As you have probably guessed, Polly Madsinger is not my real name. Since I might feel the urge to vent some critical views about my workplace, colleagues, superiors and science in general, I would rather stay anonymous. I can, however, tell you a bit about my past, present and future:
I am your average second year postdoc. I did quite an average PhD in immunology. Worked my ass off in the last six months or so, which nearly resulted in a burn-out. I next applied for a job in the UK, which I very nearly got, except that the Australian guy was slightly more experienced than me. So then I decided, also due to the fact that I ran out of WW-money (social security money you get for being unemployed), to stick around for a year or so, get more experienced, and decide what to do in the meantime. However, during this year or so, the notion is slowly seeping in that I might not be cut out for a career in the academic world. I don’t feel like I want to write my own grant proposal and I definitely don’t feel like working 60 plus hours a week. This is where I am now…
So currently, I am trying to expand my views and my network, I am screening all kinds of science-related jobs and most importantly, I am trying to get my head around the idea of actually leaving the world I know and love to jump into the great abyss of the unknown world outside. Hopefully, in a few years time, I will look back and find that this abyss was not nearly as scary as it seems now.
So, how to do it?
27 July 2010
posted by Polly Madsinger
How to figure out what you want to do with your career (if it is not going to be academic research) and where to go?
A while ago I figured I should just take some time off work, stay at home, do some internet searching and think. Also make some appointments here and there to talk to people in other lines of work, that kind of stuff. Sounds like a plan, right?
As you may have read in my introduction, Polly Madsinger is not my real name. However, I didn't just pick a funny name, there is actually a thought behind it:
At one point not too long ago, someone asked me to think back to a time I felt really inspired by something or someone. I immediately thought of this lecture I went to by this American lady a few months ago.
In the year 2000, there was a great millennium exposition in the city of Utrecht. There were all kinds of creative art projects all around town. I was wandering through town to see some of them and at one point I found myself at the foot of the famous Dom tower, 112 metre high (368 feet) and the tallest church tower in The Netherlands. I was confused about what I was seeing.
So currently, I am trying to expand my views and my network, I am screening all kinds of science-related jobs and most importantly, I am trying to get my head around the idea of actually leaving the world I know and love to jump into the great abyss of the unknown world outside. Hopefully, in a few years time, I will look back and find that this abyss was not nearly as scary as it seems now.