The biggest mental shift I’ve had to undergo when switching from academia to “industry” is: Your career is malleable & DIY. If you don’t love your job, you can find a new one... or pick the parts you do love & smash them together to forge your own way.

In academia, you have a path. You know the end goal. And you sign up for 5+ yrs at a time.

This isn’t always the case with other career choices. You can try out things until you find something you love. *AND* as a PhD, you have so many skills that you don’t realize are assets!

When I finished I was like “I’m only good at sticking really small things in rodent brains.”

I was so wrong.

I’m exceptional at time/project management. I can take really complex things & distill them to a sentence/figure. I know thought leadership & how to do it...

You’re trained on a vast number of “soft” skills that are highly sought after by employers. Perhaps the most being, when it’s the right project, you’re obsessive about doing a good job & finding the right answer. You work hard & have no problems being independent.

That’s also what makes scientists amazing entrepreneurs! You pick things up quickly, you are comfortable with independence, and you enjoy building things— from inception to finish. You thrive on biting off more than you can chew & know the mental fortitude it take to consume it!

All this to say: Be bold. Believe in yourself. Academia can pry on insecurities & self-doubt. If getting out is the right option for you, know that you’re not starting over. It was not a “waste.” You’re just continuing your path to finding the right space, that values your skills

Find mentors that encourage you to explore. I grew so much as a scientist & generally as a person during my PhD. Grateful that my mentors let me explore, create, tweet, take time off... while at the same time pushing me.

Thank you @kaymtye, B. Aragona, @TonyJRusso, C. Isaac

And others who took me under their wings. @rascalindus, @RP_maggiebeller, @ShannaResendez, @davidschull, @DayLabUAB, @CodySiciliano, @MitchRoitman, @stressynomics, @ga_matthews, @RomyWichmann, and many more.