Tips for ECRs?

[JeanneDeMontbaston]

Hi,

I figured since this new section exists, I should put this here. I'm an English Lit ECR, submitted my PhD in 2013 and graduated 2014. I'm on my first postdoc, which is a temp teaching job, mostly lecturing/admin/marking plus some freelance class teaching. I love it and really feel well supported in terms of the teaching experience. Obviously, though, it's not wonderful in terms of getting research done. I've submitted an article which is in the late stages of review and I'm kicking my PhD into a book proposal at the moment. I also have some drafting towards the next book and I've got a draft of an article towards that, which will be a chapter.

Annnyway, that's all very boring really (just wanted to give context). What were the best tips you had as an ECR? What's worked for you? I need to motivate myself and get working.

Hello this is my very first post on mn!

Same PhD completion date as Maud and I'm pretty sure I still count as an ECR (esp. due to taking maternity leave, which isn't counted).
I second Jeffreys: very best advice is learn to say 'no' to things. In my dept. (also humanities) I see the young female ECRs getting dumped on again and again, especially with anything remotely pastoral. You've got to learn to say 'no' to at least some of this or you'll end up as the office dogsbody.

Good luck, though! & well done for scoring your first postdoc, you're on the right track.