Matteo Tardelli, Senior Biomarker Scientist at Owlstone Medical, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“This article deeply resonated with me as it perfectly outlined why I chose an industry role after my postdoc.

I found myself nodding along as I read, especially when it touched on the factors that influenced my very decision. I’ve even captured quotes in the comments below on specific sections that particularly resonated with me.

While I recognize that everyone has their own motivations for pursuing an academic career, for me, it was about seeking a better ROI based on the long time I spent in education and training.

Despite initially pursuing an academic path as a postdoc after my PhD (at 32 yo), I quickly realized it didn’t align with my priorities, especially while living in the US, particularly in NYC (and the economic pressure that comes with it).

The prospect of being paid significantly less (most precisely HALF) compared to industry roles, facing uncertainty in terms of stability, and relationships, while often sacrificing work-life balance for some crazy experiments just didn’t seem justifiable.

Today, even after spending a few years in various industries, I feel a sense of lag compared to peers who entered the workforce much earlier than me, for instance right after their PhDs.

I feel a constant pressure to catch up, especially regarding financial stability and other aspects of adult life that my long academic career delayed. Looking back at my postdoc days, I now feel glad I left ‘on time’, as I believe staying in academia would only have intensified this feeling.

In contrast, I derive more satisfaction from working in industry, where I can continue to apply the science I’m passionate about and trained for, all while earning a decent salary.

To me, it’s not a matter of choosing between one or the other; it’s more of a natural transition into adulthood!”.

Source: Matteo Tardelli/LinkedIn