– Laura Wong and Ruby Barcklay
Landing a role at Berkeley Lab is a big milestone, but figuring out how to thrive and grow your career in our unique, matrixed ecosystem is a different challenge. At the Lab, where many of our staff have decades-long careers, success is built on genuine curiosity, proactive visibility, change readiness, and personal career alignment.
Proactive Visibility and Networking
Doing good work is the baseline, but the panelists also emphasized the importance of pushing past comfort zones to become visible across the Lab and beyond.
Branden: Careers are often shaped by chance encounters, but you have to put yourself out there to trigger them.
Melanie: There are many opportunities to meet people at the Lab. A friendly opening or closing to your email could create an opportunity to strengthen your connection. Ask a colleague to lunch or for a walk. Share work wins and challenges. Join an employee resource group and join meetings or book clubs.
Greg: Applying for positions or forming teams for grant proposals, even if they aren’t ultimately successful, are still great opportunities. They allow you to meet new people, showcase your expertise, and introduce your capabilities to colleagues across the Lab.
Inder: Networking can be intimidating for some. But you don’t necessarily need to meet the 50 people in a room, but just make a connection with three. Show genuine interest in what others are doing.
Branden: As an introvert, one thing that has worked for me is to make a friend who is an extrovert. Your friend can help make introductions. Early in my career at the NIH, my boss opened a lot of doors for me. Also, always do really good work. You’ll be noticed. Then, don’t let go of the connections you’ve made. Follow up with those people you’ve worked with.
Career Planning, Change Readiness, and Agility
Instead of just reacting to organizational changes, panelists advocated for a proactive mindset: change readiness.
Melanie: In your first few years at the Lab, take time to learn the different career paths available that align with your interests and long-term goals, and understand where each path can lead, whether it’s an operations or technical role.
Greg: As a postdoc at the Lab, I applied to the Early Career Development LDRD program. The application process allowed me to meet with Division Directors and senior management across my Area, which helped me understand how to position myself for long-term success. Additionally, engaging in research outside my main project helped lay the groundwork for my next career step.
Lady: It’s important to have the mentality of change readiness. Try to foresee what changes may occur down the pike. Understand more broadly how your role fits into your team, the Lab, industry, and society.
Creating Change
Lady: If you are trying to create change, you need to lay the groundwork. Steamrolling doesn’t work here at the lab. We’re an organization that’s built on trust, so you need to gauge your organization’s readiness and bring people along with you. Leadership at the Lab often means leading without formal authority; you need to use your influence.
The Power of “Champions” and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
At the Lab, many people, from early career staff to senior leaders, experience self-doubt and imposter syndrome. The antidote is building a mutual support ecosystem.
Branden: Not surprisingly, I experienced imposter syndrome when I worked at the White House. It’s helpful to cultivate a professional social circle where you actively champion others, and they actively champion you. You need peers to push you into roles you think you aren’t ready for.
Lady: Do excellent work. If you are a reliable, consistent, and good colleague, your reputation will do the heavy lifting.
Inder: I totally agree. If you’re excited about your work, others will reflect your excitement.
Define Success on Your Own Terms
The panel also touched on personal career alignment and well-being.
Branden: Rather than focusing on a particular job or title, identify the projects that you are proud of and that motivate you, and figure out how to find a position that allows you to do more of that.
Melanie: To me, success is not about the position or the money, but how I feel about my job and whether my career supports the life I want to live.
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