Deciding Between Early-, Mid-, and Late-Career Advisors
One of the most crucial decisions that you will make during the graduate school admissions process is choosing a graduate advisor. Some programs have rotational programs, that will allow you some flexibility to accept a program and decide your principle investigator (PI) later. For other programs, you’ll need to go into the application process with a pretty good idea of who you will choose. Regardless, the advisor you choose will play a significant role in shaping your research interests, mentoring you through the academic process, and helping you achieve your academic goals. When considering a potential advisor, you'll want to keep in mind the pros and cons of advisors at different stages of their career. In this article, we'll explore the benefits and drawbacks of having an early, mid-career, or late-career graduate advisor.
Early-Career Advisors:
An early-career advisor is someone who has recently completed their own Ph.D. and has been a professor for five years or less. Here are some pros and cons of having an early-career graduate advisor:
Pros:
Early-career advisors are often very enthusiastic about their research and teaching, which can be contagious and motivating for students.
An early-career advisor may be more likely to take on a cutting-edge research project that requires creative thinking and new approaches. They may also be more open to new ideas and approaches, which can lead to creative and innovative research projects.
They are typically more accessible to students than more established faculty members, which can be beneficial for students who need extra help or guidance. For instance, an early-career advisor may be more responsive to emails or available for impromptu meetings with their students.
Early-career advisors may have fewer students in their research group, which can result in more one-on-one attention for each student. As a result, students may have a closer relationship with their advisor and benefit from more personalized mentorship.
Having more recently been through graduate school themselves, early-career advisors are often able to be better relate to the unique trials and tribulations of the graduate student experience.
Likewise, having more recently conducted their own independent research, early-career professors are typically more willing and able to get into the weeds of methodology, data collection, and analyses. They tend to be the most up-to-date on the latest and greatest methods, tools, and data sharing. Having someone who is willing to get into the weeds with you on the nitty-gritty details of your work will prove invaluable. However, this person doesn’t have to be your advisor and could be, for example, a senior graduate student or trusted postdoc instead.
Cons:
Early-career advisors may not have as much experience in managing research projects, budgets, or supervising students. As a result, they may struggle with managing time or resources, which can impact their ability to provide the guidance that their students need. For example, an early-career advisor may be less adept at helping students navigate the grant application process or securing lab space.
They may not have the same level of influence or connections in their field as more established faculty members, which could impact their students' access to resources or opportunities. For instance, an early-career advisor may not have as many connections in industry or other academic institutions that could lead to collaborative projects or job opportunities for their students.
Mentor-mentee relationships can be complicated, especially in graduate school where strange power dynamics can play out over many years. Younger mentors may simply not have as much experience navigating the diverse personalities and backgrounds of graduate students they will encounter over the course of their careers. As such, if your personalities don’t play well together, newer PIs may have more difficulty adapting to your needs.
Early-career advisors may have fewer students in their research group, which we also listed as a benefit above. However, this means there are fewer knowledgeable comrades in your lab for you to bounce ideas off of. Having a ladder of later-stage graduate students from your lab can be really useful to lean on to help you with methods that your advisor may not be entirely familiar with.
Early-career advisors may also be more likely to move to different institutions or leave academia entirely, which could disrupt students' research projects or cause them to lose their mentor. An early-career advisor may be more likely to accept a job offer at a different university or decide to pursue a different career path altogether. This could leave you with a difficult choice of moving institutions with them, finding a new advisor at your current university, or leaving grad school sooner than you anticipated.
Mid-Career Advisors:
A mid-career advisor is someone who has been a professor for around 10-15 years and has established a reputation in their field. Here are some pros and cons of having a mid-career graduate advisor:
Pros:
Mid-career advisors have more experience in managing research projects and supervising students, which can lead to more efficient and productive research outcomes. For instance, a mid-career advisor may be more skilled at identifying potential roadblocks in a project and implementing solutions to keep the research on track.
They have typically built up a network of contacts and collaborators, which can be beneficial for students who are looking to expand their own professional network. For example, a mid-career advisor may be able to introduce their students to other researchers in their field or help them secure internships, funding, or job opportunities.
Mid-career advisors may have more resources available to them, such as funding or equipment, which can be beneficial for their students. For instance, a mid-career advisor may be able to secure a larger research grant that could fund multiple student projects
Mid-career advisors may also have large lab groups, with many grad students, postdocs, and research faculty all conducting somewhat similar research. These group dynamics can provide advice and assistance when the advisor is not available, and can expose students to a variety of projects that are similar to, but not the same as their own. This may even result in additional opportunities to be involved in other research, which could result in additional publications.
Cons:
Mid-career advisors may have less time to dedicate to individual students due to their other professional and personal obligations. For example, a mid-career advisor may be more involved in administrative duties or serving on committees, which can take away from the time they can spend with their students.
They may also be more set in their research interests or approach, which could limit students' opportunities to explore different areas or approaches. For instance, a mid-career advisor may be more focused on a specific research area, and their students may not have the same freedom to explore other topics.
Mid-career advisors may also face challenges in balancing their own research and professional obligations with their mentorship duties. For example, they may be pulled in different directions by their research commitments and their students' needs, which can impact the quality of their mentorship.
Late-Career Advisors:
A late-career advisor is someone who has been a professor for more than 20 years and has achieved a high level of seniority in their field. Here are some pros and cons of having a late-career graduate advisor:
Pros:
Late-career advisors have a wealth of experience and knowledge in their field, which can be beneficial for students who are looking for a mentor who can provide them with insight and guidance. For example, a late-career advisor may have a deep understanding of the history of their field or be able to provide students with valuable career advice.
They may also have more resources available to them, such as funding or lab space, which can be beneficial for students. For instance, a late-career advisor may have built up a large research group with many resources that can be used to support students' research.
Late-career advisors have a reputation and network of contacts that can be beneficial for students who are looking to establish themselves in their field. For example, a late-career advisor may be able to introduce their students to other influential researchers or help them secure job opportunities after graduation. Past graduate students from established lab groups may now be in supervisory roles themselves, and they often prefer to hire graduates from the labs they know well.
Cons:
Late-career advisors may be less accessible to students due to their other professional and personal commitments. For example, a late-career advisor may be less available for impromptu meetings or may not respond to emails as quickly as an early-career advisor.
They may also be less open to new ideas or approaches, which could limit students' opportunities to explore different areas or approaches. For instance, a late-career advisor may be more focused on their own research interests and may not be as receptive to exploring new research areas. Young students of late-career professors can at times feel like just a small blip on their advisor’s academic horizon. This potential lack of enthusiasm can be detrimental to the morale of graduate students.
Late-career advisors may also be nearing retirement, which could impact their students' ability to complete their research projects or graduate on time. For example, a late-career advisor may be somewhat ‘checked-out’ and unconcerned with the timeline or progress of their students, which could cause delays or disruptions in the student's research.
Conclusions:
Choosing a graduate advisor is a critical decision that can impact your academic and professional career. As we've explored in this article, there are pros and cons to having an early, mid-career, or late-career advisor. Each stage of a professor's career has its own unique benefits and drawbacks, and it's up to you to decide which factors are most important to your academic goals.
When considering potential advisors, it's essential to conduct thorough research and have conversations with current and former students to gain insight into their experiences. Additionally, it's important to consider factors such as the advisor's communication style, availability, and research interests to ensure a good fit. See this article as well about how to detect and avoid bad advisors.
Ultimately, regardless of the stage of their career, the best advisors are those who are passionate about their research and committed to mentoring their students to achieve their academic and professional goals. Much of the success of a given mentor-mentee pair is simply a matter of compatibility of your personalities and how good each party is at setting and respecting expectations.
