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You Got Your University Degree. Now What?
Should you pursue an academic career or get a job in the scary world outside of the ivory tower?
Since you’re reading this, I’ll assume that you just received a university degree (or will get one soon), and that you feel a bit lost. Should you continue towards a PhD, or if you just got one, look for a post-doc position? Is an academic career the right choice for you or would you be happier in a job outside of the university walls? And if you leave academia, where should you go?
I know the feeling of having these questions in your head. I studied physics and finished my master thesis in 2010. At that time a paid PhD student position was available at the same institute, and so I stayed and received my PhD in 2013. By that time, I was so absorbed in my research (plus I liked the people working in the research group) that I decided to stay as a post-doc researcher for another five years. While this could have been the beginning of an academic career, I’m quite happy to be in a job outside of the academic environment now. Let me explain.
Pros and cons of staying in academia
Working in an academic environment surely has some advantages, such as the following.
- If you’re curious and finding answers to hard questions fills you with a sense of achievement…
