What do you want to do with your PhD? (non-academic!)

[gradrunner]

I've been in a rut (aka probably legit depression) lately, partly because I have no idea what I want to do with my PhD, which just makes me want to quit grad school to be honest. Any insight from someone else in this field? Decided to start a blog to try to connect with other PhD students before coming across this site (LOVE IT!), and recently addressed this issue of being uncertain of what to do.

 

Any comments would be SO appreciated! I feel like I'll actually be more motivated to finish it if I feel it's going to serve a purpose.

http://justkeepswimming.blogspot.com/

 

 

[AwkwardPants]

You have come to the right place! This is my favorite topic! Or maybe I just like this topic is because the only way other grad students will talk about it is in hushed voices away from the biology department, as though leaving academia is the equivalent of joining a cult.

 

If you're feeling depressed, drop everything you're doing right now (seriously! throw that pipettor on the ground!) and buy this book (or borrow it from your library): "So What Are You Going to Do with That?": Finding Careers Outside Academia by Susan Basalla and Maggie Debelius (make sure it's the updated 2007 edition, not the one from 2001). This book is the voice of reason that I turn to every time I start to feel like grad school is a waste of time and a whole lot of blood, sweat, and tears directed fruitlessly at an esoteric nothing of a project. I have recommended it to several grad student friends, and the ones who have read it have been immensely relieved by the wisdom within. Basically, the book is about how to parse apart the skills grad school is teaching you and see that you are capable of doing something besides becoming a clone of your advisor (although it's okay to do that too, if that's what you want). It's hard to remember why you came here sometimes -- you were excited about a topic, you wanted to contribute to the world's scientific knowledge in some small way, you wanted to push yourself. But the whole PhD-acquisition-thing is such a slog that it's tough to maintain that level of enthusiasm often enough to always see the point. This book helps.

 

I would also recommend making an Individual Development Plan at sciencecareers.org. There are assessments that can help you figure out what sort of career might be a good fit for you based on your skills, interests, and values. To give you a sense of the options, my top three matches are Science education for non-scientists, Science policy, and Science writing. I am not entirely sure what I'm going to do when I leave grad school, but I am 99% sure that I will not do a postdoc or become a professor, and these ideas sound pretty much in line with what I think I would enjoy and be good at.

 

You might also consider your university career services office, if they provide help to graduate students. At my university, the career services office will only work with PhD students who are considering non-academic careers, which is helpful because most people's advisors are (understandably) lost when it comes to non-academic careers. And maybe also take advantage of your university's mental health services if you're feeling depressed. Finding a way to manage your depression will make you feel like a million times better.

 

I think about quitting at least a couple of times a year. But so far I have decided to stick around because a ) I will never get a chance to do this again, and b ) once I have the PhD, nobody can ever take it away from me.

Edited May 28, 2014 by AwkwardPants