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How realistic is it to AIM for a career as a senior academic researcher today?

Research feels almost like a vocation to me because what motivates me most is the possibility of contributing new knowledge. If that contribution isn't realistic, I'm not sure pursuing science would make sense for me. For context, I am now considering neuroscience, or maybe molecular genetics.
I don't see myself in clinical practice or teaching in secondary school. What I hope for is a career centred on research, ideally combined with university teaching, scientific writing and public engagement.

From your experience, is this still a realistic ambition today? Does academia still allow people to spend most of their careers doing meaningful research, or has the reality changed so much that I should rethink my expectations? If you were advising an 18-year-old with this motivation, would you still encourage them to pursue this path?

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Emily’s Answer

Hi! I think it’s a realistic goal, but it’s also important to go into it with realistic expectations. A career as a senior academic researcher is possible, but it’s very competitive and usually involves many years of education, research experience, and persistence. Along the way, there can be challenges like applying for grants, publishing papers, and competing for faculty positions, so research often involves more than just doing experiments. That said, if you’re genuinely motivated by discovering new knowledge and enjoy the process of asking questions and solving problems, I wouldn’t let the competitiveness discourage you. My advice would be to get involved in research as early as you can, whether through university labs or internships, because that will help you figure out if you enjoy the day-to-day reality of academic research. Even if your goals evolve over time, the skills you gain through research can open doors to careers in academia, industry, biotechnology, and other scientific fields. I think it’s absolutely worth exploring if it’s something you’re passionate about.
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Juan’s Answer

Hi Giulia,
I can't speak for academic researchers in Italy as I am based in the USA, but I will give my advice. Hopefully you will find it helpful.

I majored in chemistry for the same reason as you and decided to go into industry instead of academia for a variety of reasons:

1. Job fulfillment : Doing laboratory research can be very difficult and lonely at times. Becoming an expert in your field (a PhD is presumably in your future) means contributing to a very small niche subject that may not have a lot of movement or development. This can become intellectually uninspiring (due to lack of feedback) at best or depressing at worst if you are used to external fulfillment or recognition for your work.

2. Long work hours: Some of my lab work involved studying pathogens and bacteria and spending more than 36 hours working or running samples at very early morning (think 3am shifts) because that is when the biological samples were ready for analysis. Bacteria doesn't go on vacation! Take job burnout into serious consideration.

3. Time spent in bureaucratic duties: How are your writing skills? Do you enjoy it? Most the tenure track professors I worked with in university spent most of their time writing grants or developing teaching engagements (preparing lecture slides) so that they could fund their research. Not much time doing lab work. Teaching experience is unavoidable if you want to stay in academia.

4. Opportunities to contribute to new knowledge outside of Academia: Plenty of companies have their own innovation departments that need passionate students like you to build their next product. Thinking like a scientist has so many applications. This was my main reason for leaving the academic research route. I could find fulfillment doing "research" for a company, which was still new knowledge, but for a specific application that led to real-world products being sold. I found that more rewarding.

Would I go back in time and change majors? Never! I loved my college experience because of my passion in chemistry. So, if you have a passion for neuroscience/molecular genetics then do that! The number one thing I would recommend is to remain flexible. Get at least one internship or Co-Op in industry to test what it's like working in industry. You never know what opportunities will come! The one constant in life is that things are always changing.
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Margaret’s Answer

Of course it's still realistic but it can't hurt to also have a backup plan. As a high schooler you can look into summer programs, internships, or volunteer events centered around research that are typically held by local Colleges/Universities and Biotech companies. There you can meet other students who are interested in and get some experience before committing to a major in college. Even though academia has taken a hit there are still a good number of technician and entry-level researcher roles whether it's in academia, industry, working in QA/QC, or working in biomanufacturing/production.
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