Early career ecologists often experience several years of transitional career development following degree completion and during the first years of employment. Recent graduates and new hires find they may lack sufficient experience (e.g. project management, administration, course development, grant writing, publishing, communication) to best fulfill their job duties and meet career aspirations. This period of time also often coincides with substantial personal development and greater challenges to work-life balance than at other career stages. In acknowledgement of these challenges, this special session is a collection of short talks coupled with a question and answer roundtable discussion led by ESA members who offer unique perspectives and insights of benefit to early career ecologists. Topics for this session include:  finding work-life balance, managing dual careers, seeking and finding new mentors and collaborators, using social media effectively, developing science communication skills, navigating the job market, creating positive work environments, surviving the first year of teaching, measuring success, and posing novel research questions. The first section of this lunch session will be devoted to short (5-10 minute), ignite-style presentations from 4-6 presenters. The second section will feature a group discussion open to questions from attendees. This session is intended to offer support for early career ecologists and to generate dialogue about ways that ESA and the greater scientific community can aid in the personal and professional development of these individuals during transitional career stages. Given the broad range of topics presented, the Q&A will be focused on identifying strategies for facing the issues discussed.