Thinking About Quitting Academia? Five Things to Consider Before Resigning
When I pressed send on my resignation letter last month, I felt two things at once: deep relief and sharp uncertainty.
Relief, because I had finally stepped out of the in-between—that suspended space where you’re still showing up for classes and meetings, but inside you know something fundamental is shifting.
Uncertainty, because even though I knew I had made the right decision, I realized deciding to quit would introduce a whole new set of unanswered questions and problems, like:
Where will I go?
What will I do?
How long will it take to figure things out?
Moreover, whenever I do finally arrive at this new place, will it be any different?
Eventually, I landed on: probably not.
That’s the part I want to be honest about with you, work friend.
Leaving academia is not a magic reset button.
The hierarchies, dysfunction, and politics we wrestle with in higher ed don’t disappear; they just show up in different forms elsewhere.
So when colleagues ask me what I’ve learned from this process, my answer isn’t: “Everyone should resign.”
Instead, I’d caution: if you’re thinking about leaving, you owe it to yourself to pause and carefully consider what you’re trying to flee, where you can go that’s different, and what you need to feel like you are thriving.
Below, I’m sharing five considerations I believe every faculty member should weigh before resigning — the kinds of things we don’t always name, but that can make the difference between feeling regret instead of relief.
And because I want this to be practical, I’ve included guiding questions for each — plus a trade-off map you can sketch for yourself.
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
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Here’s what you’ll find below the paywall:
Five key considerations every faculty member should weigh before resigning
Guiding questions to help you clarify your energy, finances, identity, community, and next steps
The Problem Trade-Off Map—a practical tool to map out what problems you’re willing to live with (because there is no perfect choice, only trade-offs)
If you’ve been wrestling with your own version of the in-between, this resource is for you.
Five Key Considerations Before Leaving Academia
Before we dive in, I want to be clear: there’s no single “right” answer about whether to stay or go. Every path comes with trade-offs. What matters is naming them clearly, so you can choose with your eyes open rather than reacting out of fear or exhaustion.
The five considerations below aren’t meant as a checklist to rush through. Think of them as prompts for discernment—questions you can return to as you weigh what you’re protecting, what you’re leaving behind, and what you want to move toward.