Career change... to academia

[Cloudfox]

Hello all,

I'm looking to hear from those in the know - and really get a sense of whether this sounds like a good/questionable/terrible idea.

I am considering a career change to pursue academia. I am currently mid-senior professional in the same field (an area of business management). My professional experience is relevant and, I hope, useful, but I am keen to diversify and look into whether I could actually pursue research in the area.

To be clear - I wouldn't be doing this because I believe it would financially benefit me, or believe it to be an easy option. Quite the opposite - I am passionate about my field, but don't care for a senior leadership position in industry, and feel I may be more fulfilled contributing to advancing the discipline instead.

I have been accepted into a MSc starting in September which I would commit to full time, with a view to continuing to PhD afterwards if I were successful. I recognise this takes initial investment from me to one day make it my career.

Is it bonkers for a mid thirties professional to consider this avenue, and do I stand a chance of success if I hope to, one day, be a postdoctoral researcher or lecturer against fresh and young postgrads?

Thank you :)

Are there currently permanent jobs in good departments in your field?

Can you become involved in academia by doing guest lecturing or mentoring?

Do you enjoy teaching?

I don't know if it's bonkers - I hope not, as I'm mid-way through a similar thing.
Similar age, also.
As above, I did quite a bit of guest lecturing and really enjoyed that, and I was able to take on students as interns which gave me a bit of experience of that side of things.
I've really enjoyed the MSc although I think I'm the only one of my cohort who pursued a PhD. So far, anyway.
I think that for some people; a Masters is enough but either way, I found it a brilliant thing to do. Doing it during remote learning is on the trickier side.

I'm pursuing this because I can't imagine doing anything else. It might work and it might not, but I would hate not to try.

your age is not against you, and more experience can be a good thing.

but be aware that there are very few permanent jobs in academia - some fields are worse that others. But do maintain your connections with the 'real' world so that you have options outside academia too.

It’s great that you enjoy the lecturing, but full time academia is hard. An infinite juggle of research, research funding applications, education, admin, outreach, as well as marketing, HR and all the stuff that any job entails (meetings galore). A vanishingly small proportion of people with PhDs get a permanent job. Check how many postdoctoral positions are o offer today in your field. And how many lectureships. So, while there isn’t necessarily a barrier of age, you’d likely find yourself at best scrabbling after jobs against 50 or more viable candidates, many of whom may be able to relocate across the country (not so easy if you have a family in tow).

I’d strongly recommend finding a route where you are a visiting lecturer with a regular gig. By all means get the qualifications, but channel these to collaboration on industry-based projects. Don’t give up the day job!

As above, I did quite a bit of guest lecturing and really enjoyed that, and I was able to take on students as interns which gave me a bit of experience of that side of things.

Working full-time as an academic is not like this. I'm a senior professor & a research leader (in the humanities). I spend about 6 working days out of 5 during the teaching term on teaching and administrative duties, and do my research on the weekends. I've decided now in the summer "vacation", not to work weekends ... But I will have deferred essays/exams to mark during my annual leave in August

If there are jobs, you'll be applying with several others. For a starting salary just over £30,000. You won't have a PA or much admin or office support except for more than the basic teaching-related admin tasks (I think I'm the highest paid filing-clerk in the country).

If you fired up about research & ideas, that'll get you through (it's what I'm still in it for 35years on), but it's tough, competitive, cash-starved, and just go read the Higher Education forum here to see what most parents think about the way universities work, and the lack pf respect for academic expertise they feel entitled to express. That's what you live with.

If there are jobs, you'll be applying with several others. For a starting salary just over £30,000. You won't have a PA or much admin or office support except for more than the basic teaching-related admin tasks (I think I'm the highest paid filing-clerk in the country).

OP wants to work in a Business School. This is different from the rest of academia - many posts, lots of turnover in posts, no culture of doing postdocs before getting a permanent post, quite rapid progression up the academic ladder and typically more support (as Business Schools are cash cows funding the rest of the university).