Omg you’re making me freak out. I had to quit academia a year and a half ago (after 7 years of postdocs) and, after a bad experience in the private sector (techy start up bitch who was just plain insane), I’ve been struggling for 10 months to find a new path and a job…and I’m still nowhere near finding something I’m afraid.
I can’t sugar coat my experience. It was rough. But it is true that it varies widely based on a lot of factors, so definitely don’t freak out.
You have mad skills for sure. The main new skill I meant is a whole new perspective on those skills and how you market them.
For me, I knew I was too wound up in the academic perspective so I consciously took a job that was more physical and social, definitely not a brain-job. That helped clear my mind and remember how non-academics look at the world.
I was able to get a good job in laboratory automation eventually, but it was a trial for a few years.
Omg you’re making me freak out. I had to quit academia a year and a half ago (after 7 years of postdocs) and, after a bad experience in the private sector (techy start up bitch who was just plain insane), I’ve been struggling for 10 months to find a new path and a job…and I’m still nowhere near finding something I’m afraid.
I can’t sugar coat my experience. It was rough. But it is true that it varies widely based on a lot of factors, so definitely don’t freak out.
You have mad skills for sure. The main new skill I meant is a whole new perspective on those skills and how you market them.
For me, I knew I was too wound up in the academic perspective so I consciously took a job that was more physical and social, definitely not a brain-job. That helped clear my mind and remember how non-academics look at the world.
I was able to get a good job in laboratory automation eventually, but it was a trial for a few years.
Thanks for sharing your experience, I’ll keep that in mind!