I can’t sugar coat my experience. It was rough. But it is true that it varies widely based on a lot of factors, so definitely don’t freak out.

You have mad skills for sure. The main new skill I meant is a whole new perspective on those skills and how you market them.

For me, I knew I was too wound up in the academic perspective so I consciously took a job that was more physical and social, definitely not a brain-job. That helped clear my mind and remember how non-academics look at the world.

I was able to get a good job in laboratory automation eventually, but it was a trial for a few years.