a major transition

[jinian]

Hi. I'm leaving the academic job track. In... two days.

Why? Lots of reasons. My postdoc hasn't been successful, which is due in part to trauma and in part to disabilities. The academy is deeply fucked up in a lot of ways that I no longer see it as my job to change. There are brilliant young women out there who love science and will continue to push.

My new job is both science-related and social-justice-related: I'm going to be a manuscript editor for researchers who aren't native English speakers. There's tons of good science being done that may not get a fair shake because of the style it's written in, so I can help! It'll be fun and enriching -- I can learn new science, it'll be my job to read papers, and I'm looking forward to figuring out which grammatical errors go with which native languages. Everyone I've talked to at the company seems awesome, it sounds like a great culture fit, there's room for growth, and I'll be working remotely with flexible hours. It's delightful. I'm delighted.

It's also a loss. I'm okay and angry and thrilled all at once. I could live anywhere now, though I am very disinclined to move with two nineteen-year-old cats. But I won't be teaching students in person like I have been, and I won't be the mentor who helps make advanced degrees happen for talented people, and I won't be the cranky old professor asking pointed questions of the visiting seminar speakers.

Comments

[genarti]

Congratulations and I'm sorry, both at once. That sounds like a really awesome job, and really good work to be doing for science, and also I'm sorry the academic job track didn't work out. It's a deeply messed up system, and it's chewed up and spit out so many great and brilliant people, and that's a loss every time.

But mostly I'm happy for you that you've got such a great and interesting job lined up, and I hope it turns out to be even more delightful than you're expecting!

[jinian]

Thank you! I hope you had a great birthday, I was hoping to come right up until the last minute but I just couldn't make it work.

[genarti]

These things happen! I'm sorry you couldn't come, but it was indeed great fun. :) Maybe we can make something else happen in the next month or so?

(After that, my big news that I haven't posted about like I should is that I'm off to grad school in Montreal in the fall, and I'm doing a summer program for a chunk of July and August. I'll still be back in Boston relatively often, though!)

[ursula]

Welcome to editor-land!

I've been able to do some shorter-term mentoring through my professional societies and projects like Sage Days. If that's something you're interested in, there may be time & space yet.

[jinian]

Thanks! That kind of thing is definitely a possibility, and I'm thinking about working with high schoolers too. And hopefully I'll still stay close with the grad student I've been working with -- she needs the support.

[heavenscalyx]

I'm glad to hear to have a steady gig and I'm sorry for the Academy's bullshit. Dinner soonish?

[jinian]

Dinner any time, just let me know. :)

[jenett]

Yay for the good parts! And I can totally see how it's complicated too. (Boo on academia for being as lousy about this as it is.)

[jinian]

Yeah... I'm feeling brighter about it this morning, though. Only two days and it no longer will dominate my destiny!

[umadoshi]

I'm sorry you had to make that decision, but very glad you have such an excellent-sounding new thing lined up! I hope it's wonderful. *hugs*

[gwyneira]

I'm sorry about the bad parts, but that new gig does sound delightful! What a neat thing to be able to do.

[skygiants]

Congratulations -- I am glad you have a next step and a next step you're excited about to counterbalance the loss and frustration. It sounds like an awesome gig, honestly.

[kalmn]

*hug*

It's late, I'm tired, that's all I've got. I miss you, and I hope that this change will be a goodness in the long run.

[laceblade]

Academia is fucked up, and any time someone leaves the academic job track, I just feel happy for them. So, I am happy for you to leave this toxic and gross system. I get the anger, but hope you find more peace with it each day.

Your new job sounds like good work, and I hope that you like it.

[elynne]

I've been thinking about you recently--a friend proposed going blueberry-picking, and that spurred a cascade. I hope that the new career-thing will prove to be a positive, fulfilling change in your life, but I also understand needing to mourn the other path. Give the catbeasts some love from me, and a virtual *hug* for you.

[oyceter]

I'm sorry academia has been so awful, though I'm glad you're getting out. I've heard so many terrible stories from various people. And I'm glad about your new gig! It sounds very exciting!

[beaq]

I'm sorry you weren't one of the lucky vanishingly-few who AcaCharybdis barfs up onto a cozy academic reef, but happy you were pooped out onto the shores of sanity.