Separation Anxiety: Leaving the Bench
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| Title: | Separation Anxiety: Leaving the Bench | |
| Author: | Virginia Cox, PhD | |
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A European science policy colleague of mine could succinctly explain her decision to leave the lab bench for the policy desk. She explained that as a plant geneticist developing frost-resistant plants in Europe during the early days of the European GMO backlash, she realized that scientists needed to explain plant genetics and the benefits of biotechnology therein to non-scientists.
My separation from the bench was not nearly as neat or decisive. Perhaps you are struggling with the same anxiety that I did, and if so, I hope that reading my story will empower you to make the right decision for you, whether your future lies at the bench or elsewhere.
The decision to leave the bench was a gradual one for me. It began with spending more and more time on the news articles in Science and Nature magazines and led me to pursue a career in science policy.
Although many of my colleagues who also left the lab bench suffered a rebuke from their advisor, my experience was much more positive. My advisor was open to her students pursuing opportunities outside of academia, and when I told her that I wanted to work in science policy, she remarked that she’d rather that someone who knew about science advise the Washington policy makers than someone who didn’t know proteins from pre-teens!
Because of my advisor’s support, I had a much easier departure from academia than some. That is why I believe that it is important to find someone who is supportive of your desire to look for opportunities outside the lab. This person may be a colleague, a supervisor or someone at your institute who has worked outside academe. Given that deviation from the traditional academic path is often discouraged, it is crucial to find someone who is willing to listen and offer you advice.
I was also fortunate that my graduate school encouraged alternative career planning by inviting alumni to discuss their career paths in such diverse industries as biotechnology, consulting, project management and non-profit patient advocacy.
Often institutions, particularly large research universities, overlook the importance of career counseling for graduate students, postdocs and even faculty. If your institution has a career office, you should see whether they offer career counseling to non-undergraduates. Another option is to approach the graduate office, postdoctoral office or other administrative body to determine whether you and your classmates can invite speakers from outside academia to speak. This exercise would allow you not only to be exposed to nontraditional career tracks but also perhaps to speak one on one with a potential employer or colleague. |
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Virginia Cox, PhD holds a PhD in Molecular and Developmental Biology from Weill Medical College at Cornell University. She was a 2004-6 AAAS Diplomacy Fellow in the Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science at the U.S. Department of State and currently works as a Program Officer at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in New York City. |
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