The Hidden Realities of Building an Academic Career in Entrepreneurship

Jan de Vries · 2026-09-25

What does it actually take to build a successful academic career in entrepreneurship today? It's a question that rarely gets an honest answer outside closed doors. We're often handed this tidy checklist—publish, secure funding, climb the promotion ladder, build a global reputation. Sounds straightforward, right? But for most scholars, the real journey looks nothing like that neat, upward line. That's exactly what a group of PhD researchers, early-career academics, and seasoned scholars gathered at Trinity Business School in Dublin to unpack. The ECSB Professional Development Workshop created this unique space to ditch the official narratives and talk about the messy, human reality of academic life. ### The Myth of the Straight-Line Career Let's be real. The traditional path feels more like a myth than a map. Academic careers aren't linear. They're full of twists, unexpected turns, and moments where you question everything. One day you're celebrating a publication, the next you're wondering if you've lost your original passion entirely. That's normal. The workshop emphasized that success isn't one-size-fits-all. It's deeply personal. We're all operating in a system obsessed with metrics—publication rankings, impact factors, institutional benchmarks. While these things matter, they can also squeeze the life out of what drew us to scholarship in the first place. The day was really about pushing back against that narrow definition and asking: what does a meaningful career look like to *you*? ### A Day Designed for Real Talk The schedule wasn't your typical lecture-heavy conference. It blended keynotes with hands-on workshops and creative exercises, all aimed at genuine reflection. The tone was set early by Dr. Deirdre McGillicuddy's session on wellbeing and purpose. It was a reminder that self-care isn't a luxury; it's the foundation of sustainable work. After some coffee and networking, people dove into an activity called "Through the Looking Glass," which encouraged everyone to examine their own journeys, aspirations, and the gaps in between. Dr. Briga Hynes then led a crucial discussion on gender, equity, and inclusion. This wasn't just theory. It was a frank look at the structural barriers scholars face and practical ideas for building more inclusive environments. Participants then connected these big-picture talks to their own stories through an exercise called "Picking up the Pieces," identifying personal challenges and their own resilience. After lunch, Professor Gary Kerr ran a session with a provocative title: "Playing the GAME: Understanding What Others Want… Shhhhhh." It was all about decoding the unspoken rules—the expectations of institutions, reviewers, and colleagues. How do you navigate that system without selling out your own values? It was as tactical as it was philosophical. The day wrapped up with a creative pause, where people shared their hopes and fears for the future. It was raw and hopeful. ### So, What's the Takeaway? If there's one thread that ran through the entire workshop, it was this: authenticity matters. Building a career isn't about checking boxes on someone else's list. It's about: - Developing your own scholarly identity - Holding onto your core values - Recognizing that there are many ways to make a meaningful impact The path is rarely clear, and that's okay. The real work is finding your own way through the noise. As one participant noted, "Sometimes the most important discovery isn't in the data, but in remembering why you started collecting it in the first place." That's the kind of reflection this workshop was built for. It wasn't about providing easy answers, but about creating the space to ask better questions.