Making a mid-career leap of out academia?

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader writes:

I'd like to hear from people who left academia for personal reasons when the going was good. My partner & I have an international two-body problem that has resisted solutions for years. They are a couple of years from tenure while I am up for tenure soon. My publishing profile is excellent, theirs is good but not stellar due to a range of reasons, some beyond their control. An international relationship is not feasible in perpetuity. But leaving a promising career for unknown waters (in the midst of a pandemic, at a certain age) is terrifying--and I am the one considering leaving for personal reasons (their close-knit family is in their country, my country is not friendly to my identity & medical needs, I have had other jobs before academia).

I'd like to know how people knew when to make the leap and how they managed to survive financially. I have been exploring alt-ac for a while (coding, editing work) but I enjoy my research too much to want to just leave academia. And I have a slight worry about what might happen if my partner don't get tenure, and we are both out of work.

This is a great query, and I know of philosophers (such as Zachary Ernst) who have left TT or even tenured positions for very good post-academic careers. However, I don't have any first-hand experience with any of this or feel qualified to opine on any of it. So, are there any readers who fit the OP's description who are willing to weigh in? Any experiences, tips, or insights you think might be helpful to share?

Comments

[Not an alt-ac]

I'm neither a senior person nor a successful alt-ac story, so IDK how much this advice is worth. But if maintaining some kind of connection to research is an important priority, it might be worth it to look into things like working for the ACLS, or the Templeton Foundation, or the NEH, or other such places. I've heard reliable testimony that such places (the Law School Admissions Council being another one) that they value letting their academically-trained employees keep close connections with academia. Another way to do this might be to look for administrative positions within higher ed which aren't faculty positions, i.e., assistant deans and so on (but I haven't heard as much about that).

[Slightly miserable but didn’t do it]

I’m not happy with my job (TT but really nasty colleagues, etc.) I thought about making the leap and even applied for a few jobs and got an interview. It was a long, involved interview and it made me question whether I really wanted to leave academia for good. Since I wasn’t sure, I declined the interview. It was irritating and a bit arduous constructing a resume and all of that, and getting into an entirely different mode of describing my “skills” and what I do.

Sign up for the 80,000 hours job board. There are lots of jobs out there that are maybe a bit entry level, and all you need is one, and then you’ve got experience. One thing I realized was that I was way too selective in applying to jobs. This is not a “forever” job, unlike a professorship—it’s a foot into the door of an industry where you can expect to move around.

I may still leap out. But I might try to move universities first, since I do like being a professor, I just don’t like being around these people.