A lifeline for emerging academics

[extract from Introduction] We believe that each of our journeys is a highly personalised one. Each of us will make our own way and in our own particular style. Understanding yourself and how you are located within your context is key to engaging productively and positively with a career in academia. This chapter then might be better framed as a lifeline for any academic seeking insights as he or she pursues an academic career. This is a personalised story of how we have fashioned productive academic lives, and includes the advice we would most like to give to others in positions similar to ours