I had an interesting conversation with a recent PhD grad that went something like this:
Recent PhD grad: “I was offered a post-doc position at a prestigious institution but I’m also in the final round interview for a consulting gig. Which path do you think I should choose?”
The recent PhD graduate was disappointed with the answer I gave him.
Here’s what I said:
“I can’t tell you which path to choose. You need to introspect to decide what it is you actually want. You can think about where you want to be in five years, and which path closely aligns with that, and go with that. Just remember that choosing one path means you WILL cut off the other, at least for the meantime. And you have to be okay with that.”
He told me he didn’t like the answer my answer because as someone who left academia to work outside of it, he was expecting me to rail against academia and tell him to quit it.
I smiled at his response.
Can academia be a toxic place that pushes people out? Absolutely.
But I’ve also seen people thrive working there. Or perhaps, they work there but have collaborations in industry. Or how about the people who work in industry but have one foot in academia?
There is no blanket “right” or “wrong” here.
Be careful of getting sucked into the social media vortex that demonizes everything or paints a rosy picture about any specific career path.
Some people WILL find their “thing” in academia.
Others won’t.
It’s what it is.
It’s why I’ve interviewed academics like Dr. Jessye Talley who still work in academia on my podcast.
Here’s another thing I reminded the recent grad of: “You don’t have to stay in whichever position you choose if you go into it and find that you don’t like it.”
That seems like precarious advice for the days we live in. But it is advice I still believe in.
Never make any position in your career or life a box.
Enjoy the rest of your week.
Gertrude Nonterah, Ph.D.
I am thrilled to announce that my new book, Navigating the Pivot, is now live on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other platforms. You can also request a copy at your local or University library. Get your copy of my new book: https://theboldphd.com/navigate/