Hi all,

My second postdoc is coming to an end soon (just 5 months left) and I have done a total of 4 years of postdocing and produced 12~15 papers. I am not looking into getting another postdoc as the pay really cannot support my family. The economy is not doing well in Canada at the moment and unemployment is raising. My husband is not technically unemployed but have 50% reduced hours and works occasionally from home when his company asks him to do.

Excluding the possibility of a long term unemployment and receiving food stamps due to a disastrous economical depression, I have narrowed my potential future career choices into two categories: (1) looking for an academic position and (2) going to industry or the government. Needless to say, the academic jobs are rare to come by and much harder to get, I put 10% or less chance of getting a tenure track academic job (not including sessional) after at least a year of trying. Using the same logic I put 50% or more chance of getting an industrial job by 6 months trying. Obviously I am leaning towards going to industry. However, my second postdoc has been an industry-related type and I am not totally enjoying it. The emotional part of my brain says that an academic job fits me better but the logical part of my brain says otherwise.

Considering the above reasoning and explanation and the fact that my family needs a reliable source of income, if I make it into industry and lets say survive a couple years (or +) there, what are the chances that I can make it back to academia if I really want it?

Any ideas?

Kim

I think at some point the majority of us will be in your position and have to make the choice to leave academia for a bit with the hope of returning later. I feel that a couple of years isn't a big deal, especially if you have publications during that time, but I don't know anyone that has left academia and come back.

Like with many of these questions, the ease of returning to academia can be very subject dependent. For example, in my field of Computer Science and Media it's often considered a positive to have useful industry experience. But, I think one of the reasons it doesn't happen so much is the discrepancy in salaries between industry and academia. Once you get used to all the money and the lifestyle it can be hard to give it up to return to academia and many people choose not to.

I would say it depends on the subject. In engineering it is common to spent some time in industry and return later. In other subjects like biology or physics I never heard of it, but it probably depends where you want to work in academia. We also have these universities of applied sciences and there you usually find professors who worked in industry before. However, these are more teaching jobs and the amount of research they do is not comparable I think.

Can't you just ask permanent staff in your department? If there are people who managed to come back they should know some of them.

There is a guy who brings small projects to our department and he is an adjacent. Apparently, he is well connected to industries and drives high end cars but also keeps a desk in our visiting scholar office! I can ask him but am sure he will not reveal his secret! :)

Depends on your area. I know a lot of people (statistics, computer science, engineering) who have gone to industry, loved it, and eventually moved back, having progressed further in their careers.

That said it doesn't sound like you are in a strong position, so should apply for all, and see where it takes you? Opportunities however are what you make of them - companies also differ no end, from the start up vibe, to huge conglomerates where it is more bureaucratic than a university!

That is insane (academia in Canada). 10+ papers, 2 post docs and you have trouble getting a permanent position? My goodness. Here in the UK you would fare muuuuch better.

Regardless, from the social sciences perspective you can absolutely move away from Academia and transition back. Seen it done successfully plenty of times.

I always say go with what you are passionate about, but when it comes down to putting food on the table then you will have to do what needs to be done. Aside from going directly into industry you can look at the industry related arms of government, and likewise NGOs as well as consulting. There is no way that an academic with 10+ papers and 2 post docs should feel out of options.

Best of luck ( I hate that freakin saying, but I really do wish you the best).