Lorsque j'ai découvert Kolabtree, j'ai eu du mal à contenir mon excitation. Je viens d'obtenir mon doctorat et je suis actuellement en stage postdoctoral dans un département où les activités se déroulent à un rythme soutenu et où les subventions sont importantes. J'aime la course quotidienne à la paperasse et à la recherche. rédaction de subventions, project design and implementation, etc., but because I am a recent graduate, I’m all too familiar with “Plan B” – that is, ensuring that you have a backup plan in case your ‘Plan A’ doesn’t work out for you. I’ve always assumed that I would have a career in academia.
Comme presque tous les autres docteurs, en particulier les docteurs en sciences sociales, j'ai été formé dans un environnement universitaire et je n'ai jamais connu que l'université. Jusqu'à présent, tout au long de ma carrière, je me suis préparée à un emploi dans le milieu universitaire. Cependant, en tant que boursier postdoctoral, je fais partie de nombreux groupes et j'assiste à de nombreux séminaires qui visent à nous préparer à la réalité, à savoir que la plupart d'entre nous ne seront pas en mesure d'obtenir un emploi dans le milieu universitaire. C'est dur, je sais. Mais c'est la réalité de nos trajectoires de carrière.
Only the lucky few, and it does seem like luck AND hard work is how Ph.D.’s are able to make their dream career a reality. However, a career as a faculty isn’t as dreamy as it used to be. Reality also means accepting the challenging funding climate for those who apply for federal funding. When you take all of this in combination, you realize that you need, and are encouraged by faculty mentors, to determine your ‘Plan B’. As scary as this has been for me, it has also been exhilarating because I have discovered that throughout my training I have gathered many skills that are applicable to many different career trajectories, including être un consultant.
I’m thoroughly trained in the art of logically thinking through complex problems, analyzing and assessing challenging situations, among many other recherche skills. However, some of the most challenging hurdles that I have encountered is determining 1) What kind of carrière en dehors du milieu universitaire I would be happy with? and more simply, 2) What would my occupation title actually be? Nonetheless, something I have learned along the way is that no matter what kind of research career path I decide I want to follow, the most valuable skill I’ve learned throughout my training is to always strive to be a good scientist. Thus, if I can have a career where I take my skills and expertise and help develop and implement good science, then I consider my career a win – no matter whether it is ‘Plan A’ or ‘Plan B’ or if I choose or am forced into ‘Plan A’ or ‘Plan B.’
*Cet article a été rédigé par Tara Karns, chercheuse postdoctorale au Centre des sciences de la santé de l'Université du Texas à San Antonio.
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