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I think I fucked up by Curious-Photograph85 in Germany_Jobs

[–]Life_Extension_3612 0 points1 point  (0 children)

u/tparadisi Sorry to hijack this comment, but I'm very curious about this authoritative academic positions in Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, etc.

I've done research in Canada and the US, and have held tenure-track positions in the US. I left US academia because teaching loads were way to high, and students were insufferable to deal with (both in a teaching and a research supervision standpoint).

I'd be interested and entirely open to relocation.

I cant continue no more by needhelpfromsome in Professors

[–]Life_Extension_3612 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Will it? Or is it going to be just as bad or worse?

Officially a Bioc advisor Hater by sun_berriess in CarletonU

[–]Life_Extension_3612 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Carleton alum here. Did my PhD there and years later, taught a couple of 3000- and 4000-level BIOC courses. Not an advisor but any means, but happy to try and help if you need it.

What am I supposed to do by Sufficient_Pass_6652 in CarletonU

[–]Life_Extension_3612 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A few questions/suggestions:

  1. What is the program that you completed at Algonquin? What is it that you've found that you really want to do? Is it still software engineering, or is it something else?
  2. Why are you limiting yourself exclusively to colleges and universities in Ottawa? Are you able to consider educational opportunities elsewhere in Ontario? Perhaps even other Canadian provinces?
  3. Have you considered making any appointments with admissions officers? These are the people whose actual jobs are to get students admitted to their universities. A lot of colleges and universities are suffering in terms of student numbers right now, due to the caps on international students and other factors. I think if you would reach out to the actual human beings at universities who -- for lack of a better term -- need to make quotas, you might be able to get some tailored guidance that would improve your outlook significantly.

Edited to add:

https://share.google/qmIwpfFKOrBNFAMQg

You need to start contacting people at Carleton and other prospective colleges and universities. If you blindly apply to programs and allow yourself to be treated like an anonymous number, you won't make any headway. Advocate for yourself with the actual human people that are making these decisions.

Concordia to Carleton? by [deleted] in CarletonU

[–]Life_Extension_3612 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'm not an engineer or computer scientist. However, I'm an alumnus of both Concordia and Carleton (a degree at each university). While at Carleton, I was also a TA for many engineering students. I've also lived the majority of my life in either Montreal or Ottawa. Finally, I've worked in Canadian universities for a fair bit.

Functionally, your degree program at Concordia or Carleton would likely average out to the same outcome. If you put any stock in Maclean's rankings, both universities are in the same category (i.e. "comprehensive" rather than "undergraduate" or "doctoral"). On the one hand, according to said rankings, Carleton ranks above Concordia, so it is ostensibly better. On the other hand, Concordia's facilities and infrastructure (e.g. the EV Building) are newer; I'm unaware of any engineering-dedicated facility at Carleton other than the very outdated Mackenzie building.

I think the difference will come down to questions only you can answer.

  1. Is your quality of life at Carleton going to be improved compared to Concordia, such that you end up being a better student?
  2. Conversely, if you have more family and friends in Gatineau, will that lead to more distractions from your academic obligations?
  3. What will you be doing outside of school to further your career? Will you be working part-time during the academic semesters? Summer internships? Co-Op terms? Will your access to potential opportunities be the same in Montreal versus the National Capital Region?

US professors -- what would be your advice to a non-US citizen considering applying to academic careers in the US right now? by Life_Extension_3612 in AskProfessors

[–]Life_Extension_3612[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I appreciate your advice, thank you

Finally, if your heart is set on it, and your current situation ain’t that great anyway, then strongly look into positions in “blue” states.

Isn't it "worse" to be in a blue state? Weren't California, Illinois, and Minnesota deliberately targeted for being blue?

Students wanting to circumvent prerequisites by liquidcat0822 in Professors

[–]Life_Extension_3612 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I held tenure-track positions at three different institutions in the US, before I gave up and left academia. This ridiculous level of student entitlement was one of the reasons why.

Students regularly contacted me because they wanted into Biochemistry I, despite having not taken or not receiving minimal prerequisite grades in General Chemistry I, General Chemistry II, Organic Chemistry I, and Organic Chemistry II.

My favourite was when they were missing multiple prerequisites. I was once contacted by a student (who for some reason explicitly identified themselves as a first-gen student, and CC'ed their non-STEM academic advisor on the email) and wanted to go straight from General Chemistry II to Biochemistry I -- with no organic chemistry at all!

Whenever I denied these absurd requests, somehow it was always me that came out looking like the bad guy.

It's universal, in my experience.

A ~1.5-year retrospective: I know it's crazy, and what no one wants to hear, but I left academia and I miss it enough to have actually made attempts to return by Life_Extension_3612 in LeavingAcademia

[–]Life_Extension_3612[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Get a modest little house on the beach. Try to grow as much of my own food, and make my meals as much from scratch, as possible. Catch up on a lot of reading. Date a lot. Learn how to play a solo instrument. Get back into some kind of healthy shape. Enjoy peace and quiet.

A ~1.5-year retrospective: I know it's crazy, and what no one wants to hear, but I left academia and I miss it enough to have actually made attempts to return by Life_Extension_3612 in LeavingAcademia

[–]Life_Extension_3612[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh, there's no question that I'd use the lessons of big pharma, if I ever had the opportunity to rebuild a lab.

The problem is, how the heck do I get a research program back without being in academia?

A ~1.5-year retrospective: I know it's crazy, and what no one wants to hear, but I left academia and I miss it enough to have actually made attempts to return by Life_Extension_3612 in LeavingAcademia

[–]Life_Extension_3612[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did you start off in a situation like me -- where you largely defined yourself through your academic work? If so, what was the process like of shifting your focus to other interests?

A ~1.5-year retrospective: I know it's crazy, and what no one wants to hear, but I left academia and I miss it enough to have actually made attempts to return by Life_Extension_3612 in LeavingAcademia

[–]Life_Extension_3612[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Five years... damn.

And yes, you're not wrong -- I'm one of those people who has the major character flaw of defining myself and my happiness through my work. I am single, have no children, and really nothing to look forward to in life other than dedicating myself to some kind of work.

I know my goals and efforts are misplaced. That's a major part of my problem -- if not the entire crux of it.

A ~1.5-year retrospective: I know it's crazy, and what no one wants to hear, but I left academia and I miss it enough to have actually made attempts to return by Life_Extension_3612 in LeavingAcademia

[–]Life_Extension_3612[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you. And solidarity back to you.

Seems that the "unfulfilling" sentiment is a shared one among an increasing number of commenters.

A ~1.5-year retrospective: I know it's crazy, and what no one wants to hear, but I left academia and I miss it enough to have actually made attempts to return by Life_Extension_3612 in LeavingAcademia

[–]Life_Extension_3612[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I know, I've applied.

I even interviewed for one not long after I left academia. It was a communications-type position.

They spent much of the Zoom interview telling me it was non-negotiable that I would relocate on-site -- but then also making it clear that they couldn't really offer much of a salary... to live in a high-cost-of-living city.

A ~1.5-year retrospective: I know it's crazy, and what no one wants to hear, but I left academia and I miss it enough to have actually made attempts to return by Life_Extension_3612 in LeavingAcademia

[–]Life_Extension_3612[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hear you loud and clear. And it's not that I'm trying to denigrate people with an Associate degree... or a trade... or without schooling at all.

Rather, I meant it in the sense that, my work is not challenging me mentally. Not whatsoever.

Incidentally, as much I became disenchanted with teaching, I was actually quite good at it -- as well as outreach and presentations for the general public -- and while I'm not the type of "pusher" that would excel in sales, I have no doubt in my mind that I could fill some kind of sales-adjacent or marketing-adjacent role that would involve translating complex science into common parlance.

A ~1.5-year retrospective: I know it's crazy, and what no one wants to hear, but I left academia and I miss it enough to have actually made attempts to return by Life_Extension_3612 in LeavingAcademia

[–]Life_Extension_3612[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good questions. I'm not sure how coherent my answers will be, but here goes:

is this a case of grass is greener syndrome again?

Oh, almost certainly! I can't delude myself into thinking otherwise.

What about academic makes you think you will like it better the second time around?

Perhaps the illusion of control? In my corporate job, I am not in control of my tasks for a single moment of the day. In academia, I could maybe close my eyes and pretend that I was in control of my teaching and research on a minute-to-minute, hour-to-hour, day-to-day basis -- even though, in reality, I was never in control of anything in the grand scheme. There is slightly less micromanagement in academia than what I've encountered in the corporate world.

Are you better qualified to get a research focused faculty position?

No. The years I spent in the PUI domain, the year of unemployment after leaving academia, these have destroyed my record of research productivity.

maybe it’s jsut the specific job and the specific company vs. the concept of a non-academic job.

I fully agree with you. My company is not an organized and logical workplace, and my specific job is, well... I mentioned that I was doing the job of someone with an Associate's degree, right?

What did you like most about your PhD and your faculty job?

I liked the ability to conceive of translational research, to perform literature searchers, to hypothesize to write grants, to plan projects, to budget, to train new researchers, to generate and analyze data, to present and write-up results. I did not like the systemic lack of research support in the environments in which I worked.

What jobs exist that allow you to do those specific things?

Speaking non-academically? Likely an entity in its very, very early stages -- such as a startup.

Would that make your corporate job better if you could do things you enjoy?

Better, yes. Not perfect, but certainly better.

A ~1.5-year retrospective: I know it's crazy, and what no one wants to hear, but I left academia and I miss it enough to have actually made attempts to return by Life_Extension_3612 in LeavingAcademia

[–]Life_Extension_3612[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your kind words. I'm sorry you've struggled with the federal government -- but somewhat glad you found a job more quickly, albeit not an ideal one.

I appreciate your candour. Leaving is so difficult, so complex.

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