Starting the Transition: Making the leap from academia
People choose to transition away from academia for several reasons. Perhaps your family needs to relocate, and you can’t find a suitable position in your new place. Some academics find themselves wanting to apply their skills in the “real world” rather than just in the world of academia. Others might receive a tempting offer from a private company or decide to start one of their own.
And many students find themselves in a position where doing higher-level graduate work convinced them that academia is not actually the career they want to pursue. No matter what reason people choose to step away from academia, they often find themselves facing similar challenges.
The Challenges Are Common, and So Is the Combatting
Well, the first is knowing your skills and how they can be useful in a non-academic setting. Another can be understanding what kinds of jobs are available in the non-academic sector. For example, do you want to work for a private company? The government? A non-profit? Internationally? Finally, adapting to the norms of job interviews, applications, and workplaces outside academia can be a huge hurdle, especially for people who have spent most of their work life in an academic environment.
But these are all possible to overcome! Identifying your strengths and skills that can transfer over to another career is one of the first steps you should take on your journey away from academia. You can do this at the same time you start figuring out what type of job you might want and in what sector. A few resources you can check out for this are:
- Your university careers counselor
- Your professors
- Fellow alumni or former classmates who are working outside of academia
- Job sites
- Blogs about job hunting and career advice
Job sites and blogs can help you determine the types of careers available and what skills you might need to get them. In addition, people who have left academia before you will have some helpful advice on what you might be suited for.
Not to mention, professors and people you know are often the best way to get a foot in the door of a new business venture. Some estimates say as many as 80% of jobs are filled through networking. Who you know does matter, so get out there and tell people you’re available for work!
Getting to Where You Want to Be
As you explore your career options and identify your skills and interests, you should also think carefully about your reasons for wanting a career change. Where do you see yourself in ten years? Or in five? What skills do you need to get there?
Websites with job postings are beneficial for this exercise as you can often look at both the skills that the jobs you want to require and the career paths of people who have those jobs. Reviewing this information can help you figure out what skills you have and what skills you need. Then you can strategize for how to fill the gap. Would you qualify for an entry-level position in the field you want to enter? Would an internship or fellowship help? Do you need to learn a foreign language or a specific computer program?
You might need to invest in yourself and revamp your resume before jumping into the deep end of the non-academic career pool. If you still aren’t sure what you want to do, consider taking on some volunteer work or temporary work in the field you’re considering. Internships are also great for this (don’t feel like you’re too old: I was an intern myself at 30 and have known people who did it at 40 too).
Believe in Yourself
Any transition period is stressful and challenging, and transitioning to a new field or career is no exception. It may seem scary and difficult at first, and you might wonder whether you’re qualified to do anything except write academic papers all day and teach. I am here to reassure you; you most certainly are!
As a side note, make sure to take care of yourself during this time. It can be easy to let self-care fall by the bay when you focus your energy on a new transition.
Finally, let’s remember you didn’t become an academic overnight, and transitioning to a new career post-academia is unlikely to happen immediately. You will find your way, so focus on building up your skills, networking as much as possible, and dipping your toe in different jobs and fields. A whole new life is waiting for you outside academia, so what are you waiting for? Start your transition today.
