If you left a job in academia and now have a much better job, what is your job now

[MedSchoolRat]

...and why is it so much better, and how long ago did you quit academia?

Just curious. Cheers. :)

I’m still in academia but watching with interest!

It was over 15 years ago. I came out to head up a spin out company that was based on my research. Now, after more industry experience, I'm consulting for the pharmacy industry.
I love it. It is hard work and I do lots of hours (more than when I was in academia) but especially over the last couple of years it really feels as if my work is important as well as interesting.

Are you thinking of leaving academia? I'd hate it if we misunderstood your reasons for starting this thread and gave you the wrong responses.

Not me but my friend left. She’s a teacher now.

I did the opposite! Left a corporate job in the city and now working as a university lecturer (teaching only, not research active).

I quit academia for the civil service. It’s much better.

I left because I was sick of academia. I didn’t like my employer at all or the unbelievably awful management and dysfunctional team dynamics at every single level. I didn’t like the expectation of constant availability to students, and the shifting of responsibility for their marks from them to me. I didn’t like the ridiculous expectations around research with no support and no time to do it in.

@SarahAndQuack

Are you thinking of leaving academia? I'd hate it if we misunderstood your reasons for starting this thread and gave you the wrong responses.

Ah, I shouldn't give my reasons for starting thread, then.. Just take the words in my OP narrowly at face value.

-She says thinking like a true academic who doesn't want to bias sincerity of the answers.

"There are no right or wrong answers, your genuine experience is the correct answer."

I left academia for a health tech company. I love it - it feels so much more collaborative, things move faster, the general culture is more to my taste (casual, a little bit trendy, v friendly, free breakfasts etc), the work feels exciting and has more immediate impact (despite me working in a bit of the business focusing on longer term projects) and the pay is way better

@BeyondOurReef
I could have written your post but add in that I despise online teaching and the utter lack of interactivity and the increased student expectations...lack of promotion because simply too little time/too many other roles to do research. I leave soon.

[quote willowstar]@BeyondOurReef
I could have written your post but add in that I despise online teaching and the utter lack of interactivity and the increased student expectations...lack of promotion because simply too little time/too many other roles to do research. I leave soon.[/quote]
I just missed the online teaching stuff. Thankfully.

The lack of promotion possibilities was also an issue. As was the completely unfair division of labour within the department where being overloaded with teaching, admin and pastoral care only breeds more of it, while you watch other people (invariably men) get more and more time for research and aligned responsibilities that aren’t as time consuming as their workload would suggest and lead to promotion.

And the slowly killing you with metrics that everyone knows are fundamentally flawed and problematic, but still the university views them as an end in themselves not a possible indicator of what you’re trying to achieve.