How External Pressures Shape Scientific Career Dissatisfaction

Redefining success in science: why the traditional career path might not be the right fit for you

For a long time, I thought the problem was, well, me.

I had spent years in academia, moving through research, teaching, and postdocs. I told myself this was it — this was where I could make an impact. But something always felt off.

I pushed through, thinking maybe I just needed a new project. A different grant. A better institution. It took me a while to realize the problem wasn’t just me — it was the system.

The Career Path You Didn’t Exactly Choose

Scientists rarely get to ask themselves, What do I actually want? Instead, we follow a pre-set path:

✔️ Get the degree.
✔️ Publish.
✔️ Secure funding.
✔️ Hope for stability (which may never come).

At every stage, the goalpost moves. There’s always another paper to write, another fellowship to apply for, another short-term contract before maybe landing a permanent role. You convince yourself that the next step will finally bring security or fulfillment.

That you just need to publish another paper, right? Maybe in PNAS this time? Why not Science or Nature? This will land me stability, right? Right?

And then one day, you wake up and wonder why you feel stuck.

It’s Not Just Burnout — It’s Misalignment

When I first felt dissatisfied with my career, I thought I was just tired. I blamed long hours, grant pressures, and the never-ending expectation to do more with fewer resources. After all, I was doing all of that while taking care of a toddler and a newborn, so it was easy to misunderstand what was going on.

But exhaustion wasn’t the real issue — misalignment was.

Here’s how you can tell the difference:

• Burnout makes you want to rest.
• Misalignment makes you want to walk away.

Burnout can be fixed with time off, but misalignment lingers. If you feel drained even after a break, if the work you once loved feels like a burden, if you’re constantly looking for an exit or daydreaming about it, if quitting gives you a peaceful feeling— then the issue isn’t just fatigue.

The System Wasn’t Built for Your Happiness

Academic careers are structured around productivity, funding cycles, and institutional needs. They reward persistence, not necessarily fulfillment.

Here’s my two cents: If you’re feeling stuck, it’s not because you’re ungrateful, lazy, or lacking passion. Ignore anyone even suggesting such a thing. It’s because these systems weren’t designed with personal satisfaction in mind.

But wait, that doesn’t mean you have to leave science behind. It means you need to redefine how you engage with it.

Shifting from “What’s Next?” to “What Do I Actually Want?”

The hardest part of stepping away from a traditional path isn’t the transition itself — it’s letting go of the identity tied to it. For me, the shift wasn’t about abandoning science. It was about finding a way to use my scientific expertise without being trapped by a system that no longer fit me.

So if you’re stuck in that loop of one more grant, one more project, take a step back and ask:

👉 Do I love this work, or just the idea of it?
👉 Am I staying because I want to, or because I don’t know another way?
👉 What can I change to feel a better sense of purpose and impact?

The answers might surprise you.

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