“Ask Yourself: Does This Role Fulfill the Aspects I Enjoy in My Current Career Path?”

In our interview with Rebecca (Becca) Hirst, she tells about her roles as a Chief Science Officer at a company that develops behavioral experiment tools, while still working as a postdoctoral researcher 1 day a week. She shares her enthusiasm for experimental methodologies and shares practical advice including the importance of developing a strong online presence and coding skills. Her current position has a lot of strengths relative to academic careers, including stability and flexibility. Finally, Becca asks us to think about what we like about academia and how might industry roles also fulfill those aspects.