“My Work-Life Balance Has Clearly Separated Boundaries”

In our interview with Ben Toovey, he shares his journey from cognitive psychology to a scientific support consultant role at a neuroscience equipment company. Initially planning a research career, Ben became disillusioned with academia after an unproductive postdoc experience. He now handles customer requests, sales, and R&D projects related to EEG products. Ben values the separation between work and personal life but misses conducting research. He continues applying problem-solving and technical skills from his PhD. Ben experienced grief initially leaving academia, but sees it as the best path forward. He advises being realistic about limited academic positions and recognising industry interest in expertise. Ben encourages viewing non-academic careers positively, not as failure.