Pathfinder Career Narratives is an ongoing series tracking the career choices and experiences of doctoral graduates. You can see all of the posts in the series here. You can find all the Pathfinder resources and opportunities here. Today’s blog is written by Dr Caitlin McDonald, InFrame Project Coordinator at the University of St Andrews. You can find Dr McDonald on LinkedIn and read more about InFrame here.
Name: Caitlin McDonald
Doctorate subject area and year of completion: Film and Literature, 2018
Role and employer: InFrame Project Coordinator, University of St Andrews
Approximate salary bracket for this type of role: £37,000 – £45,000
I remember the moment where it hit me: “That is what I want to do”. I was an undergraduate sitting in my favourite spot in the lecture theatre listening to the joy and passion for the subject radiate from the lecturer. You get to talk about something that you love all day, and write about it, too? I’m in!
A few years later, while I was doing my PhD (under the supervision of the former mentioned wonderful lecturer), I found myself standing in the same lecture theatre, hoping I could imbue even half the knowledge and passion to the class sitting in front of me. Goal achieved, right? Well maybe not.
What I hadn’t seen when I was that undergrad was the pressures put on academics: the tightrope of balance between teaching and research, the precarious contracts, the late nights marking essays and responding to emails, and the cuts and devaluing of the Humanities across the sector. I spent years working in a part-time administrative role in the legal sector as I couldn’t rely solely on hourly-paid teaching contracts to pay my bills and due to family commitments, I wasn’t willing to move to the other end of the country (never mind overseas) for a job.
I loved the subject and the idea of being an academic, but I had to admit that perhaps the lifestyle wasn’t for me. In the year following my graduation I was in a catch-22, of not having published recently enough to get hired as a lecturer in an over-saturated job market, but I was too exhausted and burnt out to focus properly on my research. One pandemic later, change was needed!
The University of Dundee had created a Doctoral Academy, something which didn’t exist when I did my PhD there. A maternity cover coordinator role had become available, so I applied for it on a whim and started in October 2022. The job was varied, with everything from basic admin work, running induction sessions, supporting recruitment, organising researcher development and social events for PGRs and providing pastoral support where needed. I made friends with my colleagues, and enjoyed the job, so when a permanent contract became available, I jumped at the opportunity.
I loved hearing about the research that was going on across the university and helping PGRs through their journey, but I still felt that something was missing. I was grieving for the career that never quite took off and losing my identity as an academic. The more I heard about other people’s research, the more I missed my own. This invigorated me to start writing again and, a few publications later, I was lucky enough to be invited to speak about my research at the British Film Institute. After speaking on stage, and to those in the audience after, I realised that it was my career in the professional services side of HE that made this possible for me. With standard working hours, I was able to have more of a work/life balance where I could earn a living, spend a little time on my research, and support my family without completely burning out.
I like to think of myself as a “research hobbyist”, where I can do a little research and writing for myself and my own enjoyment, rather than to hit targets and I feel a great sense of freedom not having to worry about journal metrics! If only one person reads something that I have written, then I am happy and I am embracing a new identity of “researcher who supports other people’s research”.
I now work at the University of St Andrews as project coordinator for the InFrame project, in partnership with the universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. The project aims to improve research culture, through leadership and collegiality at all levels. My experiences throughout my career have shown me the importance of amplifying voices from researchers, research support staff and PGRs of all levels, and I love working in a team with such a diverse range of expertise and knowledge. I enjoy being able to switch from one task to another throughout the day and the array of people I speak to each week satisfies my natural curiosity. The experience of balancing the demands of completing a PhD while teaching and working in another sector was also the perfect practice for managing conflicting priorities in a large-scale project over 3 institutions!
The main thing that I have learned on this path is that it is completely fine to branch off and try something new and that you should seek out supportive peers and mentors who will encourage you to do so. I’ve been in the incredibly privileged position of having supervisors and managers who had my best interests in mind and who have pushed me to try new things, but there is also a wonderful network of HE professionals out there who are willing to help if you reach out to them. Most people who work in research do it because they want to improve the world in some way, and that (usually!) extends to helping others as well.
Many people go into a PhD with a fixed mindset of what they will get out of it, but a bit of flexibility allows you to work to your strengths and nurture your wellbeing at the same time. At the time of my graduation, I don’t think I realised exactly how many varying opportunities there are for those with a doctorate. The longer I have worked in HE, the more I realise how much is out there and I am constantly learning more. What works for one person won’t necessarily work for you, but that’s ok, HE as a sector is constantly evolving, and you can, too.
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