Ashley Ruba: 24 pieces of advice, 24 months after my last day in academia

Ashley Ruba, Founder of After Academia, shared a post on X/Twitter:

”May 15, 2022 was my last day in academia. Here are 24 pieces of advice, 24 months later:

1. You won’t miss academia as much as you fear.
2. You have no idea what you’ll like until you try it.
3. You have much to learn. But you can learn anything.
4. Your first non-academic job is the hardest to get.
5. Your first non-academic job won’t be your last.
6. There is no such thing as a ‘dream job.’
7. You may need to volunteer or freelance. That’s okay.
8. You may feel angry or bitter about this. That’s okay too.
9. Changing careers is hard. Be patient.
10. There is so much misinformation about job searching.
11. ‘Beating the ATS’ is not your biggest challenge.
12. Your biggest job search challenge is yourself.
13. Losing your identity is painful. Nothing prepares you.
14. You’ll need to unlearn some habits from academia.
15. Imposter syndrome never really goes away.
16. LinkedIn is amazing if you know how to use it.
17. ‘Networking’ is just making professional friends.
18. You can’t do this alone. You need to ask for help.
19. Working a ‘9-5 desk job’ is actually quite freeing.
20. Academia really didn’t pay us what we are worth.
21. You are not a failure or a sell-out.
22. Your mental health > your career.
23. You’ll discover new passions outside of academia.
24. You’ll grow in ways that you never expected.”

Source: Ashley Ruba/X