8 Signs It’s Time to Move Beyond Academia

Recognizing when academia no longer fits and how to forge a new path

I’ve wanted to dedicate my life to studying biological and environmental sciences since I was five. And while I was lucky to know my life purpose from an early age, it also came with its curse. But why?

See? When the idea of what you’d like to have in your future is so set in the inner stone of your whole identity, it is very hard to change direction, even if a particular career doesn’t match your lifestyle or personal needs.

For a longer time, I thought I could only accomplish my dream by being an academic: teaching at a university and researching with my students and peers. But I wished I had known that many other career paths could fulfill my dreams.

That said, there’s a question I always get from my fellow academics: How did I know it was time to leave?

Indeed, deciding to leave academia can feel overwhelming and even life-threatening. After years of dedication to research, publishing, and teaching, stepping into the unknown can seem inconceivable.

But as I mentioned earlier, staying in academia isn’t the only way to pursue meaningful, impactful work. Sometimes, it’s not about giving up but finding a path that fits you better.

Here are 10 signs that it might be time for you to move beyond academia — and how to take the next steps toward a fulfilling career. These are not, by any means, all the signs I saw in my own case, but a collection extracted from conversations with other academics who’ve made the same change in their lives.

1. You Feel Burned Out More Often Than Inspired

You’re not alone if the work that once excited you now leaves you exhausted or indifferent. 

Many academics experience burnout from the pressure to publish, secure funding, and juggle multiple responsibilities. I remember the frustration of having to work on another grant application while what I truly wanted to be doing was writing the code for a new experiment or collecting more data in a museum. 

While it’s true that you won’t be able to work 100% on what most excites you every day, there are other career paths where you can explore the skills you enjoy developing without the constant worry of a never-ending to-do list with impossible-to-meet deadlines. 

2. Financial Uncertainty Is Taking a Toll

Let’s face it — academic roles, especially adjunct or postdoc positions, often come with low pay and little stability. This wasn’t the biggest problem when I was single and carefree. After all, I learned how to live a frugal and nomad lifestyle. 

But when I had kids, some financial needs couldn’t be ignored. I needed daycare to do my work, but that was half my salary, with the other half paying for rent. 

If the financial uncertainty of academia is affecting your mental health or long-term plans, it’s a clear sign that it might be time to seek a role that offers stability and growth. 

It is so sad that universities don’t pay enough so that you can keep working with them even as your family needs change, but this is the cruel reality that we’re living at the moment. 

3. You’re Exhausted by the “Publish or Perish” Culture

The relentless pressure to publish papers and secure grants can be draining. Do you know how frustrating it is to work on a project for over a year just to realize that the results aren’t what you were expecting but still need to write something about them just so that you can prove your hard work?

I do, and it stinks.

What about the anxiety we experience every time we check our h-index, wondering whether it will be strong enough to secure tenure? Do you feel like your worth is tied to your publication record rather than the impact of your work? It’s a sign to consider alternatives. 

Outside academia, your problem-solving skills and critical thinking are often valued far more than your publication count. You could see a tangible impact from your work. 

4. You Want to Make a Broader Impact

Speaking of impact. Academia allows for deep, specialized research, but it can feel isolating. If you crave work that has a more immediate or tangible impact — whether in public policy, non-profits, or industry — it’s worth exploring roles where you can apply your expertise to real-world challenges.

I’ve seen academics use their GIS skills to detect deforestation threads in the Amazon, brief and advise US Senators on the latest outcomes from climate change research, or turn their teaching experience into advanced user experience research outputs. 

While all these people aren’t doing active science research, at least not as part of their job descriptions or requirements, their academic skills are being used on impactful projects that help them feel that their work will have a long-lasting result in our world and society. 

5. Your Work-Life Balance Is Suffering

Are long hours dedicated to teaching, university service, writing papers, submitting grants, mentoring students, and preparing conference talks, leaving you little time for family, friends, or hobbies? 

I remember talking to many of my peers who confessed to working 50 or even 60 hours per week just to keep up with their pre-tenure requirements. I was a new mom with two very little children who needed me whenever they weren’t at daycare and no family in town. 

I didn’t have 50 or even 60 hours to work on my career. 

If you’re sacrificing your personal life for a career that doesn’t feel sustainable, it’s time to reassess. Other sectors often offer greater flexibility and respect for work-life balance. Did you know I got tenure after a year in the public sector while working 40 hours or less each week? 

Yes, I was also mind-blown. 

6. Your Academic Job Search Has Stalled

The academic job market is notoriously competitive. If you’ve spent years applying for tenure-track positions with little success, it’s not a reflection of your value; it’s a reflection of the system. 

When I decided to quit, I was actively interviewing for tenure-track positions. Everyone around me kept telling me that, at that pace, it was just a matter of finding the perfect “match.”

But the idea scared me to bits. What if I didn’t like the lifestyle in the city where my perfect match was? If it didn’t have a major airport so my family could visit or a good hospital to meet my and my family’s healthcare needs?

Not to talk about the impact endless rejections and ghosting had on my mental health. You spend two days hanging out with your potential future colleagues. You click with some of them; they even show you the best neighborhoods in the city, where the climbing gym is, and help you figure out the commute. 

They have children your children’s age and mention how great it’ll be to have playday dates so that the kiddos meet other children with biologist parents. This is paradise, you think. Finally, the nomad lifestyle is over, and you’ll be settling in around like-minded people. 

Then you fly home, and you never hear from your new buddies again.  

Transitioning to other sectors can open up opportunities that match your skills and aspirations without endless rejection. You may even be able to choose what city you live in!

7. You’re Craving Creativity or Innovation

Academia’s rigid structures can sometimes stifle creativity. 

For example, I remember many peers recommending I stop chasing research ideas on so many different topics. One of my amazing former supervisors even commented that he thought his ability to tackle multiple problems in his research was often seen as an inability to focus on one particular area. 

This kept him from landing a proper tenure-track position for years, even if, after he did, he excelled as a professor and mentor and immediately gained recognition for his contributions. 

The moral of the story? Academia doesn’t always value creativity and innovation at the pace some of us work. 

If you’re brimming with ideas that don’t fit into grant proposals or traditional research paths, exploring entrepreneurship or innovative industries could be the outlet you’re looking for. 

In my case, I’m using my entrepreneurial ventures to explore the ideas that I had to put in boxes for many years. 

8. You’re Curious About Life Outside Academia

Sometimes, a nagging curiosity is all it takes. If you wonder what life could look like outside academia — whether in tech, non-profits, or starting your own business — it’s worth listening to that instinct. 

Curiosity is often the first step toward growth, especially if that curiosity makes you constantly daydream about the possibilities of a life outside a lab. 

Ever since I quit academia, I have managed to settle in a city I love with some of my husband’s family members nearby; I have contributed to non-profit causes, participated in conferences, given talks and advice in the public sector, and started my own business dedicated to bridging science with non-scientists, and helping others with their career transitions. 

How to Take the Next Step

Recognizing these signs is only the beginning. The next step is figuring out how to transition from academia into a career that suits your needs and aspirations. 

Here’s how I’d do it if I had to start my journey again:

1. Identify Your Transferable Skills

Many academics underestimate how their skills (i.e., research, analysis, communication, and project management) translate into non-academic roles. 

Take inventory of your strengths and consider how they align with roles in other sectors. Learn the non-academic jargon and understand how to describe these hard-earned skills outside the lab.

2. Explore New Career Paths

Take time to research industries or roles that excite you. Whether it’s industry, public policy, advocacy, or entrepreneurship, you have more options than you think.

Don’t overthink it. Go to a career site like LinkedIn and look through job descriptions that catch your eye. Could you picture yourself happily fulfilling any of these roles?

3. Build Your Network

Connect with people who’ve already transitioned out of academia.

LinkedIn, alumni networks, and professional organizations are great places to start. Informational interviews can also provide valuable insights into life outside academia.

Sometimes, we must see others happily doing something we are scared to try. Don’t be afraid to ask them questions about their fears and anxieties. They have all felt them and will happily share their feelings with you. 

4. Get Guidance and Support

Navigating this transition can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. 

That’s why I created the course that I wished I had when I was contemplating transitioning out of academia. A course specifically for academics like you: PhD Career Transitions: Exploring Opportunities Beyond Academia.

This course offers step-by-step guidance on how to:

• Reframe your academic skills for non-academic roles.
• Explore career paths in industry, non-profits, public service, and entrepreneurship.
• Craft compelling resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles.
• Network confidently across sectors.
• Overcome imposter syndrome and build a fulfilling career aligned with your values.

You Deserve a Career That Fits You

Leaving academia isn’t a failure; it’s a bold step toward creating the life and career that may better fit your needs, values, and desires. 

If you’re seeing these signs in your own journey, it’s time to take action. Your skills, passions, and expertise are valuable far beyond the confines of academia.

Scared? So was I, but I’ve never regretted my decision, not a single second. And I, and others just like me, will always be happy to meet over a virtual coffee and chat about careers, life, and everything in between.