Essay from an early career: to each his/her own “tune”

Purpose – The purpose of this essay is to highlight the journey of the author in her early career, along with her main challenges and ways she found to overcome them. Design/methodology/approach – This is an inductive account of the main experiences that the author has encountered or has observed. Findings – This essay highlights three academic adaptation phases and steps that indicate how these can be worked to your advantage. It also depicts research opportunities and success factors. Originality/value – This essay informs potential research opportunities for Ibero-American scholars alongside key success factors for effective research.