Why You Should Skip The Postdoc, TA, Adjunct, etc.

Join Isaiah as he explores why you should leave academia right after you finish your PhD instead of wasting your time going down the postdoc route

Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode…

• First, Isaiah discusses why academia fools PhDs into thinking that they need more academic experience to be successful
• Next, Isaiah explains why it’s in your best interest to start planning your transition now
• Finally, Isaiah list the reasons why you should look for an industry position as soon as possible

From This Week’s Show… 

The Postdoc Route Is A Dead End

Academia tells you that you need more academic experience to be successful in industry, whether that be through a postdoc, extended TA position, adjunct post, and so on.

Not only is this a huge misnomer, but it’s a giant disservice to your career. Many PhDs stay in academia after graduating thinking “Once I get this experience, then (and only then) will I be qualified for an industry position” – this mindset often results in PhDs spending years chasing one low paying overworked academic position after another just to get that “one more piece of experience”.

In a recent survey, nearly half of the postdocs polled reported being in a postdoc position for over three years with one third saying they had already completed two or three postdocs.

Why would you want to remain in a system that tells you, even after years of experience, that your talents are not worthy of a well-paid permanent position?

When Is The Right Time To Leave Academia

If you want to land a job in industry, there’s no need to wait in this holding pattern. Start planning your transition now.

The longer you stay in academia, the more you hurt your chances of landing your ideal job.

Many companies prefer hiring PhDs straight out of grad school. They see fresh graduates as more open-minded, eager to learn, and more flexible.

The Reasons Why You Should Skip The Postdoc

In industry, on-the-job training is far more valuable than any amount of additional time spent in academia. Even if you’ve done an experiment, lesson plan or procedure a hundred times, companies have their own standard operating procedures that they will need to train you on.

Academia will always move slower, be more stagnant, and have more biases than industry. Many of you can attest to how slowly academic work moves and how difficult it is to see your progress.

The academic system is stuck in its ways, and it resists change. Industry, on the other hand, must keep up with the latest innovations and market trends, so it can’t afford to move at this snail-like pace.

In industry, your efforts will produce measurable results. You’ll receive the feedback required to grow. And perhaps most importantly, your hard work will be recognized.

If you’re ready to start your transition into industry, you can apply to book a free Transition Call with our founder Isaiah Hankel, PhD or one of our Transition Specialists. Apply to book a Transition Call here.