How to Find a Good PhD Supervisor: Choose the Mentor, Not Just the Topic
Starting a PhD is an exciting chapter. When you get the chance for an interview, or a prospective position is in sight, it is tempting to just go all in right away. However, a mistake that happens far too often is that we only look at whether the research topic fits our interests, and we don't care as much about the lab environment or the supervisor.
In reality, and this is just my personal opinion, the supervisor is far more important. Of course, we all want to study a topic that fits our interests perfectly. But have you ever enjoyed work when the environment, the people, or the mentors were not supportive? When you did not feel comfortable in their company?
Take a city trip as an example. You can visit the most exciting city in the world, but if your tour guide is unsupportive, rigid, or entirely absent, it will be a miserable experience. You won't get to enjoy your stay.
We often underestimate the impact of mentorship and also community on our experiences. In the end, this makes the experience.
The same goes for academia.
A fascinating research topic won't protect your mental well-being if your supervisor doesn't support your growth.
Alright, having hopefully made that point, let's circle back to finding a good PhD supervisor (the lab itself is also important, but we will tackle that another time).
I will be upfront - I had the best supervisor. With that said, however, he would not have been the perfect fit for everyone (sorry, prof - but it’s an universal truth ;) ).
Here’s how you can figure it out for yourself based on your own needs.
Know your working style
How do you work best? Do you prefer independence, or close guidance?
Guidance is not a bad thing at all - it can mean that you learn best from inspiration, or by having a solid foundation first.
Do you prefer regular check-ins, or would you rather update each other whenever you have new results?
No matter if they are good or bad, discussions with your supervisor are always important to make sure you progress as fast, efficiently, and successfully as possible.
Do you need strict working hours, or do you thrive with flexible attendance?
These are really important questions that you should have answers to beforehand. And there’s no universal right or wrong, just personal ones. You will likely have a good idea already, since you have been studying for several years by now.
Talk to people who know the professor
When doing this, don't limit yourself to the people currently in that lab. While they have the most direct experience, they might feel some hesitation in sharing everything since they are dependent on them. Try reaching out to PhD students in neighbouring labs instead. They often discuss exactly these things with each other.
Just remember to be respectful and never tie any statements back to the original source. Protecting your sources matters, but ignoring warnings might lead you straight into a toxic lab environment.
Check how long it takes to complete a PhD under this supervisor
Unfortunately, PhD students can sometimes be regarded as cheap labor. In the end, the supervisor holds the power to decide whether you are ready to defend your work or not. While many decide in your best interest, there are some who will take advantage of your excellence and keep you around as long as possible. If you find that the average duration of doctoral studies in a specific lab is close to the university maximum, it is likely a pattern you want to avoid.
Talk to the supervisor
Naturally, you will have a discussion with your potential supervisor during the interview. Be sure to ask about their expectations, and tell them what you need for a good working relationship.
There is also an additional point you might want to look out for: is the supervisor only interested in your output and references, or do they ask about your working style and the reasons behind your PhD? This will shed light on whether they take their mentoring duty seriously or just need another pair of hands in the lab.
Unfortunately, there are supervisors who do not take their responsibility seriously, despite it being a wonderful duty. After all, they are training the next generation of scientific excellence. While I had a great experience, I have also seen the dark side for others. Believe me, you don't want to go there. What do you really win from an exciting research topic if your supervisor destroys your joy in the work? I have seen the results - it can lead to depression, or to students fleeing a toxic environment and leaving research altogether.
What a good match looks like
To end on a good note, I want to give you a peek into my own experience. I always valued working independently and having discussions on eye-level - even though my supervisor was highly respected in the research field and had obviously loads more experience than me. I got that independence, and he was - and still is - a truly inspiring person.
Despite him having more than enough responsibilities and duties (he was also Vice President of Research at our university, among other things), he always took the time to supervise me and be there whenever I needed guidance. Despite being "just" a PhD student, he always made me feel like my work was valuable.
This is, in my view, how a supervisor should handle their responsibility.
If you have any more questions, or extra points to consider, please feel free to pop them into the comments down below.
Wishing you all the best for your exciting PhD chapter!