1. Don’t get stuck in ‘Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda’: Focus on the Future, Not the Past
It's natural to dwell on thoughts like ‘What if I had...’ or ‘Maybe I should have...’. However, such reflections can be counterproductive. Remember, the key is to look ahead, not back. Your future is a canvas yet to be painted, and dwelling on the past won't help in creating your new masterpiece.

2. Allow Yourself to Grieve
Leaving academia can feel like losing a part of your identity. Please be reassured that a lot of people feel like this. It's okay to grieve the loss of your academic identity, or the partial loss of it. You might experience waves of sadness, but these will pass. With time, you'll start to see the exciting opportunities that lie ahead. The transition out of academia and the associated identity shift can take time. It can take time to embrace new beginnings, especially if they do not feel entirely comfortable or chosen.

3. Try to Embrace Uncertainty If You Can
There are likely to be periods of uncertainty when you leave academia. However, often academia contains plenty of uncertainty too: ‘Will my contract get renewed?’, ‘Will I get permanency?’, ‘Will I get that paper published?’ ‘Do I stand a chance with this grant application?’. Our feelings about uncertainty can depend on the context. Focus on the things you can control if you are struggling with uncertainty. 

4. Surround Yourself with Your Cheerleaders
Find the people who remind you of your worth. Find the people who tell you how amazing you are. Put your fearleaders on mute and surround yourself with your cheerleaders. Change can be hard. You need positive and encouraging voices. If you don’t have cheerleaders, you can find some in the Alt Ac Careers Facebook Group.

5. Focus on what You Can Choose
Even if the career road isn't clear yet, you are likely to have some choices related to your ‘What’s next?’. Focusing on your choices and developing a strategy for making good choices can prevent you feeling buffeted from whatever wind happens to blow in your direction! Coaching support can be really helpful for develop a strategy which ensures you feel empowered and in control.

Leaving academia can be hard. You are likely to have invested a lot of time, effort, energy and possibly tears in academia so far. But ignore the thought of sunk costs. Everything you have achieved so far has value beyond academia, sometimes even more so!

Hold onto your hat because I am going to be controversial!

If you have been in the online business space at all, you probably will have heard of people saying you have to niche. You have to do one thing. You have to offer one thing. You have to be known for one thing. 

There is value in that. It’s not necessarily bad advice. 
​

​However, what about people who are ‘multi-potentialites’, ‘multipassionates’ or ‘high idea generators’?

Does it seem like a bit of a waste of us for us to be focused on one thing? Does it sound like it could be a little bit boring?!

So, the phrase ‘there’s riches in the niches’ is true for some people but, I suggest, not all.

There are benefits to having multiple income streams – and that is easier to achieve if you are not tightly niched. People will say it is possible with product differentiation but actually I have found that to be pretty hard to achieve. Something that I have found easier to achieve is multiple income streams from multiple strands of my business, plus having another business as well (see naomityrrellphd.com).

I was challenged by Dr Paulina Trevena in my Alt Ac Careers Facebook Group to write a song about not being pigeon-holed when leaving academia so, always up for a giggle, I did just that:

There are riches in the niches, 
Or so they say.
Surely for academics there’s another way?
Multi-talented, multi-skilled
If we focus on one thing, will we be fulfilled?

Multi-potentialities, offering many things,
Free the caged-bird so it sings.
If you want to choose one thing, that’s ok
Just be reassured that there’s another way!

(No AI was used in the production of this song! It probably shows!)

You're not alone. Increasingly, many academics are reaching a point where they need to make a change, but they are unsure about how to navigate the transition. 

This is where You, Me and AI tools are an unstoppable combination! 

In my brand new Career Coaching AI Compass Sessions we quickly and seamlessly translate your academic achievements into a language that resonates with organisations beyond academia. What used to take hours, now takes minutes!
AI tools are transforming the way academics can rebrand (yes, we need to think about branding!) themselves for new career paths. By analysing your unique skill set, knowledge and experience, we can use AI tools to tailor your CV for roles beyond academia.

AI can help us discover untapped career opportunities, create water-tight applications, prepare for interviews in roles you’ve always wanted to move into – or had never thought of until now! You might discover a career path you had never considered before but aligns perfectly with your expertise and values!

Using AI together in a Coaching session gives us an additional navigation tool – a compass to guide you through the territory of career change.
​
When you are ready, let’s leverage AI tools together. I can show you the AI Top Tips for Career Change that I have discovered and honed, and we can even create your own unique Career Change Chat Bot!

Book a special Career Coaching AI Compass Session here https://tidycal.com/naomityrrell/ai-career-change-compass-call
Cost: £125 (including VAT)