Should you join a start-up company after academia?

A career in a start-up company is more than just risk, discovers Idil Cazimoglu.

This piece was one of two winners of the Science Innovation Union writing competition, Oxford.

“Risky.”

My housemate, now in the final year of his PhD, had a one-word answer to my question “Would you consider working in a start-up company after you graduate?”

Intrigued, I posed this question to fellow PhD students in various disciplines over the following weeks, and received similar answers including “I don’t want to live in uncertainty,” “No job security,” “Academia is more stable,” and, memorably, “I’d rather go bungee jumping.”

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Not everything launches so smoothly

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Why building a start-up is probably your most sensible career path

Your PhD has given you the perfect tool set to start a high-tech company, and it’s nothing to do with your technical skill, says Mark Hammond.

In stark contrast to the proliferation of web based start-ups led by young founders, science based start-ups have typically remained the domain of seasoned professors, spinning out breakthrough technology built on years of research. This is changing rapidly, and it’s now more viable than ever to start a science based company straight out of a PhD. In fact, it might just be one of the most sensible career paths that you can take.

Students at Imperial College’s Marker’s meetup present ideas and get feedback

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