it is inevitable for teaching, especially at universities.

Being an international researcher is an advantage, not a disadvantage: You have a wide network, you bring in diversity of thought, you demonstrated adaptability and flexibility, you have transcultural competencies that help you lead an international team and enable you to relate to international students – and you might be more adventurous in your research!

Master the shift to be an independent researcher in a hierarchical system. Show that you can teach, that you are on committees, and that you can lead others (even laterally or upwards). Get involved in local initiatives, such as an SFB. Make yourself seen.