Early career researchers have, until relatively recently, been invisible in the eyes of policy makers, with very little attention, historically, paid to their induction and professional development. The European Commission has achieved much in drawing attention to the policies and practices required to successfully support fledgling academics as they embark on their new careers. However, for many early career researchers working within a rapidly changing higher education context, particularly within the field of education, little support is available to them at the start of their new university careers. While no single route exists by which to develop an academic career, the assumption for many early career researchers is that they should just ‘get on with it’. While developing a professional identity, dealing with ‘imposter syndrome’, competing for funding and developing the necessary research ‘outputs’, it is all too easy to forget the magic and reward of carrying out research. Drawing on theory, policy and practice I examine, in this presentation, what it means to be an emerging academic in the field of education and reflect on strategies for career progression.