What is it like working full time as a project manager and doing your PhD at the same time? Jemma Purandare shares her experience.
“Are you doing your PhD part time and working full time?! Are you crazy?”…If I got a dollar for every time someone said that to me, I could spend the years The reality is that after 12 years in the profession, I realized that my passion is leading applied research and to move my career into the types of roles I want to do, I need a PhD . at least
5 things that keep PhDs from getting jobs
Starting a new career can be a confusing process, especially when entering a new industry. PhD graduates looking to move into business As the worlds of science and business are very different, it is also the case that most universities offer little professional training to doctoral students. As a result, modern graduate students who are retiring from academia are thrown into the business world without thinking about how to find it. You’ll get some networking tips and be encouraged to keep sending resumes. But nothing happened. In fact, less than 40% of doctoral students will find a job in a company at the end of their studies or shortly after. And less than 20% of life science graduates will have a corporate job after graduation. The truth is that most graduate students will never get a job in business, even if they do everything right. The problem is that they also do the wrong things. The key to starting a successful career in business is learning what not to do.
Here are 5 things to avoid:
1. Network only with your competitors.
Discuss your PhD plans with your manager
It’s easier to work full time and get a PhD when you can discuss your situation with your manager.
Talk to your manager about your promotion plans. They may be willing to work with you to fit your work hours into your schedule. If you are taking work home often, you need to let them know that it is probably no longer possible.
Saturday/evening work
If you are willing to sacrifice a day or a few evenings a week of your free time, it is quite easy to learn shift work in shops, call centers and pubs / restaurants. This type of work is unlikely to pay much more than minimum wage; However, some students consider that task-based work relieves them from the rigors of their doctoral work and also gives them the opportunity to socialize. Other odd jobs that might be suitable for a PhD include bookstore, market research and journalism.
Many graduate students study part-time, especially those who are self-financed to have a stable income during their studies. If you are already working full-time, you can request flexible working hours to allow you to study part-time. It is important to find the right balance so that you have enough time for work and promotion and time to relax.