Abstract
Academic careers are becoming less linear and secure, and are increasingly shaped by environmental constraints. As a result, highly qualified early and mid-career researchers, in particular from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines, are pursuing careers outside academia. This paper advances theory and empirical research on career transitions and sustainable careers by investigating how junior academics transition into the field of data science by exploring the facilitators of their career transition and the ways in which they experience career sustainability in their new occupational field. This study relies on 28 in-depth interviews with early and mid-career STEM researchers from elite universities who decided to join a data science “bootcamp” to pursue a new career as data scientists. Our study reveals the career barriers that junior researchers experience in academia and how career catalysts increase their career adaptability, facilitating a career transition into sustainable careers in data science. Our study shows that career sustainability is experienced through the reaffirmation of interviewees' identity as researchers outside of academia as well as in the reconciliation between their previous career expectations and actual career outcomes after transitioning into data science.
•Early and mid-career researchers from STEM disciplines are increasingly pursuing careers outside academia.•Career catalysts, e.g., “bootcamps”, are key facilitators of career transitions towards sustainable careers.•Career sustainability is reflected in the reaffirmation of individuals' vocational identity.•Career sustainability is reflected in the reconciliation between career expectations and career outcomes.•The crucial role of universities in preparing academics for non-academic career paths is highlighted.