I am working on the last steps of my dissertation, and have been thinking about a path forward after my PhD. I often think about how pursuing a PhD came with so many challenges. As a mother, I doubted my decision at every turn. Yet, something in me wanted me to move forward with it.
Indeed, it took years but I experienced something that I could’ve never realized any other way. Working through interdisciplinary research and finding my way out of much uncertainty, I realized: that no matter how complicated a situation and how confused I might feel, I can find my way out. This might sound like a trivial lesson but I never had such an unquestioning trust in myself.
You hear about people joining the military to build their character, I think doing a PhD is similar, but in a different way. The process breaks you down intellectually and builds you up as a new person. You enter a field thinking that you are already good at something. Along the path, you realize that you don’t know much. Finally, you learn to make peace with not knowing and carve a way through uncertainty.
Being in an interdisciplinary field, between computer science and humanities, I have a few option in moving forward after my PhD.
My three main options: find a position in academia, get a job in computer science, or start a project of my own. The first one is hard to come by. The second option is possible. But I am not sure about working for others. I often get discouraged after a while because I put so much extra into my work and naturally expect something positive back which is not how most jobs are set up.
So, I am back to the drawing board.
First question:
What should I do with my career? Where do I from here? What could I be?
I believe in following my interest but I like the outcome to be practical as I need the income. So, I start with the most basic question: What do I enjoy doing?
Things that I like to do:
- I like research and writing.
- I am interested in coding but my experience as a developer tells me that I don’t want to be a programmer.
- I like figuring things out with numbers but I don’t appreciate doing taxes or financial statements. I think I prefer working with data that has a story behind it.
- I am interested in the big picture, and understanding why things go one way and not the other.
- I like working with concepts, connecting them, and finding new ideas.
- I like theorizing and thinking through ideas.
- I’m often intrigued by why we behave a certain way due to seemingly banal factors in our surroundings.
- I am fascinated by how often trivial things are related in deeper ways. For instance, if the sound of vowels and consonants in someone’s name is reflected in their lives or not.
- I am curious about how the environment shapes our lives and how small changes could influence social behavior. For instance, I often notice how the type of seats and their placement in a public setting controls the dynamic of the space.
- I need a purpose in my work, so I like coding and working with data only if I have a question.
Options I am considering:
Fields: Study human behavior, big-picture trends, data storytelling, and analytics.
Practical direction: consulting, writing reports based on trends.
Second Question:
How do I get started on this? What do I need to do?
I have a background in computer science but I need to brush up on my skills. Being in school and taking on family responsibilities left little time for learning about new technology. The computer science field is changing fast and I have much catching up to do.
After a PhD: a path forward
I started my PhD degree with a toddler. Along the way, I changed my research, started a business, had a second baby, closed the business, changed my methodology, and found some light. All along, one thing served me best: finding my way through questions. These questions were not always perfect. Sometimes they were not even the right questions but they offered a way to move forward. I rebuilt and rebuilt my question lists many times but in the end, they lit my path. I am treating my business project in the same way.
So, here is the list of questions at this point in the journey.
1- Get the technical skills
What do I need to reach my goal? Where to start? What do I need to learn?
1- Analytics & Machine Learning
Python and its libraries: Pandas, NumPy, and Scikit-learn
Machine Learning & Model Evaluation
Qualitative research
2- Statistics
This is the hardest thing for me but I can manage!
3- Data Visualization
My favorite part of this process, along with the writing and data storytelling part of it.
Matplotlib & Seaborn
Tableau/Power BI
4- Data Storytelling and Writing
Writing the reports and incorporating the data visualizations. This is always the most exciting part of this process.
5- Communication Skills
Not sure where to go for this but I know this one is really important.
2- Find a focus and set of services
Find a Focus
How do I know what type of services to offer?
The field is vast, what can I focus on? I want to stay within my interests.
Who are the clients that I am trying to reach out to?
What is their field of work and Industry?
Offer Value
What services can I offer to them?
How can I help them solve their problems?
What type of practical problems can I solve?
3- Connect to the right people.
Where do I find my first client?
How can I find a way to talk to my target audience and present my offerings?
What do I need to do to gain their trust? How do I have them see value in what I offer?
4- Keep myself accountable along the path.
No matter how hard a PhD process is, you have supervisors to meet and progress reports to write. Starting a business is a different beast altogether. I don’t have external support or mentors on this path. However, I am determined to make this project work.
To keep myself accountable, I update on my progress on this blog and document my learning and business journey.
Credits
Photo by Yoel Winkler on Unsplash