Lablit Survey - why leave science?

Do the survey for this week and let me and John know how you answered and why:

Most likely reason a scientist will leave research?

Can't find a permanent position

Desires to earn a higher salary

Sees no correlation between hard work and eventual success

Wants to make a greater impact on society

Feels love of science could be better expressed in another career

More like this

Less than a losing football coach, apparently: DaveInTokyo investigates using UC public data "UC Berkeley top 10 earners
Inside Higher Ed has a news squib about gender disparities in academic science, which points to a
New NSF policies on faculty salaries:
Every week in the Currents section of the Sunday paper, the Philadelphia Inquirer runs a feature called "Influences: What Shapes The Minds That Make The News".

ooph, a bit depressing, isn't that?
how about "why do you stay in science?" :)

wasn't sure if the survey was our perceptions, or our personal reasons...would be an interesting distinction to make.

(excellent daily kos, by the way...thx)

Well, I left research, and though every one of the reasons had some influence on my decision, it was mainly because after 5 years of very hard work my thesis was going nowhere. Blame me and my really awfull director...

Kate, your comment is interesting: a lot of colleagues and friends asked me why I was leaving science. My answer is allways the same: I left research. Science is still the love of my life... I'm just courting her in a different way these days.

By el-jaguar (not verified) on 09 Apr 2007 #permalink

"Too lazy to do the amount of work needed to get a permanent position" in my case :-)

I haven't actually left yet, but it's not unlikely and the reason will be the inability to get a stable position - or to get temporary positions where I can work to fully qualify for one - in the city where I now have a family.