A career in science editing and writing

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A career in science editing and writing







 
Carol Featherstone
PhD Biochemistry, UK
9 years
postdoc
in Germa
ny and USA
6 years a
s founding Editor of
Trends in Cell Biology
9 years subsequent expe
rience as science
journalist and editor
Currently Freelance science editor and writer
c.
featherstone
_at_
wanadoo
.
fr
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Summary

• What do I do and how do I combine working for
  various people and organizations?
• Why did I give up research for editing and
  writing?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of
  doing what I do?

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What is a career?

• What do you want from a career?
• Self-fulfilment
• To support yourself and your family
• Teachers and scholars - are they good role
  models?
• Stable niche market
• No more jobs for life
• Companies restructure, downsize, change direction
• Technologies change
• Markets change

Think about acquiring expertise and transferable
skills To give you flexibility
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Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor Portfolio
Worker?
portfolio worker (port.FOH.lee.oh wur.kur) n. A
worker who holds multiple jobs or contracts in
multiple fields with multiple companies. Charles
Handy
Portfolio workers ... may spend a total of one
week a month consulting, two weeks working part
time for a major computer manufacturer, four days
a month working on a book they're writing, and
then another chunk of time studying. The result
is a less secure but more fulfilling
career. Dawn Chipman, "A glossary of
managerese management terms," Across the Board,
November, 1993
More Information Portfolio Working (University
of Wales, Bangor) http//www.bangor.ac.uk/career
s/pfw.html Graduates Work (UCE,
Birmingham) http//www.uce.ac.uk/crq/publication
s/gw/gwch2.html
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Real-life examples of portfolio workers

• Doctor in Cambridgeshire part-time GP
  Addenbrookes Hospital contraceptive clinic sex
  and contraceptive education in Cambridge schools.
• Business consultant in Edinburgh consultant for
  several local businesses writing a book courses
  for business employees and students.

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Who are my clients?

• The European Life Scientist Organization (ELSO)
• The Institut Curie
• Other researchers in Europe
• Scientific organizations (European Science
  Foundation)
• Science journals

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What do I do all day?

• Sit at a desk in front of a computer screen most
  days
• Co-ordinate ELSOs career development activities,
  participate in policy development, write
  articles, write and produce The ELSO Newsletter.
• Edit scientific manuscripts for researchers at
  the Institut Curie and elsewhere
• Give lectures on career development
• Edit policy documents, grant applications
• Write articles, solicited or proposed, for
  journals
• Scientific translation from French into English
• Look for more work ...

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How did I get here?

• Started out in academia
• Got scared
• Became a journal editor
• Had babies
• Started freelance science writing
• Moved to France
• Combined all of these skills, adding more

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When push comes to shove(Seven reasons why I
left the lab)

• Couldnt find an acceptable job
• In the UK, in a good institute
• Didnt have confidence in my abilities
• Neurotic, insecure, female
• Didnt want my life to be dominated by todays
  experiment
• And was I not right?
• Couldnt see how to combine family and lab
• Lack of female role models
• Wanted a new challenge
• Wanted a different career path
• Wanted to develop new skills

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Making the leapWhy editing and writing?

• I had some experience and I liked it
• It continued to use and test my knowledge of
  science, to stay in touch
• It required what I liked best in science
• It was a logical step
• It opened up new horizons

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Flexibility and jugglingin the modern circus

• Editor of The ELSO Newsletter, and other jobs for
  ELSO
• Science Editor
• Science journalist
• Translator
• Mother/housekeeper/taxi-driver/personal
  assistant/gardener/teacher/cook

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The good things in life

• Independent working from home means
• No commuting
• Flexibility of hours/holidays
• Availability for my children
• No manager/appraisals, etc.

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The not so good things ...

• Independent working from home means
• Need for discipline
• Absence of social interactions and intellectual
  stimulation
• Irregular work supply and cash flow
• No benefits
• Administrative paperwork

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Planning for the Third Age
Longer life-expectancy less secure/substantial
pension provision Longer working life
As a portfolio worker you can continue to work at
an appropriate pace to stay active,
intellectually alert and financially independent
More information Lifelong Learning http//www.l
earningcitizen.net/articles/Workingformature-age.s
html
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Summary

• Portfolio working
• Combining science editing, writing and other
  acquired skills (science policy, language)
• Advantages and disadvantages of portfolio working