My manager’s decision planted a
seed of self-doubt. Was he right?
Was I asking for too much? But I
reminded myself that I had already
proved I could be an effective scien-
tist on a part-time schedule. During
my 7 years as a university researcher
working part time—a common
choice among working mothers in
the Netherlands—my career had
flourished. With rigorous time man-
agement and organization, I got at
least as much good work done in
4 days a week as others did on full-
time schedules.
When I left my university post
for the biotech company, spurred
by the desire for my work to reach
patients, I expected that I would
be able to grow professionally and
advance my career there. I had
the impression that the company
valued performance and ambition. But now I was being
told that I should be happy in my current role as a trouble-
shooter, rather than the project leader I aspired to be.
A friend suggested that I reach out to senior managers
about opportunities in other departments. At first, I reso-
lutely rejected that idea. Didn’t he understand? I wanted to
work on antibodies and nothing but antibodies! That was
what I knew, where I felt I could add the most value. And
yet, I did not want to leave this cool company just because
of one unsupportive manager.
With little expectation that it would lead anywhere,
I approached the three senior managers. One did not
respond. One had nothing to offer. The third invited me
to chat. He patiently listened to my story, asked what I
was looking for, and then—in the blink of an eye—told
me that I was welcome to join him in building a vaccine
research unit. I stuttered that I knew nothing about vac-
cines. He waved nonchalantly and said, “You will learn.You are smart and willing to work
hard. You will make it.”
The reassurance was exactly
what I had been looking for, but I
was still shaken by my manager’s
lack of confidence in me. Could I
really handle a high-responsibility
role in a completely new field?
A few sleepless nights later, I de-
cided that taking a chance on the
unknown was better than staying
in a position that made me miser-
able. The worst thing that could
happen was that I would fail. But
I already felt like a failure, so why
not try it?
I soon discovered a new passion.
My career path within the company
opened up. I took on more respon-
sibilities, developed new skills,
expanded my scientific horizons,
worked with great people, and led
fantastic projects—all because of a change that had felt
forced on me. It had pushed me further than I was willing
to go, further than I thought I could cope with, and taught
me that when I step out of my comfort zone, I find my most
creative, productive self.
More than 10 years later, antibodies—my scientific “first
love”—crossed my path again in the form of an exciting, chal-
lenging position that demanded a major life change, compli-
cated by my recent divorce. I would have to leave my home
and community, start again in another country, and find a
way to co-parent across borders. After many discussions, I
asked my son whether he would go abroad with me. With-
out lifting his eyes from his Minecraft game, he responded,
“Pourquoi pas?” I couldn’t have said it better myself. jKatarina Radoševic ́ is global head of biologics research at
Sanofi in Paris. She thanks Andrea Dingemans for editorial
support. Send your story to [email protected].“When I step out of my
comfort zone, I find my most
creative, productive self.”Forced to change—for good
C
an’t stop loving you ... ” My 3-year-old son was singing along with Phil Collins from his car seat.
We were on our commute, spending a few hours of quality time in Dutch rush-hour traffic. But
I was not in the mood to sing along. My manager at the biotech company where I had been
working for a bit more than a year had just told me that, in spite of my excellent performance,
he did not foresee giving me more responsibilities in the near future. I was working part time
so that I could spend more time with my young children, and he believed the career growth I
sought required a full-time employee. The message hit me hard. But it precipitated a change that, in
the end, taught me the power of embracing opportunities, no matter where they come from.By Katarina Radoševic ́
ILLUSTRATION: ROBERT NEUBECKER1442 21 DECEMBER 2018 • VOL 362 ISSUE 6421 sciencemag.org SCIENCE
WORKING LIFE
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