beatitude Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 I'd like to take some advice from those who have changed their careers. I'm just going into the second-year of a four-year PhD program. I'm fully funded (both tuition and living expenses) and I was very lucky to get the scholarship, as it's a competitive program. I've been doing quite well in my research and my supervisors are confident that if I want a career in academia then I should be able to make it. As my PhD progresses I'm less and less sure that this is what I want. I am enjoying it. I love my topic. But one of the most enjoyable and exciting aspects is the applied component of the research - working directly with teenagers in a project that could have direct benefit to their lives. I'm not sure I want to trade that for a university lectureship at the end. I have been thinking of gaining a professional qualification in either educational psychology or speech and language therapy, both of which are related to what I do now and would allow me to go on working with people in a more direct capacity than academia usually allows for. I mentioned the possibility to my parents and they were unenthusiastic. I can see why. I'm twenty-six now. I'll be twenty-nine when I get through the PhD. An EP qualification would require me to take a three-year practitioner doctorate (salaried), while to gain accreditation as a speech language therapist I would need to do two further years of full-time training (tuition fees paid, but living costs not). That feels like a ton of study on top of everything I've already done. I am wondering if this is all a manifestation of grass-is-greener syndrome, and whether I should take my family's advice and at least give university teaching/research a shot. Has anyone else been in a similar position? Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Era Might Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 I'd go ahead and finish up what you're doing now. You can always explore other options in your 30s once you're working in academia. Unless you feel completely stifled, that's another matter. But if it's just a matter of pivoting and doing something a little different, I wouldn't twist yourself into a pretzel now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriela Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 (edited) I am in exactly the same situation as you, beatitude, except I'm 33. I already left one career (the one I had in Israel), and a Master's program in Philosophy. I completed a Master's in Communication last May, and now I'm in the first year of a PhD program in Communication. I'm starting to feel like I don't want this life. I don't want the horrible work-life imbalance of a professor until I retire. I've been thinking about taking a degree instead in career counseling (like you, drawn from the subject area of my research, which I do like, but which is more helpful to people than a bunch of academic publishing). I am in a good place to leave now, because it's only my first year. Will I do it? I don't know. I'm seriously thinking about it. The problem with a degree in career counseling is no one will pay you for it. Right now, I'm funded. That's why I'm hesitating. My SD just told me this past week about a woman here at my university who was in her third year of her PhD (past prelims, ABD), and then got accepted to the DSMMEs. She dropped everything and left, mid-semester. I was inspired. It is HARD, IMO, to leave a PhD. It's just so tempting to "just get done with it". But if it's wrong for you... I don't know what I'll do yet. And I know that you already know you're not likely to get this matter decided on PM, but in prayer. ;-) I will pray for you, and just wanted you to know that someone else out there is going through the (freakily similar!) same thing, and that if you ever want to PM me, you are more than welcome to. May God make His will clear to you in His good time! Edited September 28, 2013 by curiousing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semper Catholic Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 Check your privilege. People would kill to have the financial resources to even attempt a PHD program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatholicsAreKewl Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 Sell drugs. That's where the moneys at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatitude Posted September 28, 2013 Author Share Posted September 28, 2013 Check your privilege. People would kill to have the financial resources to even attempt a PHD program. How is this relevant to what I asked? My maintenance grant is £10,000 a year ($16,000). That has to cover everything - rent, food, bills. I earned more as a full-time carer for kids with profound learning disabilities on minimum wage. I would never be able to afford the PhD if I didn't have my scholarship, and it's not funding some lavish lifestyle, far from it. I know that many people would kill for a PhD scholarship, just like many would kill to get into medical school or the Royal Ballet, but the fact that other people might want to do medicine doesn't oblige medical students who realise that medicine isn't for them to go on with the career. Same with dancers. Same with me. Curiosing, I will finish the PhD, as I really do love the project itself and I couldn't just back out without finding the results - I want to know what they are! But what I want to do next does affect me now - if I want to move into academia, I should be concentrating on getting more teaching hours and submitting more journal articles, whereas if I want to do EP or SLT then I need to get more direct experience with relevant client groups (can be done as a research assistant in the labs). You're right about the prayer. I will definitely be doing a lot of that. Prayers for your own decision too. Era, I do tend to over-plan things sometimes, so I'll try not to twist myself into pretzel form. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneLine Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 Curiousing and Beatitude, if you haven't done it, it might be worth going to see a career counselor. You might be able to get one at the career center of your universities, or it might be worth putting aside the money to go see a private one. A good career counselor should be able to help you explore the elements of the initial career you had envisioned, and what it is about it that is not working out for you. They can help you narrow down your preferences, your options and the values that are exerting subtle influences on your choices. Both of you are really at a time when working with a career counselor could be very valuable to you. I am a graduate counselor with a specialization in career, but you need someone who has real solid knowledge in this particular area...there are people who focus on exactly the kinds of issues both of you are bringing up. My bet is that if you contact your University career center they have somebody they can suggest.... or pm me and I'll try to help you find somebody.... God-willing, you're going to spend the next 40 or so years doing whatever you will be doing... so you might as well get it sorted right now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilllabettt Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 (edited) most phd's are funded no? Most include full tuition remission and a living stipend. in exchange for this you are expected to be doing research for the university. I thought thats the way it works. Most places run it so that if you can get in you have the financial resources provided to you. Edited September 28, 2013 by Lilllabettt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anastasia13 Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 If it is any help in considering your future, I recently met some PhDs who work in community organizations and non-profits to help youth make wise decisions affecting health and future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zabbazooey Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 I'd like to take some advice from those who have changed their careers. I'm just going into the second-year of a four-year PhD program. I'm fully funded (both tuition and living expenses) and I was very lucky to get the scholarship, as it's a competitive program. I've been doing quite well in my research and my supervisors are confident that if I want a career in academia then I should be able to make it. As my PhD progresses I'm less and less sure that this is what I want. I am enjoying it. I love my topic. But one of the most enjoyable and exciting aspects is the applied component of the research - working directly with teenagers in a project that could have direct benefit to their lives. I'm not sure I want to trade that for a university lectureship at the end. I have been thinking of gaining a professional qualification in either educational psychology or speech and language therapy, both of which are related to what I do now and would allow me to go on working with people in a more direct capacity than academia usually allows for. I mentioned the possibility to my parents and they were unenthusiastic. I can see why. I'm twenty-six now. I'll be twenty-nine when I get through the PhD. An EP qualification would require me to take a three-year practitioner doctorate (salaried), while to gain accreditation as a speech language therapist I would need to do two further years of full-time training (tuition fees paid, but living costs not). That feels like a ton of study on top of everything I've already done. I am wondering if this is all a manifestation of grass-is-greener syndrome, and whether I should take my family's advice and at least give university teaching/research a shot. Has anyone else been in a similar position? Thoughts? As someone who is going to be an SLP one day, go for it!! It is highly rewarding, an interesting field, and the job market is booming! I have not changed careers, only majors (nursing-->education-->SLP). I don't regret my switch one bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneLine Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 Some people are happier working 1:1 with people in the front lines, others with groups in the front lines; some are happiest doing policy or other stuff behind the scenes make it in possible for the 1:1 and 1:group people to function better. Sounds to me like you are starting to realize that for you being 1:1 with people may be an important component in what you are called & gifted to do..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
God the Father Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 (edited) As my PhD progresses I'm less and less sure that this is what I want. .... I am wondering if this is all a manifestation of grass-is-greener syndrome, Line one will always be true, and you can substitute "X" for "my PhD." As you begin to realize extrinsic rewards (including money or whatever) for a certain behavior, your intrinsic motivation for doing it will diminish. That phenomenon compounds with a routine developing over time and growing increasingly dull the longer you do anything. In other words, there's a reason it's called "work." It ties in to statement two, which is definitely the case. I don't know if that's what you're asking, I'm just +1ing my post count. Edited September 29, 2013 by God the Father Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriela Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 most phd's are funded no? Most include full tuition remission and a living stipend. in exchange for this you are expected to be doing research for the university. I thought thats the way it works. Most places run it so that if you can get in you have the financial resources provided to you. Not everyplace funds. I know a lot of people who paid for their PhDs. And some people get PhDs with no desire to do research. They want to teach (strictly) or work in industry or NPOs. Almost no one does "research FOR the university"—although universities love to see their names under "affiliation" on journal articles. Still, it's not expected of grad students that they publish until very late in their careers—sometimes never at all. Conference presentations are enough in the beginning, and for those who are getting a PhD to do something other than academia, most programs are very understanding about their lack of motivation to publish. I'm in a field in which a lot of people get PhDs to go into industry, so it's no biggie here if someone specializing in PR doesn't bother to publish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AccountDeleted Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 (edited) Check your privilege. People would kill to have the financial resources to even attempt a PHD program. I wouldn't kill for it but I would have finished my PhD if I had had the money to do it. What a gift! That's not to say that anyone should do a particular area of study if they don't feel it is for them, but not everyone gets funded (I wasn't). I like AL's idea of going to a career counselor who knows the options better than we do. Edited September 29, 2013 by nunsense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Therese Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 I feel a little bit silly asking this question because the answer is probably "yes, next question?" but just in case: have you asked God what HE wants you to do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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