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I've been on a rather long hiatus, don't worry-I'm fine. I've just had a major career change and I'm officially out of academic science research. Yep, finally drank the kool-aid, jumped off the treadmill, sold out, or whatever people are calling it these days.
It often seems to me that the discussion surrounding why postdocs "drop out" of academic research often use "work-life balance" as a catch-all term. The discussions also appear to avoid a major question: is basic research considered a "real job"? The way I see it, the "work-life" issue isn't only about have time to spend with friends and family, but also about bearing the financial responsibilities that comes with having a family/life. The fact that postdoctoral research is still considered "training" and postdocs are paid stipends with minimal benefits certainly doesn't make us feel like adults. Furthermore, this "training" period continues to lengthen while the likelihood of getting a "real" job in research (i.e. tenure-track position, or even a research scientist job in industry) is decreasing. It's even more discouraging if one considers (like I have from time to time) how postdocs are some of the most highly educated people in the world and yet are compensated little better than most in entry-level positions. This particular issue requires no small amount of humility and mental effort to overlook. Finally, there is also a perceived urgency to change careers earlier rather than later because a long postdoc tends to limit other career options for two reasons: 1) potential employers may think you choose an alternative career because you had no other choice, and 2) employers may think you are too entrenched in academic research to adjust to another work culture. When we look at all these factors and their stark implications, why is anyone surprised so many scientists are dropping out at early stages of their career to look for real jobs?
The hardly closeted discussions amongst postdocs have often been how to juggle the demands of having a life and making research a career. We sometimes joke that basic research as a career is for the wealthy, and we mere mortals can only stick around until we need to make a living. When I was younger, I thought little of going to the lab at odd hours or my very modest living situation. I wanted to graduate, and the thought that this is a necessary-and more important-a TEMPORARY sacrifice made it all worthwhile. However, as I advanced in my training it became obvious that I may have to live like a grad student for a lot longer than I thought, and that was incompatible with what I want out of my life and my growing family responsibilities.
To me, the reason for postdoc drop out is absurdly simple. It reduces to those willing and able make such sacrifices indefinitely versus those who want a real job now.
