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Quitting My Academic Career Was the Toughest Decision of My Life
Understanding the painful realities of career transitions
We hear about people making career transitions all the time. Most often, these are about those who took over entrepreneurship and left their 9–5s behind. But these are not the only career transitions people are forced to make.
Getting my degrees
Growing up, I dreamed of becoming a scientist and traveling the world, studying evolution and conservation. I read about biology, watched all the documentaries available to a kid in the ’90s, and interviewed every biologist I ever met.
Nobody in my family had ever graduated high school; going to college was seen as the most significant deal anyone could take over. On the other hand, my family could not support me financially. I was lucky that I grew up in a country with a very inexpensive university education, but there were still bills to pay. Accomplishing my dream wasn’t going to be easy.
Against all odds, I made it happen. I completed my bachelor’s degree with honors. I spent a semester abroad in Finland. I earned my Master’s degree in Barcelona and moved to Australia and the US to complete my Ph.D. Then, I moved to the US, taking three different postdocs and/or teaching positions.
The reality of an academic career
My dream became a reality. I became a scientist, traveled the world, and became proficient in English. Even more important, I got many interviews for Tenure-Track positions in prestigious universities worldwide.
And then, my children came along. And with them, a harrowing reality about my chosen career: they were incompatible.
Academic positions are not well compensated. A newly hired professor with years of research and teaching experience at a well-known university in the US Midwest won’t make more than $75k in my field. As a postdoc, I wasn’t making more than $50k.
