Alternative Career options for those of us at risk of redundancy

[ElephantGrey101]

Like many people in academia at the minute there is going to be redundancies at my university. I imagine that my chances of getting an equivalent academic job would be small. I have a social science PhD and a teaching focused role at a 1992 university. I do have a PGCE and some experience of creating online courses which might translate into other jobs.

If I am made redundant what other jobs could I do? So many of my achievements are worthless outside of academia.

Does anyone else have a plan for redundancy? All I have at the moment is potentially teaching in FE but I have never worked in an FE college.

I have qualitative researcher friends who went into user research work. They are earning more and have much less stress. I'm over 50, dream of getting out but in reality nothing would be as flexible. My role is in training health professionals, unlikely to be first to go. I have fantasies about working in a theatre. Something completely different!

I heard of someone who had gone into UX qualitative research in the civil service and enjoys it. I looked into it briefly for my own future reference, but there would have been a fairly significant pay cut and a need to work back up the scale.

Academia IS my alternative career 🤦‍♀️

My university has announced redundancies for what feels like the billionth time. I have no idea what I’d do if I was made redundant. I’m a historian (no quantitative research) and can’t see any other suitable jobs to do. Im
in NE Scotland so very few opportunities. We’re tied here for at least the next 3 years with DDs’ schooling.

What is user research work?

Research policy?

housesofparliament.tal.net/vx/mobile-0/appcentre-HouseOfCommons/brand-2/candidate/so/pm/3/pl/14/opp/5877-Committee-Specialist-Science-Innovation-and-Technology-Committee/en-GB

In short, large companies use user research to find out what their customers/target audiences want/need. Often also called ux research, e.g. when developing software or online spaces and aiming to design with the user in mind. I think!

I hadn’t thought of user experience. I don’t know if there are any research policy jobs near me at all. I might look at the civil service because they have a lot of researchers.

It is all very depressing.

I think there a Facebook group something like #AlternativeAcademia? Or maybe it’s on Twitter/X.
sorry for vagueness but that’s definitely the phrase to be searching for (I think 🙄)
FE = brutal, brutal, brutal 😔

I'm a social sciences SL at an RG university. There's absolutely nothing around with the same pay, flexibility and interest as my current job. I have absolutely no idea what I'd do but I'm weirdly and stupidly excited by the prospect of being pushed out and doing something new and different.

I totally get that. I'd secretly love to stop whinging and worrying about it and have the decision made for me! But the reality is my role we'll be needed for the foreseeable...