The unspoken experience after leaving academia
It’s a lot of unlearning.
If you are coming from an environment that puts excellence as top priority, as what is usually the case for academia, then you have found a checkpoint.
How’s it going?
Having a hard time adjusting to your new environment?
Are you thinking of going back?
Not feeling safe and supported while navigating an unfamiliar world?
The unprocessed emotions
Let’s start with what’s overlooked. There are many reasons why we leave academia, but the most common one is that it no longer aligns with our goals. Or to put it simply — all we’re getting is burnout and motivation is at its lowest (and our bosses can’t seem to take the hint).
We needed to step out of our echo chambers. Even getting out of it probably took a lot. Your boss may have gaslighted you to stay or tried their best to keep you, at the expense of your sanity. Whatever the reason is and whatever experience we had, most people overlook one aspect of leaving academia — the aftermath of processing the experience. It is a big deal, trust me. We need to unpack that suitcase before we can move on to another leg of our journey. This way, you can develop self-awareness to avoid:
- repeating any toxic or unhealthy mindset that you may have developed
- bringing the same energy into a different type of environment
- applying the same pace academia has trained you to adopt
- assuming everyone has the same baggage and struggles as you
- carrying that resentment wherever we go
Remember, you are finally stepping out of your echo chamber, now it is time to face a more challenging chapter of your life that does not have to feel unrewarding.
Entering a new workplace or starting a new chapter in your life can be daunting. Some of us will choose the industry route, the start-up route, or the entrepreneurial route. Or some of us may choose to take a long break to reconnect with ourselves and finally take that trip we’ve been dreaming of.
Realistically, there are people who might still be healing from traumatic experiences while simultaneously hustling in a new job and making ends meet. Other times, some might also be dealing with other challenging personal problems that do not have anything to do with their career or jobs, but may influence their capacity to look for one.
If you can afford to have a career break, here’s what you can do.
Calm your nervous system and re-learn what it means to “rest” and “re-connect”
- Find yourself again. Stay in touch with your creative self and do so without viewing it as a task. This is a part of your journey. This could mean going back to your inner child’s interest, or the hobbies you ignored while you were in academia. Trust me, the level of neglect we impose on ourselves feels insurmountable given the demands to keep up with the standards and pace of our previous environment. Go nurture that inner child you neglected while you were busy pleasing your boss and doing a 3-man job at the same time.
- Spend time with your loved ones and family. We are social beings who function best if we have a sense of belongingness. We need to remind ourselves of the bigger picture, not just attaching our identity to the type of work we had done in the past. Hanging out more with your loved ones might also give you some insights and personal advice in moving forward with your career or life path in general.
- Learn self-regulation, slow down, and have a sense of ownership of your time. This empowers you to find your footing again, work on the decision-making muscle of your life, and sharpen your tools to face the next chapter.
Now let’s look at different situations to deal with the changes and learn how to take root somewhere healthier and empowering.
#1 Having a hard time adjusting to your new environment?
It is normal to experience a learning curve while adjusting to a new environment. Here are a few things to consider:
- Know what you’re getting into and identify how different it is from your previous environment. Do not go in blind. If it’s corporate, the workplace structure will be different from the usual flexible approach you had in your lab.
- List all the good practices you learned from academia and utilize this in your new role. If you are in Tech, you already know the nitty-gritty of the technical execution of your roles and how to best plan it and manage expectations.
- Observe the workplace dynamics and take notes on certain areas to watch out for, e.g. cliquish environment, politicking, etc.
The first few months would probably be a culture shock to you. Not everyone will have the same approach, mindset, and energy as you. Everyone has their personal experience on this. It might be the unmatched energy you dedicate to your new work environment, the slower pace of work, or the additional skillsets required by your new job.
What often goes unmentioned is that while we’ve been trained to know everything in academia, working with others now requires us to develop our collaboration skills and consider different working styles.
Remember, it is no longer about getting the tasks done on time, but it now entails empowering people to learn from the process and building relationships within your team.
There are so many available assessments online that your team can take so you would know how to work with others harmoniously. There are personality traits tests and behavioral self-assessment tools you may consider — a common one is the DISC Assessment which stands for Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance. Your new workplace might have its own assessment system, so make sure you maximize this and discuss it with your team.
#2 Are you thinking of going back?
Oftentimes, you have bouts of going back to academia because your current environment now seems more challenging (and not in a rewarding way) than your previous one. When you’re stressed, you often go back to what was familiar. Or perhaps you think you are ready to face the music again after a long break. Before you do this, try new things outside academia. You will realize there’s more to life than the pride of being in a prestigious institution.
Remember, you left academia because you didn’t like how it pressured you to juggle administrative work on top of your technical tasks with unrealistic deadlines (researchers are often heavily exploited and severely underpaid!). Or maybe you left it because the people in that environment are too obsessed with saving the world but you see them unable to save themselves from burnout. Some people may even leave it because of the lack of support and guidance from their absentee advisers who are supposed to be nurturing mentors.
Whatever it is, if you think of going back or considering it, remind yourself of your current values and what it takes to stick to them. What are the possible challenges while you are in your new territory? Are you just overwhelmed? Do not make decisions when you’re too emotional and burnt out. Tend to your physiological needs first and get a good sleep. Have a good week or month of slow and intentional living and then revisit your dilemma.
If you still want to go back, there’s no shame in doing so, but remind yourself of the existing systemic problems in academia and do not attach your self-worth to your outputs. Watch out for the unhealthy practices that get normalized.
#3 Not feeling safe and supported while navigating an unfamiliar world?
Opening up to your co-workers and getting to know them takes courage and vulnerability. Sometimes, we just form these biases based on our frame of reference shaped by our previous experiences and the culture we’re exposed to. We won’t be able to form genuine connections if we don’t overcome the biases and elitism enforced upon us by our previous environment. Identify any biases that might be clouding your judgment, and take the time to reflect on how you can interact with your co-workers, in a professional and genuine manner.
Wherever you are, you can always take root and grow a garden and bloom with others. Sometimes, to feel safe and supported, you have to reach out or be the safe space for others too.
Think of it this way: connection only happens when you dare to be vulnerable with the people around you.
At this point, you should already know what you stand for, as you seek an environment that empowers you. Remind yourself of the goal of this quest. Do this every day if you must until it’s second nature. This encourages you to initiate more and be proactive when it comes to establishing healthy relationships and nurturing lasting connections among colleagues.
More often than not, even the bad apples will follow your good example or slowly gain perspective. They might just be suffering from similar experiences you had in your previous environment. Surviving in uncharted territories requires compassion for others and for yourself, and clarity of the goals and values you live by.
In academia, we were taught self-sufficiency, but beyond that lies the importance of cultivating empowering connections and setting healthy boundaries — an aspect that academia should take note of.
You were brave enough to leave it and stand by your decision. Now it’s time to give yourself grace and live again. This time, slowly and intentionally. And remember, you are not limited to the walls of academia to achieve your goals and make a difference. You got this.
