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8
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Dr John Ankers
Details of PhD
Cell biology and mathematics (Systems biology), The University of Liverpool, 2009
Years spent as a postdoc
7 years and 6 months
Current position
Director, specialist tutor and developmental coach at Woolton Tutors and Woolton Coaching
Case study conducted
August 2024.
What’s your background?
I did a BSc in Computer Science at Liverpool, then after a few years away returned to do a PhD in Systems biology. With no laboratory experience, I had a steep learning curve and very patient (or bribable!) colleagues. I was motivated by the challenge, and it was one of the most enjoyable periods of my life.
Why did you move beyond academia?
Unfortunately, my postdoc experience was less fun. Gradually, I felt like less of an individual, less useful maybe, and my enthusiasm waned. You can tell the people who want to progress in academia a mile off, they see the same politics and pomposity and just plough through. Good on ‘em. I wanted a new challenge, so I went looking for it.
Why did you choose the sector you’ve moved into?
Again, I think it’s about identifying where you can be most useful and valued. I noticed that my experience across maths and biology offered a fresh perspective to GCSE and A-level students. Likewise, I like to think I’m approachable, friendly and principled, which helps to build rapport with the academics I coach through their own career crossroads. Loyalty, empathy and trust are qualities that I found lacking in certain areas of academia, so I wanted to give those back.
How did you get this job? Did you face any challenges when considering a move away from academia or applying for the role?
I’d done some tutoring during my PhD, together with a lot of science communication and outreach. I’ve always loved finding a relatable way to convey complex ideas. The tutoring work grew organically by word of mouth, and gradually I carved a niche by listening to what people needed. Later, I won some follow-on funding (kindly offered by The University of Liverpool) towards training as a coach to help postdocs and academics.
What sources of support did you seek while applying for jobs?
I left a couple of years before Prosper was established, and having access to their/your case studies and resources would have helped a lot! Instead, there was a lot of searching the web for people who felt like me, and looking at what they did next. Later (with partial funding kindly offered by a UoL competition) I trained as a coach to help people in my position. I didn’t want anyone else to feel like I did.
How did you approach the job search?
In terms of self-employment or starting a new business, I would say if you can test the water in a low impact/ low-cost way, then this is your first step. Test the ground to see if it supports you before you leap! This is especially true if you have a family. Any advice, often shouted from the internet, along the lines of “Make the bold choice. Do it! Now!” is not always pragmatic. Leap when you’re sure.
What is the workplace culture like? Please include comments on work-life balance, flexibility, remote working?
Productivity and balance were great until my wife started working from home too! Academia is already more flexible than other industries, but I don’t think I’d have seen my family as much as I do if I’d stayed. Home is very important to me, hence my businesses are named after Woolton Village, where I live.
What impressions did you have of employment options beyond academia before
you joined?
Honestly, I was totally focused on the challenge of getting my PhD, then later, during my postdoc, on getting a long-overdue paper published. Carrots were dangled of course – tenure, lecturing etc, - but there were colleagues who lived and breathed science who wanted these positions more and made sacrifices to get them. My enthusiasm was for new paths, new ways of doing things. To that extent, there now seems to be much more open discussion about spin-out companies and transferable skills and “alt-ac” or “post-ac” positions - an acknowledgment (finally) that the majority of postdocs won’t (or can’t) stay in academia. Outreach and science communication would have been an area I would have loved to explore if not for this path, and I still do some writing and consulting in this area.
Can you describe a typical week in your job?
The great benefit of online work, and working for yourself, is flexibility. So, my week is a mixture of coaching clients and tutees from all over the place (UK, Guernsey… UAE recently). Maybe working on critical analysis for then picking my children up from school. One of the biggest factors behind my career choices was so I could see as much of them as possible.
What were the first weeks of being in your new role like?
Nervous. Even for the first year. Had I made the right decision? Was I wasting my niche skills? The doubts still creep up, but I bat them away with memories of how upset and angry I was in my final months in academia
What are your favourite parts of your job?
I love the feeling of ownership and responsibility. Being my own boss. But these benefits bring downsides – even though my work is very people-focused, I miss working as part of a team.
The flexibility and variety of the work keeps it interesting, with everyone’s needs being different. And deciding how to grow something I’ve built from scratch is quite exciting!
Is there anything you miss about academia?
Plenty. I miss the people I was with during my PhD. After I left it felt like I was in a hurry to make a clean break. I should have made more of an effort to stay in touch. It’s the people around you that define a PhD (or a postdoc). What else? - The thrill of discovery was fun, in an unpredictable way… and free sandwiches.
How did being a postdoc prepare you for your current job? For example, what were the transferable skills that you developed in academia that are most relevant to your current job?
There are obvious answers – science communication skills, how to “think like a scientist” etc. But another skills is assessing where to out my time. In research, there is a mountain of questions you could answer, but limited time and resources, so you have to prioritise. Equally so when setting up a business. There's no time to agonise over decisions if there's a family to feed and a competitive marketplace. From the coaching perspective, it’s powerful to be able to say to clients “I’ve been where you are”, when helping them consider their options.
Do former postdocs frequently get hired in the company/sector?
It’s quite common for PhDs and postdocs to have some tutoring experience alongside their academic lives. It provides some extra money, and often perspective on their academic work, too.
Do you have any advice for current postdocs considering a career outside of academia?
Ask yourself where you can be useful. That's a different process to completing a CV, although one helps the other. What is unique about your combination of skills? Look for niches. Listen to people. And above all – don’t limit yourself to searching in one sector, your skills are useful in lots of surprising places.
How would you describe yourself now?
Happy. And in charge. One of the frustrating things about my postdoc was how every idea I had or had with a colleague was whipped away by a PI. Universities often enable this to an extent – requiring every project (even ones directly benefitting the department) to have an associated PI. They weren’t always fair with credit. I once discussed an outreach idea with another group and by the time I’d got back to my desk, their PI had sent a mass email proposing the idea without me. Ideas are currency in academia, protect them.
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