Developing your researcher profile and skillset is essential as you go through the early part of your research journey, whether you are doctoral student, practitioner researcher or postdoc or identity in any other way as an early career researcher (ECR). Getting the most from the varied opportunities available helps to enhance your professional development. Even if you are not yet certain what path to follow in your career, keeping the future in mind is important, and developing a range of skills and actively thinking ahead (even if only occasionally!) can be of great benefit.

In this BERA Bites collection, guest editors Lucy Robinson and Joanna Rankin, have put together 13 blog posts covering a range of themes related to developing your researcher profile and skillset. These move from reflecting on your positionality, through attending and presenting at your first conference, to planning the next steps in an academic career. In doing so, we hope that this collection offers something for all in our community.

The contributions to this issue explore: 

• self-reflexivity and the importance of intersectionality in research
• how to approach, record and revisit your positionality throughout the research process
• top tips for in-person conference presentations
• the benefits of virtual professional gatherings
• actively seeking constructive feedback from peers and more experienced researchers
• the power of conference-adjacent social media with regard to research dissemination
• ways of building, joining or maintaining a supportive academic community
• 20 top tips for ECRs to keep in mind as they develop their professional development
• experiences as BERA Career Development Fellows, including what they enjoyed, how it benefited them and what they planned to do next to build on their fellowships
• the role of resilience and adaptability in career transitions
• suggestions regarding the support and development of ECRs in journal publishing
• a balanced view of the benefits and drawbacks of opting to stay in academia, talking us through the ‘good, bad and ugly’ of an academic career.