I'm fortunate to have a supervisor who encourages her students to attend conferences. For me, conferences epitomize the idea of a scientific community where ideas are shared and debated. By presenting my work and gradually getting to know people, I feel increasingly at home in the community — or, to borrow a term from subjects of my research, the hive. When the hive gathers, anything can happen, from heated disputes between former pals to collaborations between strange bedfellows.

But for some of us, the hive is not for ever. At a conference last month, I faced the inevitable questions about my future plans. With graduation in sight, this was the ideal time to fish for postdoc positions. But instead I found myself telling colleagues about my intention to pursue a career outside research. I was met with everything from encouragement to awkward silences and downright incredulity, as if a life outside the hive could not be imagined, much less endured.

Leaving the hive is scary. Not many scientists will admit to considering alternatives, perhaps for fear of seeming less passionate about science. The conference atmosphere reminded me about my fascination for science. But it also encouraged me to look for a job where the things that I love about conferences — broad perspectives, interaction and communication — are everyday fare.