Interview with Prof. Dr. Sabita Soedamah-Muthu about her route to professorship and the role of coaching and career strategy.
Last October, the moment had finally arrived. In a packed auditorium, Sabita delivered her inaugural lecture. A moment that felt like a milestone: the result of years of work, research, writing and perseverance. Years in which she conducted research on diabetes and lifestyle, secured grants, supervised PhD candidates, and steadily built her expertise. What had been less self-evident for a long time, was saying out loud where she wanted to go herself. Like many academics, expressing ambition felt uncomfortable. As if it didn’t quite fit with doing careful, modest work. At one point, she truly had to cross a threshold to say out loud that she wanted to become a professor. Something she didn’t really dare to do, but did anyway. Now she sees expressing that ambition as an important turning point in her career. An important step that has also contributed to where she is now.
Following her appointment as professor, Sabita emailed me to thank me for my role as trainer and coach in the Career Strategy Programme, which helped her take significant steps forward. That felt like a beautiful moment to interview her about her experiences, and to share her insights and tips with you as a reader of my e-zine and blog.
Becoming a professor: a milestone, new opportunities and new responsibilities
Since her appointment as professor, a lot has changed. Not so much in what she does, but in how her work is seen. “It’s definitely a major recognition when you are appointed. The research you do and have done comes more into the spotlight. And when you become a professor, you belong to a select group within the university.” With that appointment, a new world also opened up. New networks, different conversations, more visibility. “You are asked for important working groups and think tanks. And doors open: people ask you more often for PhD committees, presentations, grant applications. That also reflects positively on the people in my team with whom I work closely.” At the same time, it’s not only celebration. “There is also a lot involved. You get more status, but also more responsibility. More is expected of you, at least that’s how it feels.” Professorship therefore brings cool opportunities, but also new challenges. Expectations are higher, the agenda fuller, visibility greater.
Expressing ambition in academia: even when it is exciting
That position did not come automatically. A key step was already taken years earlier, when Sabita participated in the Career Strategy Programme. At first she hesitated. “I thought: I’ve done these kinds of courses before, what would this still bring me?” It wasn’t until 2020 that she joined. What surprised her was how personal and practical the programme turned out to be. “It was very tailor made. Everyone brought in their own questions and cases. That made it relatable and inspiring.” A turning point was the moment she decided to apply for a professorship position—while she knew the chances of success were uncertain. “Applying was very important to me. Not because I got the position immediately, but because it showed my ambition.” She probably would not have taken that step without coaching. “You helped me translate my thoughts into concrete actions. Having conversations with leaders, expressing my ambitions, asking questions like: where do you see me in five years? Those are things I otherwise wouldn’t have done so quickly.”
Visibility and positioning: small shifts with a big effect
What Sabita notices now is that visibility and positioning are not only things that happen ‘after the appointment’. They start much earlier. “People now introduce me as professor. That does something. Not because I am different, but because even more weight is now given to what you say.” This also leads to unexpected opportunities. “I meet new people, connections are made quickly. Ideas I’ve been carrying around for longer now gain traction because someone says: hey, maybe we can contribute to that.”
Making time for your own work: focus, writing and the ‘golden hour’
Another insight that has stayed with her is the importance of making time for your own work. “That ‘golden hour’—the first hour of the day for your own writing—was a real eye-opener for me. As a supervisor you often put others first, but then your own work is left behind.” That shift—allowing yourself that time—proved essential. “It helped me realize: my own research work is also worth investing time in.”
Advice for academics with ambition: what Sabita would like to pass on to others
Looking back, Sabita is clear about what helped her—and what she would recommend to others: “Don’t be too modest in communicating your ambitions.”
In addition:
• Seek out people who think along with you: a coach, mentor or colleague.
• Focus not only on what needs improvement, but also on what you are strong in.
• Gather a diverse team of colleagues around you to collaborate with on research.
• Realize that not everyone needs to become a professor, but that self-reflection helps everyone move forward.
“In the beginning my focus was mainly on what I needed to improve myself. Later I learned: you don’t have to be able to do everything. In teams you can strengthen each other.”
Ambition, coaching and career development: a reflection
Sabita’s story shows that growth does not start with an appointment, but with the moment you allow yourself to take ambition seriously. By putting into words what you want, even if the outcome is uncertain. Professorship brings great opportunities and new responsibilities. But the movement that precedes it—being less modest, making yourself visible—is at least as important.
What would you express, if you held yourself back just a little less?