• Question: do you work alone

    Asked by anon-230142 to Sarah, Elena, Anisha on 11 Nov 2019.
    • Photo: Elena Maters

      Elena Maters answered on 11 Nov 2019:

      Not at all – I wouldn’t be able to do my job without working with others. I interact on a regular basis with PhD students, other postdoctoral researchers, professors, and laboratory technicians, both at my own university and around the world (for example through Skype). We have overlapping interests but different backgrounds, skills, or knowledge that together helps us to understand more about the questions that we’re trying to answer and how to approach our research. Being a scientist is very much being a part of a science ‘community’ – all with the goal of increasing human knowledge in our subject areas. Working with others is one of the most exciting things about my job!

    • Photo: Sarah Knight

      Sarah Knight answered on 12 Nov 2019:

      Definitely not! One of the most rewarding and exciting parts of my job is the fact that I work really closely with lots of other people, at lots of different levels: sometimes I’m helping them (like when I teach students), sometimes they’re helping me (like the professor who oversees my research), and sometimes I’m collaborating with people at the same level as me — but whatever and whoever it is, I always learn a lot! It’s also great to have other people around to support me when I’m having a busy or stressful time: science doesn’t always work how you’d expect, and it can be quite hectic, so the help and advice and cups of tea/cake/smiles/hugs my colleagues provide are vital for keeping me smiling! 🙂

    • Photo: Anisha Wijeyesekera

      Anisha Wijeyesekera answered on 12 Nov 2019:

      When i’m analysing data on the computer, or writing papers or grants, yes. But most of the time I am with others – either in the lab, or having meetings, or teaching my students! The best part of being a scientist is being able to share what you are working on with others and working together to solve problems.

Comments

  • Photo: Alex

    Alex commented on :

    Sometimes. Often experiments only need one person to do them, or you are reading and writing scientific papers and reports. But we share and talk about our results, get others to check what we write and we talk about each others research to share get new ideas. So although you might be working by quietly by yourself, you are not alone. There are always people to talk to and work with, which is how you learn and get better at what you do.