April 2007
Hallelujah I Know What I Want to Be When I Grow Up (kind of)
Well, after much soul searching, and after just trying to *pay attention* to what I like and dislike rather than going through my days like a robot, I think a clear picture is finally emerging in regards to my career...
I recently became Vice Chair for Institutional Policy for the National Postdoctoral Association, and I LOVE THIS WORK!!! I love the idea of making life better for my postdoctoral colleagues, of developing and promoting more effective and consistent postdoctoral curricula for all postdocs nationwide, of trying to find ways to make academic science a viable career option in the face of a profound shortage of grant funding, and to promote postdoctoral training for careers beyond academia... I also am very interested in the legal issues surrounding the biomedical field, and the intersection of science, law, and policy.
Now the trick is to narrow down my focus. There are still so many directions I could go with this. I could be a patent agent for a law firm, something I am ideally suited for (and let me tell you I have had more than one person tell me I should have been in law all along!). I could get into academic administration, which would be a perfect opportunity to develop and improve a university's programming for students/postdocs, as well as have an opportunity to have a voice in shaping that institution's policy (and via involvement with organizations such as the National Postdoctoral Association, national policy as well). I could go on to a nonprofit or think tank and develop a career in policy, from the local to national level... So many choices! All of which I would be happy with.
I guess ultimately it will depend on which door opens up where. I still face the sad reality of having massive student debt, an extraordinarily high cost of living, and a desire to eventually retire (shocking, I know, but true). So, I can't afford to take a low salary job, even if it would be the best way to get a "foot in the door" for any of these fields. I find that I'm full of motivation, and I'm not short on leadership experience, but as a postdoc I lack operations experience. Ah, there's the hairball. Overqualified for admin assistant work. Underqualified for much else (at least according to some sources). It is the old challenge of getting someone to give you that first break in a career for which you have great passion and great potential, if not great experience.
Wish me luck!
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