Security versus employability

Neil Carragher was in his mid-40s when he changed from working as principal scientist at AstraZeneca to a temporary contract as a group leader at the University of Edinburgh, UK. At the time, he had a secure, well-paid position with a lot of responsibility and, at such a high level, quite some autonomy in making decisions. Sounds perfect, so why would he want to throw that away in exchange for all the uncertainty he faced when starting an academic group on a temporary contract?

‘Wow, that sounds courageous, but also very risky,’ I asked him. ‘What would you have done as a 50-year old if you wouldn’t have made the highly competitive cut to secure a professorship? Didn’t you feel scared?’

‘Honestly, Philipp, I was never really afraid. I always felt very employable,’ he replied.

That simple yet powerful statement was a game-changer for me. When considering career options, we often think in terms of security, as expressed by the length of a work contract and the stability of our future employer. This wish is understandable, especially for researchers who often move between temporary contracts well into their 30s. However, exclusively looking at security can limit our view on career options.