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Life doesn't allow for a redo. I have been a decent student in my undergrad and got placed in a reputed company right after graduation. However, research and academia always inspired me. I got into a prestigious school in India for my master's and decided to work on a particular field as part of my thesis. I did not go for hot topics because they didn't interest me.

Subsequently, I went ahead and joined for PhD in the US, on a similar field as my masters. However, after 2nd year, I realized the importance of working on hot topics and how conventional topics struggled to secure funding and permanent positions after graduation.

But, the ship has sailed and I have completed my PhD and soon to start a postdoc. But, I have come to a realization that I have made a career suicide by pursuing post-graduate studies. There's nothing permanent and decent-paying out there for me.

I shouldn't have pursued post-graduate studies. And I feel lost. I don't know what to do next.

concerned
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  • You're asking for advice about how to move on to a non-academic career. Your question would probably be more appropriate for workplace.stackexchange.com – Brian Borchers Jan 25 '20 at 22:04
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    Is the problem just one of the job market or have you lost interest? – Buffy Jan 25 '20 at 22:19
  • @Buffy The job market looks dismal for my field. Just couple of job openings a month, with very specific requirements and experience, Also, the struggle of getting academic funding for my area of research seems soul-crunching. I have seen established tenured researchers struggling. Together, I am slowly losing interest, self-confidence and composure. – concerned Jan 25 '20 at 22:25
  • What are you trying to achieve? – aaaaa says reinstate Monica Jan 26 '20 at 00:35

2 Answers2

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Life may not allow for a redo, but it definitely allows for changes of direction when you find your previous plan is not working. You have not committed career suicide. At the very worst, you have spent a few years on something that interested you, without also advancing your career other than by learning how to do research, write papers etc. Let yourself mourn for the career you wanted, but then start looking forward to the rest of your life. The postdoc gives you some time to work out what to do next, and shift in the direction you choose.

There are three sets of issues you need to consider:

  1. Your own likes and dislikes. Even if your first choice field is a dead end, you are likely to do better at something you somewhat enjoy, and avoid anything you hate unless the alternative is homelessness and starvation.
  2. Your skills, assets, and resources. For example, even a bachelor's degree is a significant asset, and you have a PhD. You have the ability to learn, which will be invaluable if you decide to change fields. To get a PhD, you have completed a non-trivial project and written a dissertation. You have well above average writing skill and focus, and can prove it to a potential employer. I can only mention generalities. You should be able to list specific skills.
  3. Available work. There seems to be a shortage of academic work in your current field. In that case, you need to either change fields, or switch to industry, or both. Deciding which is best depends on your field, skills, and what work is available where.

Your school may have career councilors. They will be primarily concerned with helping students, but may be available to postdocs. Talking all this over with someone could help.

Patricia Shanahan
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I'll give this a different focus than the answer of Patricia Shanahan.

Sometimes the job market in a field is just terrible as it was for me when I finished my doctorate (long ago). There were no jobs for mathematicians and others in my graduating group were working in gas stations, and such. Such times are bad, but they are also cyclic and things may turn around in a few years.

But your degree gives you other opportunities, not just focused on research. In particular, if you are in the US and can teach, then a career in a liberal arts college can be very fine. The work will be mostly teaching, but there are research opportunities. Research that can involve undergraduates is especially valued in good colleges. If you are in a metropolitan area, there are probably lots of potential collaborators at neighboring schools. You can even make a career at a community college, teaching lower level courses, but also getting students on their way in education.

I spent a lot of years in a college with only a very local reputation. But a lot of students were able to reach beyond their origins and do some good things. I was also able to leave that behind for places with a wider reputation.

But then, as I saw myself as a young person, only academia would do for me. So I stuck to it and made the best of each opportunity that came along.

Buffy
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  • "things may turn around in a few years." This is mostly a lie. And a widespread one. – Anonymous Physicist Jan 27 '20 at 11:29
  • In many fields there is very intense competition for jobs at liberal arts colleges or even very low paying community colleges. This answer is way out of touch with reality. – Anonymous Physicist Jan 27 '20 at 11:31
  • @AnonymousPhysicist you seem to have very little perspective. I've witnessed the job market ups and downs several times over my career. – Buffy Jan 27 '20 at 11:41