It’s not just PhD students. Many professional careers have similar issues. In law and accountancy, the big promotion to partner typically comes between 35 and 40 - so ambitious professional women often have hard choices to make. 1/n https://twitter.com/kuintzle/status/1380555482478219264

I was lucky - I had a fast run to partnership and made it at 32; I became pregnant less than a year later.

I knew I wanted children but also wanted a career; it worked well for me getting partnership first - but it’s not possible for many people.

2/n

The downside was that I then combined a very demanding career with young children.

If I were making the decision again, I might well have had the children earlier and taken a different career path - but I don’t regret what I did.

3/n

The path to partnership has got longer and now it’s typically late 30s or even early 40s.

Those wondering why the number of senior women in the profession stays well below 50% need to talk openly about this and recognise the structural barriers.

4/n

If you are in, say, your late 20s & likely to want children, you will probably make career choices that leave your options open.

That may well mean a move to a more flexible role, or going in house which is still demanding, but IMO (I’ve done both) more possible to control. 5/n

In my view the career ladder doesn’t need to be an escalator, on which you move up or get off. It should be feasible to rest on a landing for a while - continuing to contribute but not actively seeking promotion - and then step back on when you are ready.

6/n