Career Guide 12 April 2019

How to move lab

Moving labs can be a challenge. This collection of articles features scientists who have managed the move, formed new social groups, settled in to a new working environment and developed their careers.

Articles

Pay, perks and culture shocks: a toolkit for scientists moving to industry

Don’t underestimate the steep learning curve involved when you switch sectors, says Jonathan Bowen.
- Anne Gulland
Career Q&A16 Jun 2023 Nature
Moving labs: a checklist for researchers with disabilities

How to choose a workplace that is welcoming and safe, and where your career will thrive.
- Adam Levy
Nature Careers Podcast1 Dec 2022 Nature
Rescinded job offers and quarantine hotels: what lockdown lab moves taught us

What was it like to move abroad at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic? Researchers describe the challenges and uncertainties they faced.
- Adam Levy
Nature Careers Podcast9 Dec 2022 Nature
Moving labs, moving countries: how to get both right

Three researchers outline the pros and cons of moving abroad for work or study.
- Adam Levy
Nature Careers Podcast17 Nov 2022 Nature
‘Trailing spouses’ and ‘two body’ problems: how to move labs as a scientist couple

You land a new job in a different city but your partner needs paid work there too. How do you support each other’s career choices?
- Adam Levy
Nature Careers Podcast9 Nov 2022 Nature
‘Is the PI a jerk?’ Key questions to ask when you’re moving lab

Lab size, team culture, and a PI’s capacity to mentor you are among the many things to consider when you move lab.
- Adam Levy
Nature Careers Podcast2 Nov 2022 Nature
Underpaid and overworked: researchers abroad fall prey to bullying

Nature investigates multiple instances of scholars on working visas experiencing abuse and salary discrimination.
- Nic Fleming
Career Feature10 Aug 2022 Nature
Bullied abroad: how foreign researchers can fight back

Most international scholars do not report experiences of bullying because they fear retaliation, including threats to cancel visas. But they can take action.
- Nic Fleming
Career Feature10 Aug 2022 Nature
Don’t walk on by: how to confront bias and bigotry aimed at others

Bystander-intervention programmes use humour and other tools to call out bullying and harassment in science.
- Sara Reardon
Career Feature15 Aug 2022 Nature
Switching labs during a PhD

Jonathan Park’s scientific interests changed after caring for a person with cancer. He ended up bidding an amicable farewell to Mark Gerstein, a supportive supervisor who had taught him a lot.
- Jonathan Park
- Mark Gerstein
Career Column6 Jul 2022 Nature
From soldier to scientist

Before her own career change, Nell Pates helped wounded soldiers to prepare for civilian jobs. Her military training still comes in handy.
- Nell Pates
Career Column2 Mar 2022 Nature
Exiting gracefully: how to leave a job behind

Although burning bridges can be tempting, a better approach is to leave goodwill and cheer in your wake.
- Bianca Nogrady
Career Feature20 Dec 2021 Nature
Webcast: How to write a great CV for academia and industry

Nature asks an expert for advice on getting started with a science CV.
- Jack Leeming
Career News25 Feb 2021 Nature
‘Can you work with less-qualified people?’ and 19 other curveball questions to navigate at industry interviews

Be ready for queries that reflect stereotypes about academia and that probe why you’re switching sectors, says Tina Persson.
- Tina Persson
Career Column15 Jan 2021 Nature
A recruiter’s guide to cell-biology jobs

Nature asked talent-acquisition manager Melisa Medrano how candidates for industry positions can tailor their CVs.
- Melisa Medrano
Career Guide9 Dec 2020 Nature
Top tips for cell biologists eyeing a move to industry careers

Five industry professionals offer advice on how compelling applications can help to secure jobs in biotechnology, biomedical and pharmaceutical companies.
- Nikki Forrester
Career Guide9 Dec 2020 Nature
How I run a lab and work as a PhD student simultaneously

Oday Abushalbaq outlines his experience leading a team of neuroscience researchers from 9,000 kilometres away — while completing his PhD training.
- Oday Abushalbaq
Career Column26 Nov 2020 Nature
Design your own doctoral project

Instead of looking for PhD positions, designing your own project offers advantages and challenges, says Jesko Becker.
- Jesko Becker
Career Column31 Jan 2020 Nature
Twelve tips for engaging with biologists, as told by a physicist

The fastest way to become fluent in the language of a new scientific discipline is to embed yourself inside it and use it regularly, says Sarah Bohndiek.
- Sarah Bohndiek
Career Column6 Jan 2020 Nature
Thirteen tips for engaging with physicists, as told by a biologist

Working alongside physicists made me a better science communicator, says Ken Kosik, and helped me to clarify knowledge gaps in my own field.
- Ken Kosik
Career Column6 Jan 2020 Nature
Becoming a parent in graduate school shaped my approach to work–life balance

Karishma Kaushik thinks that learning to share details of her personal life at work has made her a better academic mentor.
- Karishma Kaushik
Career Column18 Oct 2019 Nature
Feeling stuck? Close your laptop, stop your field measurements and write a poem

Sam Illingworth explains how poetry can help to communicate and celebrate your science.
- Sam Illingworth
Career Column27 Sep 2019 Nature
Three tips to achieve academic success — while enjoying a social life

Alejandra Ortega explains the importance of working efficiently to make time for friends and fun.
- Alejandra Ortega
Career Column2 Sep 2019 Nature
Five scientists explain how they decided whether to move to another country for their work or studies

Weighing up the costs and benefits can help when mulling an international move.
- Virginia Gewin
Career Feature26 Mar 2019 Nature
Responding to the call of home

Why some scientists choose to forgo promising careers abroad to return to their countries of birth.
- Elie Dolgin
Career Feature5 Feb 2019 Nature
Advice from the high seas: how to transition to a new lab

Respect for what you and your colleagues bring to the table is vital to successful integration, says Melissa T. Miller.
- Melissa T. Miller
Career Column24 Sep 2018 Nature
How to fit in when you join a lab abroad

Cultural differences can be both stimulating and challenging for researchers working or studying in a foreign country.
- Roberta Kwok
Career Feature23 May 2018 Nature
Mobility: A strategic move

Short-term upheaval can yield widespread collaborations and long-term resources.
- Julie Gould
Feature10 Jun 2015 Nature
Visa policy: Access denied

Political change is causing scientists worldwide to worry about how immigration law might affect their ability to do research.
- Chris Woolston
Feature2 Mar 2017 Nature
Dispatch: a move from London to New York City

Eight months after moving to New York City to start a postdoctoral position at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Jessica Sharrock offers advice to others considering an academic move abroad.
- Jessica Sharrock
Career Column5 Oct 2018 Nature
Dispatch: South Australia to Colorado

Postdocs considering an international move should plan early and allow plenty of time to adjust, says Atma Ivancevic.
- Atma Ivancevic
Career Column27 Feb 2019 Nature
One couple, two cities: How to handle an international career move

Mette Bendixen and Lars Iversen found a creative solution to their ‘two-body problem’.
- Mette Bendixen
- Lars Iversen
Career Column14 Feb 2019 Nature
Lab transitions: The bumpy road to relocation

Faced with a need to move lab, scientists should consider as early as possible how to effect a smooth transition.
- Paul Smaglik
Feature18 Nov 2015 Nature
From academia to industry: seven tips for scientists making the leap

Crystal Romeo Upperman shares her advice after moving out of the lab and into the private sector.
- Crystal Romeo Upperman
Career Column22 Feb 2019 Nature
Five tips for nailing your US-based graduate-school applications

Cristian Román-Palacios discusses how to deal with the bureaucracy and make a great case for yourself.
- Cristian Román-Palacios
Career Column11 Mar 2019 Nature
How to sail smoothly from academia to industry

To beat the stiff competition, highlight your skills in collaboration, teamwork and meeting deadlines.
- Kendall Powell
Career Feature21 Mar 2018 Nature
How to get a funded internship in industry

The US National Science Foundation is expanding an internship programme for graduate students.
- Chris Woolston
Career News11 Sep 2018 Nature
Research gets increasingly international

Big US report documents increases in international collaboration and Chinese science output.
- Alexandra Witze
News19 Jan 2016 Nature
Making a move

Morale, money or moving house can all be reasons for switching labs mid-project. Kendall Powell learns from those who have made the jump with success.
- Kendall Powell
Postdocs and Students19 Jul 2006 Nature
High-pressure research and a return to China: meet Haiyan Zheng

The chemist talks about her work at a Beijing research institute, and about equality in Chinese science.
- Sarah O’Meara
Spotlight20 Mar 2019 Nature
Work abroad: Visa to visit

Researchers working outside their home country should be careful to brush up on local customs.
- Barbra Rodriguez
Feature17 Aug 2016 Nature
Lab relocation roulette: it's your move

Whether your lab lease has expired or it's simply time for more space, moving entails more than just boxes and duct tape.
- Richard Sayre
Bioentrepreneur13 Mar 2009 Bioentrepreneur

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