Anyone move from academia to tech even though you dislike tech?
I loved what I was doing in grad school. A close relative got afflicted with severe mental illness towards end of my grad school and family needed urgent money. I decided to chip in and moved into tech because i was good at programming and felt tech jobs would help me payoff the expenses my family had incurred. The job at Apple helps me take care of the monetary situation adequately and I am infinitely grateful but I don’t really like working in tech (it’s just me) and still am quite passionate of my PhD research. I am from a field that doesn’t have a lot of industrial jobs and a traditional SWE role is the best I can get in tech. Even though I consciously decided to move into tech, I feel life has unfairly yanked me out of the happy life I had in research. I also get very sad whenever thoughts of all the research and people I put behind me pop into my head. Anyone on Blind who was in a similar situation? Would appreciate tips on combating these feelings.
Tell me your answer. I don’t like tech as well, but I like to pay my bills. What annoys me the most is working 9+ hours with people I don’t like on things I don’t really care about.
I have no answer myself. Which is why I asking the question here. What was your PhD in btw?
In statistics. I switched jobs around in the last 3 years, and it sucked everywhere. I think I am too spoiled with all the freedom at the university that I have hard times doing things because the management said abc.
This is just life, pay your debts and move back to academia if that’s what you want to do ...
The longer I stay in tech, the lower are my chances of academia accepting me back.
Not sure that’s true, you have the pedigree they care about, you might have to ‘level down’ but if it’s what will make you happy then I’m sure you won’t mind