{"id":4417,"date":"2023-10-30T06:54:55","date_gmt":"2023-10-30T06:54:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/taking-the-leap-of-faith-outside-academia\/"},"modified":"2025-01-15T06:16:28","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T06:16:28","slug":"taking-the-leap-of-faith-outside-academia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/taking-the-leap-of-faith-outside-academia","title":{"rendered":"Taking the leap of faith outside academia"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you are a PhD holder, you have a lot more than a degree or certificate \u2013 you have critical-thinking, management, and communication skills. But you likely also experience imposter syndrome and insecurities every once in a while. After all, the process of getting a doctoral degree is, in itself, grueling. And at the end of it, you\u2019re faced with another challenge \u2013 what to do next?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Postdoctoral research \u2013 a road travelled too often?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

In recent years, research scholars across the world have become increasingly aware of the pressures of a hypercompetitive academic job market. Considering the low pay during and the lack of faculty positions <\/span><\/span><\/span>at the end<\/span><\/span><\/span> 1<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/sup> of post-doc journeys make the upfront competition even less palatable<\/span><\/span><\/span>2<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/sup>. This situation prevails across geographies. Even in a developed country like the USA, postdoctoral positions could be financially unviable based on which <\/span><\/span><\/span>city you work in<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> 3<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/sup>. The discourse about a dissatisfying postdoc journey is neither<\/span><\/span><\/span> new <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>4,5<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/sup> nor restricted to any specific geography <\/span><\/span><\/span>6,7<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/sup>. It is not just the financial aspect that is a problem in academia, though. Many early career researchers (ECRs) commonly experience anxiety and depression, fighting mental health challenges with strapped resources. <\/span><\/span><\/span>8<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/sup> While this is surely not the case for every individual, the struggle seems to be an integral part of most post-doc researchers\u2019 stories.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Taking the road less traveled can be scary<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

Stemming from the Ivory Tower idea that \u2018academic training is meant for and is best utilized within academia\u2019 is the misconception that PhD or post-docs would not fit any other employment scenario ever. ECRs also tend to think \u201cWould joining the industry mean I\u2019m less competent or passionate about my field?\u201d They may also feel that their academic training was in vain if they did not stay in academia. Shifting gears to embark upon any other career like industrial research, teaching, or scientific management and policy making, seems daunting as is. To top it all off, some ECRs depend on others for making such decisions, balancing parenting or caretaking responsibilities with newfound ambitions <\/span><\/span><\/span>9<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/sup>. Though on the one hand such pragmatic considerations might prompt you to look for better paying careers in the first place, they can be critical factors in the transition process.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Career transitions may be difficult. However, a PhD holder can leverage the training to do anything. The hardest part is believing<\/i> that. Making such sweeping changes in your life can be scary, but rather than any tangible changes, it needs a simple change in mindset.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019re not alone on the road to academic exit<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

There exist umpteen ways to overcome the mental blocks to taking up alternate science careers after having been in academia for a long time. Firstly, remember that you are neither the first nor the last person on earth to make this decision. Someone else ought to have done it before you (no, your novelty is not taken away \u2013 only you can do things the way you do them) and such people can be your guiding lights in the beginning <\/span><\/span><\/span>10<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/sup>. Searching for such people can be done via your personal network or virtually, through social media (think LinkedIn, Twitter), professional talks and cover articles <\/span><\/span><\/span>11<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/sup>. Speaking to those who have done it before is a great source of first-hand information on the how-to of this transition.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Then, it would pay off greatly to educate yourself about the many areas where your subject matter expertise and\/or your transferable skills could come to use <\/span><\/span><\/span>12<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/sup>. This process should go hand-in-hand with a journey within, i.e., developing self-awareness to a point where your personal values and life priorities are clear enough to guide your career choices, leaving no regrets, and imbuing your life with zest rather than stress.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Through both the processes above, you can get help from your peers and mentors, who have seen you or worked with you closely and know you well to understand your position and act as a soundboard for your ideas on how to make the transition happen. You must remind yourself that you are not alone on this path and trust that help will be presented when you need it. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

You are enough. Go for it.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

All the guidance and support in the world can fail us when we fail to believe in ourselves. Various resources, including Editage Insights<\/i> will be there to guide you. Yet, the importance of faith in oneself can never be overemphasized or substituted.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Believe that one who trains through a PhD or beyond has most likely already surpassed the most difficult of trainings and trials. Your skills are of use in any field that you may choose to contribute to, and even if it means you may need to re-invent yourself, you very well know how to do that too. If you can do a PhD, you can do anything.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

References:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Wosen, J. Academia\u2019s postdoc system is teetering, imperiling efforts to diversify life sciences. STAT<\/i> https:\/\/www.statnews.com\/2023\/06\/06\/postdoc-system-teetering-imperiling-life-sciences-diversity\/ (2023).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Udesky, L. Postdoc survey confirms widespread dissatisfaction among US researchers. Nature<\/i> (2023) doi:10.1038\/d41586-023-00332-6.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Langin, K. Cities offer great postdoc opportunities\u2014but make sure you factor in the cost of living. Science<\/i> (2018) doi:10.1126\/science.caredit.aav2684.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Powell, K. The Postdoc Experience: High Expectations, Grounded in Reality. Science<\/i> 3 (2012).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Grinstein, A. & Treister, R. The unhappy postdoc:\u00a0a survey based study. F1000Research<\/i> 6<\/b>, 1642 (2017).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Christian, K., Johnstone, C., Larkins, J., Wright, W. & Doran, M. R. A survey of early-career researchers in Australia. eLife<\/i> 10<\/b>, e60613 (2021).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ahmed, M. Z., Plotkin, D., Qiu, B.-L. & Kawahara, A. Y. Postdocs in Science: A Comparison between China and the United States. BioScience<\/i> 65<\/b>, 1088\u20131095 (2015).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Powell, D. The price of doing a postdoc. Science<\/i> (2017) doi:10.1126\/science.caredit.a1700003.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

9.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Careers outside academia: How Jeong-In Yun turned challenges into opportunities and co-founded an R&D start-up. Editage Insights<\/i> https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/careers-outside-academia-how-jeong-in-yun-turned-challenges-into-opportunities-and-co-founded-an-rd-start-up (2022).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

10.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Industry Transition. PhD Career Stories<\/i> https:\/\/phdcareerstories.com\/industry-transition.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

11.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gould, J. Beyond academia: Planning the perfect exit strategy for a scientific career move. Nature<\/i> (2022) doi:10.1038\/d41586-022-00198-0.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

12.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Careers outside academia. Editage Insights<\/i> https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/series\/careers-outside-academia.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you are a PhD holder, you have a lot more than a degree or certificate \u2013 you have critical-thinking, management, and communication skills. But you likely also experience imposter syndrome and insecurities every once in a while. After all, the process of getting a doctoral degree is, in itself, grueling. And at the end […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2848,"featured_media":33313,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2370],"tags":[2760,2568,592,1042,2483],"new_categories":[],"new_tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-4417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-advice-for-researchers","tag-career-advancement","tag-career-advice-for-researchers","tag-phd-career-choices","tag-postdoctoral-research","tag-researcher-career"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTaking the leap of faith outside academia | Editage Insights<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you are a PhD holder, you have a lot more than a degree or certificate \u2013 you have critical-thinking, management, and communication skills. 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