Is career planning a linear process? Can you think of an astonishing career that has been precisely scheduled before it even begun? In 99,9% of the time this is not the case. People say that change is the only constant, so why don’t get better at it?

Those kind of questions were flying around Career Days with Food Educators that took place in our Institute. Between December 5 and 7, three groups of high school students from Olsztyn (Uniwersyteckie XII Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Marii i Georga Dietrichów, IV Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Marii Skłodowskiej-Curie w Olsztynie, Gastronomik Olsztyn) in total number of 66 had a chance to learn and experience what scientific career can look like.

– Apart from visiting laboratories of Nutrigenomics (wet lab and bioinformatics), and those related to the Aquaculture (IAR&FR PAS, the Stanisław Sakowicz Inland Fisheries Institute in Olsztyn), students had a chance to talk with the scientists from all over the globe and witness their passion for research. It was a great opportunity to show that it’s more than possible to have a successful and fulfilling international career in Olsztyn – says Maciej Cieślik, Institute’s HR Business Partner and coordinator of Career Days with Food Educators.

But the most important takeaway was that it’s OK not to know what you want to do for the rest of your life, especially when you are young, as long as you are willing to try new things, new paths, and set your mind positively. First step of a successful career is to get to know yourself better, identify your strengths and build on them. It’s never too late to make a change in your career path when the final goal is your happiness. The Career Days, organised by the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, were held within the framework of Food Educators, a programme of the EIT Food, which spreads knowledge about food safety, healthy eating habits, responsible consumer choices, not wasting food and careers in the agri-food sector. Learn more: foodeducators.eu.