Have you ever wondered what truly ignites your passion? For me, it’s microbes. But it wasn’t until my postdoc that I stumbled upon the idea of turning that passion into a career.
If you’ve ever felt a deep connection to a scientific field but wondered how to translate that into a meaningful career, this story is for you. Despite my love for science, traditional career paths felt limiting. The realization that science communication was the right path for me came with its own set of challenges, especially in balancing personal and professional aspirations.
The solution for me was founding my own science communication business. This blog post encapsulates the pivotal moments and insights that led to the creation of Joyful Microbe, a platform where I share the wonders of the microbial world.
In this journey, you’ll learn the importance of identifying your passion, exploring diverse communication channels, honing essential skills, embracing challenges, and targeting your audience. Join me as we delve into the realm of science communication. Through my story, you’ll gain insights into crafting your path in science communication, building a fulfilling career from your passion, and fostering a deeper connection with your audience. At the end, I’ll share some tips that will help you on your own science communication journey.
It wasn’t until my postdoc that I figured out that I wanted to do science communication as a career.
It took me some time—until my postdoc—to figure out that I wanted to be a science communicator. As a researcher, one of my favorite aspects of the job was explaining my research (or really anybody’s research) to people. During my PhD, I didn’t consider the idea of communicating science as a career path, though. Honestly, it didn’t even occur to me. My plan was to continue doing research in some capacity after my PhD. But during my postdoc, I discovered that science communication was a viable career path after a PhD, and so I began to seriously consider this option for myself.
It all started to click. I love chatting about science. And even though I don’t particularly like public speaking, I enjoy creating presentations, and I take pride in communicating clearly, doing my best to make sure my audience doesn’t fall asleep or start scrolling through their emails or Twitter.
Normally, what people do when they want to get into science communication is they find a job with a particular company at a particular location and then move there. But that wasn’t going to work for me, because my husband’s job takes him to more rural locations, where science communication jobs are sparse. We had already lived apart during my PhD, and I wasn’t ready to do that again. So, I needed to figure out a way to do science communication work from home, which is what led me to start my own science communication business.
Starting a business of any sort is not an insignificant aspiration. And in fact, the process is scary, but I felt capable and simply dug in. I read any resource I could get my hands on about writing in general and science writing in particular as well as books about business. The more I read, the more excited I became. I couldn’t wait to have my very own business where I could communicate the science I love.
Science communication through Joyful Microbe
While I was doing my research on how to start a science communication business and was still at my postdoc, I realized that I needed to start writing in the non-academic sphere to build up a portfolio of science communication samples. So, I began to consider the idea of having my own blog.
Blogging had appealed to me for a long time. In fact, I started a blog—wrote one blog post—in 2012 right before I moved to Austin, TX for graduate school. My plan was to blog about my experience as a graduate student. But graduate school overwhelmed me, and honestly, somewhere in there, I completely forgot about my blog. My one blog post is still out there, and if you want to read it, send me an email and I’ll share the link (maybe).
When I revisited the idea of blogging, I initially thought the blog would be about science in general. Maybe I would answer common science questions and clear up misconceptions. But I realized that there was only one science topic I would always be excited to write about: microbes. So, Joyful Microbe was born in October 2018, and it’s been one of my favorite projects I’ve ever worked on. I want to work on it constantly so I can share the microbial world with everyone—well, anyone who will listen.
What fueled me the most in starting Joyful Microbe is that there’s this huge negativity around microbes. In fact, most people think of them as germs, which has a negative connotation. But germs—the microbes that cause infections—are only a small fraction of the microbes out there. I want to help people get away from the “germs are scary, so let’s kill all of them” mentality. Through Joyful Microbe, I aim to create a more positive image of microbes while also educating folks about the scary ones, because they do exist and should be taken seriously.
Microbes in Arkansas
Joyful Microbe has allowed me to explore science communication and helped solidify my desire to start a science communication business. At the end of February 2019, I finished my postdoc, because my husband and I moved from Mississippi to Arkansas for my husband’s job. For those of you who have not read my first Joyful Microbe blog post, my husband is an agricultural pilot (crop duster), so his job takes us to the areas of the US where the agriculture is happening—as I said, rural locations where science communication jobs are sparse. So, that gave me the opportunity to make the leap to start my freelance microbial science communication business full time.
Moving to a new place has been a blast! We’re in the hilly part of Arkansas, which is beautiful. And the microbes here are utterly blowing my mind (see photos below). Almost every night I take a walk on the trails and make a new discovery. I’ve seen mushrooms (fruiting bodies of fungi), lichens (fungi + cyanobacteria/algae), and slime molds (protists). Seeing a slime mold in the wild was a definite highlight for me. When I saw something bright yellow on the trail, I said to myself, “Is that what I think it is?” and it became clear as I walked closer that it was indeed a slime mold. I looked around to see if there was anyone else on the trail to share the moment with. Alas, no one was there, so I took pictures and videos and shared them with whoever would pay attention. Also, the moss here is gorgeous—it is home to microbes such as tardigrades (water bears). Of course, moving to a new place has its challenges, like making new friends. But I trust that will happen in due time.
Tips for Starting Your Science Communication Journey
Inspired by my journey, here are some key takeaways to consider as you embark on your own science communication adventure:
- Identify Your Passion: It all starts with a love for a particular scientific field. Just like microbes ignite my curiosity, find a scientific area that sparks your passion. This enthusiasm will fuel your creativity and help you connect with your audience on a deeper level.
- Explore Different Channels: There’s no one-size-fits-all approach! I use my blog and podcast, Joyful Microbe, to share my knowledge, but there are many avenues to explore. Consider creating science-themed content for social media platforms, podcasts, or even YouTube channels.
- Build Your Skills: Strong communication is key in science communication. Work on refining your writing, presentation, and audience engagement skills. Remember, the goal is to make science clear, engaging, and accessible.
- Don’t Be Afraid to Start Small: My blog began as a passion project. Start by creating content you enjoy, like blog posts, social media content, or short science explainer videos. As you build your audience and portfolio, you can expand your reach.
- Embrace New Opportunities: Life throws curveballs, but they can also open doors. My move to Arkansas presented challenges, but it also allowed me to launch my freelance science communication business full-time. Be adaptable and explore unexpected opportunities that might arise.
- Target Your Audience: While Joyful Microbe caters to a general audience, consider tailoring your content for specific demographics or scientific interests. There’s a world of science enthusiasts out there, so identify your niche and speak directly to them.
Remember, science communication is a journey, not a destination. My story is a testament to how dedication, passion, and exploration can lead to a fulfilling career in science communication. Now it’s your turn to embark on this exciting adventure.
Looking for more science communication resources? Check out my resources page.
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