Anonymous
Post 09/17/2024 22:40     Subject: Career choice Professor vs Research Scientist
Anonymous wrote:PhD here. I would go for number 2. Faculty positions are a rat race and you never stop working. Going into industry will give you better work life balance and a living wage.


Pp here. I should qualify that I went into industry and my cohort mate went faculty. They make 100k as faculty (tenured associate). I make 160k in industry. I also have way better work life balance!
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2024 22:38     Subject: Career choice Professor vs Research Scientist
PhD here. I would go for number 2. Faculty positions are a rat race and you never stop working. Going into industry will give you better work life balance and a living wage.
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2024 15:22     Subject: Re:Career choice Professor vs Research Scientist
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I also think option 2 is the better choice. First for me is location in DC. I feel that opens up wider options for career growth and social options. If you start option 2 and you don’t like the job or funding gets shady, DC will offer other opportunities that a small town won’t and it should allow networking to hopefully get you where you want to be even if you don’t know what that is. Plus, with hall the colleges in this area you could try to teach part time. And I think DC will offer opportunities for a great social life.


Why does everyone think he can waltz into a tenure professorship in a decade?


Very good point. Usually people "waltz" into a tenured position after they've done something in industry for a couple of decades.
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2024 15:21     Subject: Career choice Professor vs Research Scientist
How much do you like money? Your earning potential at job 1 is pretty finite and knowable. At job 2, you will have more opportunities and I expect your job growth will be rapid. (meaning that you may change jobs but with each change will come more money, more fun and upward trajectory).

Congrats on TWO offers! Especially that first one. You really are as good at your profession and most PhDs wish they were. signed, professional who left academe after a very fancy post-doc.
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2024 15:09     Subject: Career choice Professor vs Research Scientist
If you went into this field hoping to do hands on data work, then you should take option 2. If you were hoping to work in industry/tech that’s still a future option. If you take option 1, you won’t be getting the hands on data experience that you might need for future positions.

If you want to teach, then take option 1.
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2024 14:58     Subject: Career choice Professor vs Research Scientist
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If your passion is research take 2. I'm a (not science) prof at a teaching institution and this is my passion but I will be honest: the service an interpersonal stuff is a huge huge part of the job. I don't know how lab research-focused scientists do it if they don't prefer this environment.

That said, the lower bar for tenure is real, and I find my peace of mind to be consistent and the balance is nice.

Money: I am married to a high earner. The pay is low with little room to grow. Grant money is not life changing.

If you are single and looking for a partner and love research, choose 2. You can always adjunct or partner with a university and attempt to pivot to a lower stress teaching-focused tt job later.


Thanks for sharing and the great advice! Yes, my next chapter in life is career and start a family (if I find the right person).


Great! To be clear, I am living choice #1 and I love it. But I'm just trying to be real about it.
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2024 14:53     Subject: Re:Career choice Professor vs Research Scientist
Anonymous wrote:I also think option 2 is the better choice. First for me is location in DC. I feel that opens up wider options for career growth and social options. If you start option 2 and you don’t like the job or funding gets shady, DC will offer other opportunities that a small town won’t and it should allow networking to hopefully get you where you want to be even if you don’t know what that is. Plus, with hall the colleges in this area you could try to teach part time. And I think DC will offer opportunities for a great social life.


Why does everyone think he can waltz into a tenure professorship in a decade?
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2024 14:52     Subject: Re:Career choice Professor vs Research Scientist
I also think option 2 is the better choice. First for me is location in DC. I feel that opens up wider options for career growth and social options. If you start option 2 and you don’t like the job or funding gets shady, DC will offer other opportunities that a small town won’t and it should allow networking to hopefully get you where you want to be even if you don’t know what that is. Plus, with hall the colleges in this area you could try to teach part time. And I think DC will offer opportunities for a great social life.
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2024 12:13     Subject: Career choice Professor vs Research Scientist
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How much do you like teaching? How much do you want to be a professor? You could apply to an R1 if that's your end goal but you'd need to figure out a way to continue your research. My friends at teaching schools often partner with researchers at R1 institutions.


That's a good advice, thank you! I'm OK with teaching, not very enthusiastic but definitely take my responsibilities very serious.


I would say #2 in this case. You are young enough to still run the hamster wheel of soft money. You will make contacts, meet people, enjoy living in a city, mentor young scientists. And yes, you will stress about funding. But then in 10 years when you are tired of chasing money, you can turn to your network of contacts and look for something new. Maybe that will be a good time in your life to find a small town and do some unenthusiastic but diligent teaching.

You will have no problem transitioning to something quieter after taking option #2. But you will have a hard time finding anything else but teaching after #1.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2024 17:31     Subject: Career choice Professor vs Research Scientist
Offer 2. Offer 1 is going to eventually require research and publishing as well as teaching, ask me how I know!

You can always take offer 2, see how it goes, and apply to something like offer 1 down the line. You usually can't go the other way though.