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comment by veen
veen  ·  1743 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Pubski: June 19, 2019

I think you need to think about which values you hold high and which values you want to see reflected in your job. Do you care about stability and consistency or about innovation and new possibilities? About collaborating closely or doing your own thing? Do you want to venture into new directions, or do you want to dig deep into what you're doing? How much agency do you want? Then you can check how the two options align with those values.

Also something to consider is whether you can take elements of option A into option B. You have every right to have a serious conversation with the institution / your boss about this. Can you take what's interesting in the academic job and do that where you're at now? Can you discuss with the institution that you're afraid of failing and want more support?

Personally, I've come to realize that choosing a career path based on status (which is what you're actually saying when you talk about it being a boon to your career) is a dead end, a dependancy on extrinsic confirmation that's not necessary or helpful. Following your interests and scratching your own itch has brought me much farther than I had anticipated. I'd also try to focus on just the next year, maybe two.





zebra2  ·  1742 days ago  ·  link  ·  

All good points. I know I’ve fallen victim to chasing status before. I actually applied to the academic position because it aligns with my interests and what I work well with in many ways. When I applied actually, the status was lesser than it is now. The job I’m being offered is actually expanded from the one I technically applied for. That’s both cool and scary.

Reviewing things about my current company pushes me a bit more towards leaving. They really aren’t paying great wages for what is typical. Reviews on Glassdoor et al really drive that home (although I take that with a grain of salt because I’ve never seen a company presented favorably on those sites). So maybe the future of staying here isn’t all that bright.

I’m wondering if I’m looking at my current position with a rose-tinted view because the 1) honeymoon phase hasn’t worn off and 2) it has the appeal of the path of least resistance.