I have decided to leave academia for industry

[fast_and_bulbous]

Well, well, well. How the turntables.
Not really. I am still in academia, and currently quite content.
Last fall I had an interview with a huge computery company and it went swell, although I learned what I was trying to "sell" wasn't really what they were interested in, which made my potential role there much less clear. And, really, it was a very short discussion because the company was under a hiring freeze. So, no go.
A month or so later, a grant came in, and some other stuff happened that made me much more content in my current (basically work from home) 'research scientist' position.
I also decided I kind of dodged a bullet. All the financial freaking out aside: I would probably die inside if I worked for this company.
So I am even more determined to kick academic research ass, and my collaborations are blooming and sh*t's getting done. So I am in it for the long haul, I guess. I figure a big-assed R1 university is probably going to stick around for a while, and the idea of getting laid off makes me want to vomit in fear.
Yay academia?

[Puget]

Well, well, well. How the turntables.
Not really. I am still in academia, and currently quite content.
Last fall I had an interview with a huge computery company and it went swell, although I learned what I was trying to "sell" wasn't really what they were interested in, which made my potential role there much less clear. And, really, it was a very short discussion because the company was under a hiring freeze. So, no go.
A month or so later, a grant came in, and some other stuff happened that made me much more content in my current (basically work from home) 'research scientist' position.
I also decided I kind of dodged a bullet. All the financial freaking out aside: I would probably die inside if I worked for this company.
So I am even more determined to kick academic research ass, and my collaborations are blooming and sh*t's getting done. So I am in it for the long haul, I guess. I figure a big-assed R1 university is probably going to stick around for a while, and the idea of getting laid off makes me want to vomit in fear.
Yay academia?

Glad things worked out, and your are blooming where you're planted after all!

A lot of people I know from grad school/postdoc went into industry (data science mostly), and although they make WAY more than I do, I don't want their jobs. First as you note, they get laid off and sometimes fired fairly regularly. They always land new jobs fairly quickly (there doesn't seem to be much stigma as long as you've been in a job for about a year), but that would stress me the hell out. I also wouldn't want to give up doing mostly what I want for doing what my boss wants (which can change on a dime).

[apl68]

Thank you for the update, and glad to hear you're doing well.

And isn't it neat how your update just happened to land at the top of the thread's second page!

[ciao_yall]

Well, well, well. How the turntables.
Not really. I am still in academia, and currently quite content.
Last fall I had an interview with a huge computery company and it went swell, although I learned what I was trying to "sell" wasn't really what they were interested in, which made my potential role there much less clear. And, really, it was a very short discussion because the company was under a hiring freeze. So, no go.
A month or so later, a grant came in, and some other stuff happened that made me much more content in my current (basically work from home) 'research scientist' position.
I also decided I kind of dodged a bullet. All the financial freaking out aside: I would probably die inside if I worked for this company.
So I am even more determined to kick academic research ass, and my collaborations are blooming and sh*t's getting done. So I am in it for the long haul, I guess. I figure a big-assed R1 university is probably going to stick around for a while, and the idea of getting laid off makes me want to vomit in fear.
Yay academia?

Nothing like having options to make you appreciate what you have!

[lightning]

It looks like things worked out well for you. I also attempted to jump to the more lucrative "industry."

Unfortunately, my attempts to jump to "industry" didn't really go anywhere.

Congrats for getting far enough in the process to know enough about it to not go there.

[fast_and_bulbous]

Some updates: Things remain in the air for me. I did interview recently with the big company and it went well, there will be more interviews. So the possibility remains of leaving. Other things in my personal life have blown up majorly and right now I am more open to change than usual, so I'll probably take an offer if it's given. My current funding situation remains OK - I am good until near the end of the year - and I've been "given permission" to dedicate a lot of time to grant writing to make up for a deficit that was caused by weird life things. So on the one hand I'm doubling down on the research life, while also looking to jump off the academic track to a corporate one. Right now I could see being OK with both options, but my prevailing attitude is that I could really use a change - a good paying work from home computer type job could just be the ticket.