I left my research job 5 months ago for an environmental consulting job (after about 12 yrs post doc). I’ve never been happier in my work, and here’s what I learned. 1/9

I realised that I really didn’t enjoy research science. It was making me unhappy, and the work environment it cultivates did not suit my personality. But, there were parts I loved. 2/9

Once I realised I couldn’t sustain it, I sat down and broke down my job into its components. What did I love? - analysing/exploring data and teaching. The rest were chores required of me to keep doing the bits I loved. 3/9

I’d recently missed out on two teaching roles at universities. I’d had colleagues try high school teaching, and hate it. Moving wasn’t an option. A traditional teaching job seemed out of reach. 4/9

The use of molecular data is routine in environmental decision making in WA, so I knew there were opportunities out there. Some lucky timing and a targeted CV to the right company got me a 0.8 FTE opportunity. 5/9

Now I am in a role where I get to play with data all the time, and my expertise is inside the decision making process (not paywalled in journals). I get to teach colleagues my skills and am learning from them. 6/9

The unexpected upsides? A small company means fast, accountable decision making; I have clear direction from my managers; my work is valued; and, my colleagues are less jaded (all things I had struggled with previously). 7/9

The take home message? Research/academia is not one job, it’s many. If the package deal isn’t for you, look for the bits you enjoy and find rewarding work with them. I was lucky, you may be too. 8/9

If you want to ask me about any of this (because I know there are students and ECRs looking at a grim job market), feel free to contact me. 9/9 #mentalhealth #STEM