Climbing Up the Ladder: Advice on Achieving
Mid-Career and Leadership Success
By Jennifer A. Kim and Wendy Wright
While career advice is often
geared toward the training
and early job stages,
the roadmap to success
throughout the remainder
of one’s career is often not
much clearer. Here, Dr.
Wendy Wright, director of
the Neuroscience Intensive
Care Unit at Emory
University and chair of the
Fellow of Neurocritical Care Committee, provides insight into
making the most of your mid-career, getting promoted, taking
on leadership roles and becoming a Fellow of Neurocritical Care
(FNCS). Even for those of us early in our careers, Dr. Wright
provides excellent foresight into preparing for success long-term.
(Note: This interview has been paraphrased for brevity.)
What changes in focus should a faculty member make when
entering the mid-career stage?
I agree with a common philosophy that early career is a good
time to say “yes” to everything. Ask anyone who has been in this
field for a while and they will tell you that their career
took unexpected turns, so being open to opportunities
tends to pay off in the long run. Mid-career is a good
time to start narrowing focus and test the power of
“no.” Divest yourself of committees and projects
that don’t line up with your desired trajectory.
Start declining some offers that you already know
don’t interest you, will be more time investment
than career-implication return, or are not suited
to your talents. Pass along these offers and other long-standing
commitments (like work groups, local committee work,
“overview”/”basic approach” lectures to students) to more junior
faculty members. They need the experience and will appreciate
you providing them with opportunities to build their CVs. Ideally,
all this will help free up time and energy to follow a true passion
or niche interest.
Mid-career is also a good time to think about setting down roots,
if you haven’t done so already. Consider whether you can see
yourself living in your town or working in your department for
the long haul. If not, there is no need to panic and do anything
rash, but start mapping a new path. It might take several years for
a move to come to fruition, but you can start aligning your choices
to help guide that transition. It is also a good time to think
about seeking additional education or skills. Many people take
advantage of mid-career financial and job security to seek degrees
in business, public health, law, ethics, etc. Even if you don’t want
a formal degree, seek out workshops on topics that will help you,
such as education and writing.
What general timelines should faculty be targeting
for promotions?
This question is very institution, department or
even chair dependent. Early career, we tend not
to ask about expected promotion timelines,
though it is a good point at which to get clarity when considering
job offers. The promotions process is an active process. Don’t
assume that it will only take X number of years, and that you
will accumulate the body of work needed based on your normal
employment expectations. Academic institutions have their
own promotions criteria, so learn them early! Keep track of the
criteria you have met, and keep an eye out for the more coveted
opportunities. It’s not a race or competition, but you can use other
faculty members in your department as a benchmark. You should
have a faculty mentor assigned, but if not (or in addition to), seek
out a faculty member in your department who has successfully
navigated promotion and ask for advice. For example, what
does your chair consider the must-haves or desirable
contributions? You may find that your chair views
book chapters and medical student lectures as
a waste of time but would be impressed if you
served on a journal’s editorial board or spoke
at another institution’s grand rounds. (P.S.
Write book chapters and lecture medical
students anyway, especially early career. These
are great ways to build skills as a speaker
and educator; they are a good way to build
relationships; and we want students to
have exposure to members of our field.
As you move along in your career,
you can seek more specialized
audiences and be more
selective about which
chapters you write.)
What types
of leadership roles are
important at this stage?
From a professional
development
standpoint, mid-career
is a good time to start
seeking leadership
roles that allow
some measures of
independence
(chair/
co-chair,
CAREER ADVICE SERIES:
Jennifer A. Kim Wendy Wright
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