Early career researchers (ECRs) in the natural sciences work in a high-stakes and individualistic environment. ECRs are afforded a great deal of autonomy, making it crucial to hone effective self-management skills in order to develop a successful research career. Although many factors beyond individual control can influence the professional and personal development of ECRs, we believe that there are steps ECRs can take to increase their chances for a successful research career. We undertook a group effort within the Organization for Human Brain Mapping in order to collect information to help ECRs in self-management. In this article, we covered topics such as taking charge of one’s career development by goal setting and making one’s own opportunities, managing your time properly, tips on taking care of oneself and surrounding oneself with positivity, recognizing and addressing bottlenecks in one’s projects, growing one’s network, mentoring and being mentored, and staying vigilant to opportunities outside science and keeping several doors open. The essence of this set of guidelines is that, in order to move forward in academia, one should (1) be mindful and understand themselves;(2) reach out to people and (3) never stop searching for new opportunities.

In this work, we also discussed alternative career trajectories for PhDs in the natural sciences. We believe that more attention should be dedicated to equalising chances for developing careers in academia and beyond. We also hope that more research studies on optimal conditions and strategies for both non-academic and academic career development will be conducted in the future.