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Burnout, Surfing, and the Birth of a Portfolio Career
15 days ago•Source: Business Insider
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Former FBI Profiler Walks Away After Trauma Follows Her Home
Former FBI profiler Jana Monroe says decades of studying violent crime bled into her home life, prompting her to hide every kitchen knife as occupational hypervigilance; burnout led her to quit profiling, later returning to the FBI as the cyber division’s assistant director, and she says the experience helped her see the good in people again.
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From Code to Blueprint: A Coder’s Pivot to Baby Blue-Collar Life
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Is a Nine-to-Five PhD Feasible? Readers Share Real-World Experiences
Nature’s readers say there is no universal nine-to-five PhD: a poll found about 20% of PhD students logged up to 40 hours a week, while the majority worked longer—some 80 hours or more—depending on topic, supervision, and field. While theoretical or mid-career paths can allow tighter schedules, experimental labs and pressure to publish often make a strict 9-to-5 impractical; overall the viability of a nine-to-five PhD hinges on topic, supervisory support, and institutional culture.
Call Aversion Comes at a Cost for Young Professionals
A RiseGuide survey of 2,000 Gen Z and millennial workers finds many avoid calls, rehearse conversations, and report lost earnings or opportunities, a trend dubbed 'callergy' driven by a preference for texting, digital workarounds, and prescheduled calls with clear agendas.
Laid off from Meta, a data scientist bets on an AI-powered career pivot
A 24-year-old Meta data scientist, Moyan Chen, was laid off in May after less than a year on the job and says AI-driven changes are prompting her to abandon the traditional corporate ladder. She plans a pivot toward AI-focused work, content creation, and possibly an AI startup or career coaching, using severance to explore options. Chen believes AI will replace many repetitive analytics tasks and that data scientists will need broader skills beyond coding and SQL, fueling a shift toward roles that align with her values and interests as she documents her journey online.
AI Era Dims Cover Letters as Employers Seek Visible Skills
AI is accelerating the decline of traditional cover letters in hiring. Major firms have stopped requiring them, and recruiters increasingly rely on signals like recommendations, classroom performance, referrals, side projects, and verifiable skills demonstrated through live assessments or portfolios rather than polished AI-generated letters. The trend is toward a ‘show your work’ approach, with candidates highlighting concrete abilities and outcomes through resumes, LinkedIn profiles, GitHub projects, and real-world demonstrations rather than relying on standard cover letters—though writing remains valuable in some fields.
Gen Z’s first-job hunt is tougher than millennials, new data show
Fortune reports Gen Z grads face a notably tougher job market than their millennial predecessors: about 58% of 2024–2025 graduates were still seeking their first job, and only around 12% landed full-time work by graduation, compared with higher prior-generation rates; globally, about 4.3 million Gen Z are NEETs, with UK NEETs rising too. AI-enabled hiring and a squeeze on entry-level roles are shrinking opportunities, prompting grads to pursue unconventional paths and urging earlier entry into the workforce as the traditional college-to-career promise weakens.
Pivoting After Graduation: Pursuing Public Policy Abroad
After years of applying to 100+ entry-level jobs and juggling multiple gigs, the author pivots from journalism to public policy, deciding to pursue a master’s degree abroad in France with a scholarship to boost competitiveness and focus on women’s health, while continuing to network and volunteer with nonprofits.
Ghost Years, Real Growth: Why a Quiet Research Period Isn’t Failure
A scientist recounts a five-year gap without first- or corresponding-author papers, arguing that slow, formative work and supportive mentors can lay the groundwork for later success, and offers strategies to resist 'publish or perish' pressures by valuing long research timelines and providing sustaining support for researchers.
When a PhD supervisor turns toxic: practical steps to protect your health and career
A second-year PhD student in environmental science in China reports chronic verbal abuse and lack of guidance from a supervisor, triggering severe depression. Nature’s Careers panel advises prioritizing mental health (via trusted peers and university counseling), documenting exchanges, and seeking help from anti-bullying networks like the Academic Parity Movement. It also suggests clarifying expectations with concrete, structured feedback to obtain actionable guidance, while acknowledging cultural power dynamics that can complicate the relationship. Depending on the situation, options range from improved communication to formal reporting or changing supervisors, with well-being as the primary priority.
Pivot to new frontiers: how three UK researchers say to switch fields
Switching research fields can spur innovation, but timing and fit matter: early pivots may hurt productivity, while later moves can be more successful as interdisciplinarity grows to tackle complex problems. Three UK leaders—Mary Collins, Paul Nurse and Jenny Read—offer practical advice: gain exposure to the new field through a secondment or travelling fellowship; identify a resonant question and the skills you’ll need; choose institutions with flexible cultures and open hiring practices; and be bold in pursuing opportunities, including cold emails. Build resilience with self-teaching and networks, and use AI as a learning aid, all while staying aware of your limits and aiming for environments that support cross-disciplinary work.
Stagecraft for Scientists: How performers can sharpen science talks
A Nature Careers column argues scientists can boost audience engagement by borrowing stagecraft from actors, comedians and musicians—start with a gripping opening, own the space, check tech in advance, vary pace and voice, use movement, and blend images, jokes and narrative to keep audiences informed, inspired, and more likely to collaborate.