Dunno if this is allowed but in case anyone's interested, this video explains the start of the warring states period really well. I'm looking forward to the second half
So I got my PhD in Chemical Engineering a few years ago, specializing in microbial/metabolic engineering to make chemical commodities. It wasn't really what I wanted to do since when I started (2016), I wanted to do research in therapeutics. I chatted with many PIs and they assured me that PhD is about learning and demonstrating to people you can think critically. At the time, my PI gave me a really interesting project that focused on synthetic tool development instead of metabolic engineering so I agreed to join the lab. Back then, I planned to do a postdoc in some therapeutic research once I finished PhD. When I graduated, because I was working in microbes, I got offers working in industry making microbial strains and the pay was really good so I could not really refused. There were turbulence right away since it was 2023 (at the tail end of the biotech boom) but I survived, moved to another company to work on the same thing. But of course, my luck ran out and I was finally laid off last year around this time. Of course, we all know how crazy the market right now, so I've been out of work for a year. Originally, I planned to go back to academia for a postdoc, hopefully working with CRISPR/functional genomic in mammalian cells/stem cells/cancer, but I had no luck breaking in. Since I was prepared for this eventuality, I saved up a lot so I even offered to volunteer/working for free to gain experience but none of the labs are interested. The advice I was repeatedly given by multiple people years back. assuring me PhD is proof of my critical thinking skill and companies/labs would be willing to train me to specialize in their research is simply wrong in this climate.
Anyways, I feel so lost. I want to pivot but it's been a year with no luck. Not that I can stick with metabolic engineering either, cuz there's no job (probably 2-3 jobs pop up that fit my direct skillset/level in the past year... and that's being generous.) I heard that people at my previous company complained about their low bonus and one of the directors frankly told them to shut up and suck it up cuz there's no work anywhere for them to hop to. This is breaking me and wrecking my mental health.
Is there any advice on how to pivot your specialization in this crazy, saturated market? Would the only way to gain experience in the field is to enroll in a Master course? I really wouldn't want to go through all of that again... Any advice would help! Thanks!
Okay, I know this is a very niche question but is there anyone here doing/did a J-find visa to go to Japan to find jobs/postdoc positions (in biotech, specially microbial/mammalian engineering) with no Japanese skill?
With the shit going on in the USA and finding no PhD level works, I plan to get a J-find visa (next year would be my last chance to get the visa due to its 5 years since graduation rule), going to language school while hoping to find a lab to volunteer in (with J-find, I believe I'm allowed to work in university while studying in language schools). But I just want to hear from people who are able to find jobs/postdoc while on J-find. I feel like there are not a lot of opportunities and I will probably never find anything by the end of the visa duration. Thoughts? Guidance?