Warning Signs It’s Time For A Change

Join us as we talk about…

In this week’s episode…

• You’ll learn about warning signs indicating its time for a change
• Next, you’ll learn when it is time to reevaluate your current role
• Finally, you’ll learn why it is important to begin your job search with defined goals.

Watch For These Warning Signs

I’ve seen too many PhDs get complacent once they begin their career in industry. Pew Research Center data shows that 63% of people who leave their jobs resign because they feel undervalued, bored, or overworked.

Today we’re going to talk about some signs it might be time to evaluate your current position. The first sign is that you’re feeling unmotivated.

Getting out of academia and landing your first job in industry was just part of the process, eventually, you’ll move on from that job. Don’t get complacent. Most professionals don’t stay in one position for more than five years, after that, you should be looking into ways to move on and further your career if you’ve reached the end of your potential in your current role.

If you’re feeling unmotivated but want to stay in the company or industry you’re in, network internally and see if there’s any room for growth before considering moving on.

Our next sign it’s time to evaluate your current position is that you’ve begun to realize the role is a bad fit for you. I’ve seen it before: PhDs will take the first job they’re offered just to get out of academia and start making money. In their rush to get out of the institution, they’re accepting jobs without negotiating higher salaries or understanding their career path with that company.

The academia-to-accidentally-dead-end job pipeline exists because PhDs aren’t accepting their worth as they are job hunting. If you took your current role out of a sense of desperation, it’s no wonder you’re unhappy there.

Our next red flag you might see is that you’re not doing what you were hired to do – you’re either being given extra tasks outside of your scope or the job is completely different from the job description you were given during the hiring process.

Or maybe you’re underemployed and your employer isn’t utilizing your transferable skills. You have transferable and marketable skills as a PhD, so don’t stay with a bait-and-switch job just because it’s better than adjuncting.

Another warning sign that you can’t ignore is when you’re just accepting a toxic work environment. If the environment at your current company is making you yearn for the good old days of a bad meeting with your terrible old thesis advisor, you shouldn’t ignore that.

And finally, the job doesn’t seem fulfilling anymore. We’re all adults. We know that work isn’t always going to be fulfilling all the time. But if you’re noticing that your duties no longer align with your values or you’re not contributing in a way that’s meaningful to you, that’s a sign you need to reevaluate where you’re at professionally.

It’s important to start your job search with clear goals and an understanding of how long it should take you to accomplish them. There are many opportunities for a PhD in industry, you don’t have to settle like you would have in academia.

Ready to start your transition into industry? Apply to book a free Transition Call with our founder, Isaiah Hankel, PhD or one of our Transition Specialists here.