ASK HR: Should I accept job offers or follow my passion for academia?

I am even considering going back to the university for my PhD. PHOTO | FOTOSEARCH

What you need to know:

  • Equipped with three degrees and being drawn to academics, I doubt you will be passionate for any other kind of employment.

  • I do not see your insatiable appetite finding any solace in a routine job and if you pursue this option it will be just a matter of time before you quit.

Q. After completing my undergraduate studies in 2010, I chose to pursue a Master in Communication after one year of unsuccessfully searching for a job. I completed the degree in 2013, and enrolled for yet another degree, which I completed recently.

I have several job offers now, but I am not enthusiastic about them yet. I am even considering going back to the university for my PhD. I don’t think a work setting would give me the kind of fulfilment that I derive from academics and research.

Can my insatiable appetite for knowledge potentially hurt my profession in the long run?

 

You have spent the last 10 years pursuing academic qualifications and that says a lot not only about your passion but also your priorities. We all know searching for a job, especially at entry level, is an uphill task in many professions hence I identify with your decision to improve your competitiveness by pursuing a Masters.

How you move on to another degree thereafter and now planning to pursue a PhD is a clear indication of where your priorities are. The best way of putting all this knowledge you have acquired is in academia and since you have figured out how to fund your academic pursuits, go for it and enjoy your career.

I could be wrong but I feel you did not search for a job hard enough but instead made a decision to pursue a comfortable option. You had a choice to pursue your Masters through a flexible arrangement that would allow you to continue your job search through internships or part-time employment to build a career in communications, but you choose a full-time programme minimising your chances.

Now, equipped with three degrees and being drawn to academics, I doubt you will be passionate for any other kind of employment. I am persuaded to strongly believe that some employers are likely to see you not only as over qualified but also as more suited to teaching and research than any other career.

So yes, I do not see your insatiable appetite finding any solace in a routine job and if you pursue this option it will be just a matter of time before you quit.

A career in academics offers various options of specialisation and I am sure within research, teaching and administration you will choose an area that will complement your passion towards a successful career, and in the process worry less over your later years.

In academia, there will always be room to engage despite Artificial Intelligence takeover.