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.
My research training set me up to believe that academic rigour, the levels of observation and the analytical skills gained, and the way one presents ones arguments, filters into everything one does later on in life.
My advice for researchers leaving academia would be: do not be afraid! There are many varied roles out there – more than you realise!
There are plenty of (paid!) chances to see what the world of Policy is like, and researchers are welcomed with open arms.
There are a lot of amazing opportunities outside of academia and leaving does not mean you have ‘given up or failed’.
As 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.
