>>16832644
>>16832855

I did a PhD in basic semiconductor research trying to figure out how to make better ones, a postdoc that ended up being about developing measurement methodology, and am now employed at a small company in the semiconductor field. In my current job I ended up designing and building a prototype commercial measurement system which the company is trying to branch out into the measurement sector with.

I like the field well enough. It's varied and there's room for everything from fundamental physics to fucking around with a 3D printer and microcontrollers. I have a lot of autonomy, it's a field that values cold hard autism and shit that just works over fluffy grandiosity, and the stuff we do is relevant for real business or at least I can delude myself.

However something of a running theme from academia to industry has been that even though the subject matter is great, my career doesn't feel very rewarding in any sense of the word, and career moves almost inevitably require reconfiguring my entire life.