#4: You don't need a perfect plan to escape academia

Academia teaches us to be perfectionists. To pursue a calling. And to be cautious.

This causes pivoting academics to fall into a major trap.

We feel frozen looking for the perfect career.

It has to feel “safe” — like we imagine tenure to be. We want to find our true calling. And we want to know in advance that we’re on the right path.

But that leads to complete stagnation and indecision.

Today I’m going outline a basic strategy to avoid this trap.

You don't need a perfect plan to begin your escape.

Instead:

1. Investigate several fields that interest you. Be brief about it.
2. Pick one that gives you energy.
3. Read more and talk to people in that field.
4. Volunteer or do side projects to start building experience / a portfolio.
5. Still having fun? Keep going. Not so much? Back to step two. Nothing lost.

Do a quick investigation

You probably already know some potential fields. Or at least have heard role titles.

Keep a small list. Read basic descriptions of the work for each.

Don’t focus on whether you are ready for a job. Focus on how the work sounds to you.

Pick the 5 most exciting/interesting from your list.

Hold a coffee chat with someone in each field.

After each chat and as you read about each field, journal your thoughts about the role/field. What would give you energy about the work? What would take away energy?

How do you feel when imagining yourself doing that work? (Not forever. Imagine yourself doing it for 1-3 years).

Pick one that gives you energy

Follow your gut after those chats and your brief research.

Pick ONE field or role.

This isn’t your final choice. It isn’t your grand choice for all time and the rest of your life.

You are picking your first experiment.

The stakes are low. You can have as many experiments as you need. And you can always iterate and tweak what you’re doing.

Unlike in academia, there’s no huge consequences for zigging and zagging.

This is an experiment #1, not a life choice.

Sink into the field

Time to be a career sleuth.

Sink into your first experiment.

Find and follow people in the field on LinkedIn. Look for relevant Facebook groups (or whatever).

I particularly recommend listening to relevant podcasts.

You want to absorb the language of the field. Listen for common problems and challengers. Get a sense of the rhythms and quirks.

Find 5 more people in the field to have an informational interview with.

Be alert for what sorts of experience and evidence this field values. You’ll need this for the next step.

Through your research, find the key books or articles that are recommended to newbies in this field. Consume them!

Get your hands dirty

As early as you are able to do some version of the work, do it.

This is the fastest way for you to get data on whether this field is a good fit for you.

Mess with the tools of the field. Start sketching out a potential project for a portfolio. Look for a volunteer opportunity.

Can you do some work in this field for a local non-profit? A friend’s start up? A connection at your current company? Or just a concept project on your own?

The more “realistic” the hands-on experimentation, the better. A side benefit is that this may actually begin to set you up with real work examples if you try to pivot into this field.

But the immediate goal is to spend some time doing.

Ideally, you’ll experiment for a month or two. But if you have a strong response faster than that, listen to what your experience is telling you!

Pause to assess

Are you still having fun? Does the work give you energy? Do you enjoy the people in the field that you are working with and/or chatting with?

Can you imagine doing this work and it fitting with your broader life?

If yes, keep going.

Not so much? Back to step two. Nothing lost! Pick a new experiment.

You haven’t wasted your time. You’ve gathered valuable research data.

That said, be aware that there are learning curves and you can hit walls as a beginner.

Don’t discount a field because you have a lot to learn or because you don’t think you’d be able to break into it immediately (unless timeline is a central priority for you).

Base your decision based on whether you can hit flow doing the work. Whether the people in the field feel like “your people.” Whether the problems and challenges of the field interest you. Whether you actually enjoy the grunt work of the role — or at least, get some satisfaction from it.

TLDR:

Do the fun parts of the work energize you and the dull parts not bother you too much? That’s a good sign.

Picking your first role outside academic isn’t about being perfect or right.

It’s about experimentation.

You just need to start moving in a better direction.

You can refine that direction as you go.

But you need to start moving.

Don't wait for perfection.

You can’t find it advance.