Working Scientist Keep, lose, add: a checklist for plotting your next career move in science
Oct 2, 2025
Holly Prescott, a careers guidance practitioner at the University of Birmingham, presents her 'Keep, Lose, Add' framework for reflective career planning. Thomas Oxlund shares his journey of embracing unexpected opportunities while shifting between academia and industry. Rashid Sumaila and Dr. Mia Strand discuss the crucial role of transdisciplinary approaches in ocean research and the importance of community engagement. They highlight the skills necessary for early-career researchers to navigate complex interdisciplinary environments.
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Prepare To Catch Unexpected Opportunities
- Planned happenstance trains five qualities to turn chance into opportunity: curiosity, persistence, flexibility, optimism and risk-taking.
- You cannot predict the future, but you can prepare to catch unexpected opportunities.
Use Keep–Lose–Add To Shape Roles
- Use the Keep, Lose, Add framework to shape your next role by listing what to keep, lose and add.
- Reflect on activities, environment, people and work–life balance to guide proactive career moves.
Craft A Convincing Career Narrative
- Articulate a convincing narrative linking past experiences to why you want a new role and what you enjoy.
- Use that narrative in applications and interviews to show relevance and avoid reactive, escape-driven moves.
