Anita Blakeston
Projects Manager at Surgical MedTech CooperativeMy take-home message to anyone is always to be realistic and recognise who and what you are and to follow that.
Left academia after
109 posts
Amy Bilderbeck
Senior Scientist at P1vital LtdI most enjoy the feeling of being a competent, trusted, and an empowered member of my team; capable and effectual in helping us to achieve the goals that we set.
James Cooper
Research Leader at CGGA Ph.D. is about much more than demonstrating problem solving and analytical abilities. Learning to collaborate and communicate effectively with others is a key aspect of research, both in academia and the workplace.
Burcu Anil Kirmizitas
Medical Writer at Ogilvy HealthworldIf you have doubts about whether academia is for you, don’t wait too long thinking “What if I stay a bit longer?” to see if those doubts subside.
Giulia Spinato
Systems Engineer at SESMy motto is ‘always choose the hardest battle, never stop looking for the unbeaten path’.
Joshua Maher
Associate Consultant at IQVIAIt’s very rewarding working directly with patients and exploring their experiences on different treatments. I also love the collaborative atmosphere and working across multiple areas, as you gain a lot of experience over a relatively short period of time.
Yaoyao Xiong
Research Scientist at Oxford Nanoimaging (ONI)It is great to be part of something where the progress is really tangible and your contributions really do seem to make a difference. I most enjoy the sense of reward when we overcome a difficult problem or successfully bring together technologies we’ve developed.
Alison Murphy
Associate Medical Writer at Oxford PharmaGenesisMy advice for researchers leaving academia would be: do not be afraid! There are many varied roles out there – more than you realise!
Ben Bleasdale
Policy Adviser at Wellcome TrustThere are plenty of (paid!) chances to see what the world of Policy is like, and researchers are welcomed with open arms.
Nikola Novčić
Consultant at Boston Consulting GroupThere are a lot of amazing opportunities outside of academia and leaving does not mean you have ‘given up or failed’.
Diana Di Paolo
Senior Consultant at Cambridge Healthcare ResearchAs much as I enjoyed my PhD, towards the end of it I started hearing a little voice in my head that made me doubt if my long-term career was going to be in academia.
Georgina Kerr
Research Facilitator for Immunology at University of OxfordThink about your strengths and what you can envisage yourself doing on a daily basis. Take advantage of your careers service, talk to your peers and mentors and look at jobs pages to find out what’s out there.