#PhDFail #CareerCrossroads #WhatToDoNext #NavigatingFailure
Feeling Lost After Failing Out of PhD? Here’s What You Can Do Next
💔 So, you had big dreams of becoming an astrophysicist and pursued your passion with dedication and hard work. But things didn’t go as planned, and now you find yourself “failed” out of your PhD program. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it’s not the end of the road. Take a deep breath and know that many successful individuals have faced setbacks before achieving greatness.
A Personal Struggle
🌟 Your journey to pursuing a PhD was filled with challenges – rejection, financial struggles, and discrimination. It’s heartbreaking to invest so much time and effort only to face disappointment. However, your resilience shines through as you secure a master’s level job in ocean physics. It’s a new beginning, a fresh start that presents you with the opportunity to chart a different course.
Seeking New Horizons
🌊 As you embark on this new career path, it’s natural to feel lost and uncertain about the future. But remember, each experience, including setbacks, shapes your journey and molds you into a stronger individual. Embrace the present moment and focus on building a fulfilling career that aligns with your interests and skills.
Exploring Career Options
🔍 Given your background in physics, pure math, and applied math, there are several career paths open to you. Consider roles that involve a combination of lab, field, and computer work, along with significant travel and ocean-related projects. Some potential options include:
- Marine Scientist
- Oceanographer
- Environmental Data Analyst
- Geophysical Researcher
Rethinking the PhD
🎓 While a PhD may open doors to certain opportunities, it’s not always a prerequisite for a successful career in the physical sciences. In fact, pursuing extensive academic qualifications may limit your hands-on involvement in scientific research. Evaluate whether a PhD aligns with your career goals and if alternative paths can lead you to a fulfilling and rewarding career in your field.
Planning for the Future
⏳ With a grant-funded position for the next 3.5 years, you have the opportunity to redefine your career trajectory and pave the way for financial stability. Use this time to explore different career options, network with professionals in your field, and gain valuable experience in ocean-related projects.
Remember, setbacks are not roadblocks but stepping stones to growth and resilience. Embrace the challenges ahead and trust in your ability to carve out a successful career path that honors your passion and skills. Your journey may have taken an unexpected turn, but the destination is still within reach. Stay focused, stay determined, and never lose sight of the incredible potential that lies within you.
Enlist into the military and pay off your debts, or become a Park Ranger
McDonald’s
Why do you want to stay in academics? You don’t have that great of an experience with it. If they treat you badly as a student, they will treat you badly as a colleague.
And besides that you studied a bunch of stuff. What are you actually good at? What are skills that you can use career wise? Can you code? As example.
Since you already seem to have quite a lot of the skills and the background required, perhaps consider looking at Research Assistant positions (full time) at some research laboratories around? I am sure such openings would be listed at their website. You could also look at such openings under some professor at a university (though in this case you would still be in academia and your experience might not be very different). They’d have listed such openings on their homepage, and if not, you can always email them. Where I’m from, these pay more than what a PhD candidate earns as their monthly stipend, and often do not require a PhD as a pre-requisite.
Become an actuary.
Tech is bad at the moment but usually in your position I would recommend data science/ project/ product management and the like.
Now if you want to stay corporate, then you try to network into analyst type positions.data analyst , business analyst and the like… Project management is still an option here.
Defense is always looking for technical people who can obtain a security clearance.
Unfortunately in your position, you get more traction if you can network and talk all sorts of people to get your foot in the door.
Edited to add that finance, hedge funds, investment banks are always looking for technical coders who can read high level research papers and implement the algorithms.
If you want to make actual money, go work for musk or bezos at spaceX / blue origin. You are uniquely qualified.