I did my undergraduate degree, master’s, PhD, and postdoc at four different universities in three different countries. Along the way, I worked with many people and made friends from almost every part of the world. Across my studies and internships, I had more than eight supervisors and mentors, and I also learned about many other supervisors through colleagues, friends, and even strangers I met at conferences. With all of this experience—both firsthand and from what I’ve heard from others—I’d like to share a few lessons that I wish someone had told me at the beginning of my research journey.
In general, a supervisor plays a very important role in your success. I have seen many average people become very successful by working with a knowledgeable and supportive supervisor. The PhD stage is when the supervisor’s role is especially important compared to other stages of study, because it is longer and more challenging.
Who Is a Great Supervisor?
A great supervisor is both knowledgeable and supportive—and support is just as important as expertise. They help introduce you to their professional network, which can be valuable for your next stage, such as a PhD, postdoc, or internship.
They should also have a reasonable response time and be available to meet when needed.
A good PhD supervisor helps you develop ideas and guides your research. Some people say, “It’s your PhD; I already got mine,” but truly good supervisors still provide guidance and support throughout the process.
Being supportive is especially important when it comes to writing recommendation letters, particularly if you plan to stay in academia. I have seen cases where a supervisor—even a department chair at a U.S. university—failed to submit recommendation letters for a student on time. Sometimes they even ignored requests to upload a previously written letter because they claimed they were too busy. Situations like this can seriously harm a student’s opportunities.
How can you evaluate a supervisor before working with them?
- Check their Google Scholar profile to see how productive they are. (Of course, productivity standards vary by field.)
- Talk to former students who have already graduated and left the lab. You can usually find their names on the professor’s website. Try contacting them by email or LinkedIn. Assure them that the conversation will remain confidential—and make sure you truly keep it confidential.
In many cases, if a supervisor is problematic, at least some former students are willing to share their experiences so that others do not fall into the same situation.
What should you do if your supervisor is not great?
If your supervisor is neither helpful with your research nor respectful in their behavior, consider changing supervisors as soon as possible and do not waste your time. It is often difficult to make such a change, but if you do not address the problem now, you may regret it later and wonder why you did not act sooner.