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After 7 years in academia, I had lost my sense of purpose and confidence 💸My first postdoc ran out of funding and I was laid off. 👎My second postdoc was back to back proposal rejections. The message was not "your science isn't good enough". The message was "your pedigree isn't good enough". There was no path for me to become faculty. The die had been cast. 🎲 ---------- I had become a scientist because 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. 🙌 I wanted to treat & cure diseases. I wanted to help others. But the elitist academic system did not value that. 🤦♂️ They did not value me, either. I could feel my vision of advancing medicine was dying. I needed to find a way out. ---------- 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. The problem was, I didn't know a single person who had gone this route. All of my training and network was in academia. Fortunately, I was introduced to a friend of a friend who steered me away from bad advice and taught me enough to met my foot in the door. Several months and over 100 applications later, I was given a life line. I got an offer at a great company. And I took it. ---------- I transplanted my entire family 1800 miles, sold our house, and moved to a city I'd never visited to accept my first job in industry. We did all of that in only 3 weeks. Was it stressful? Very. But that bold move was the beginning of a new life for me and my family. That move enabled me to pursue what I had always wanted. 𝗜𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆, 𝗜 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. ---------- This is not just my story. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗣𝗵𝗗𝘀, 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀. If you feel rejected, forgotten, ignored... Like your dreams are dead in the water... Do not give up yet. There is an entire world out there that values you 🌍 ---------- There are resources here on LinkedIn to help you. But the first step is to ask for help 🙋♂️🙋♀️ Find a better path. Choose to be valued. ---------- If you are ready to find that better path, join me and the hundreds of Life Science PhDs breaking into biotech at Trulitica. Subscribe to my newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/g7WPBH9v #yourindustryinsider, #biotechnology, #careers
The solution is very simple: don't work with PhD advisors who tell you that academia is the only path. I'm still flabbergasted that PhD students (who are supposed to be intelligent) believe in such a narrative. Most of my fellow PhD students went to industry, without problems. Most of my own PhD students went to industry, without problems. All universities I worked for actively supported PhD students to find a career outside academia. Universities are set up NOT to keep you. You have to go out. Almost everybody does so. It's normal. The system is designed that way.
"𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗣𝗵𝗗𝘀, 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀." I can definitely relate to this in my own PhD story. One my favorite aspects of working in industry is the active effort to encourage employees to use their voice and contribute. Although not every company/team gets it 100% right, I feel like I can take up more space, express myself, and expect (sometimes demand) respect.
Hey man, I truly know what you are talking about. The system is very hard on the ones that actually make things happen. It is a sick system that needs to be completely changed. The industry also needs a big refactoring, as they do not value academics (which is stupid) I made my company in R&D because I truly believe in my moto of: "break everything that is wrong, but more importantly, have compassion, nurture and make a safe environment for the ones that are truthful and really want to do good".
I had no pedigree. My advisor was removed from tenure track and became an RA. I was tenured and had/have lots of funding. Our success depends on our personal skills and fit, whether that is corporate or academic. Don't worry about your past (pedigree) focus on the science you are doing today and tomorrow.
It's so emotional reading this because I can relate. Recently I started feeling so limited being in academia when I had difficulty with my resume at some point, just trying to learn some tech skills now. I'm happy it all later worked out fine for you. Hugs
Great story, thanks for sharing Ali Divan, Ph.D. the guy in the photo is you, right:-)? Hard to say with beard and glasses.
I think some of the worst comments I ever received on one of my grant applications was that I was a 'naive researcher' who should 'grow some cajones.' Cutting, insulting and far from professional feedback I would say. That kinda summed up the environment I'd found myself working in in academia. It was attitudes like this that cemented my decision to leave. Like you Ali Divan, Ph.D., I too chose a better path in industry
Your story is unfortunately relevant to the majority of students. Most academics have no clue how to navigate the world outside of their lab, leaving students and postdocts completely unprepared for the real (non-academic) world.
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1yThis triggers the way I was treated as a tenured faculty especially when I was told I was being laid off due to finances but we were bringing in new students and way more money, and I was asked by the Dean of Impact or something to lead a seminar about real world impact. Yet, I was on a list for not bringing in enough grant funding. They cared more about that than the impact I was making while saving taxpayer money. Integrity is often lacking and my sense of justice couldn't take that. I think a lack of fairness and justice forces the hand of a lot of academic misfits, especially those who are neurodiverse like me. Thanks for showing impact can be achieved outside of academia. My own PhD students were supported in leaving as soon as I saw the writing on the wall and I've been helping former students recently too, with everything I've learned.