MLS career path as a current PhD student?
Hi! I am a PhD student studying biology. Unfortunately, I have decided that I do not want to stay in academia after grad school, and am currently trying to explore my options for other career pathways. As far as I understand, going from a PhD to a MLS position would be atypical, but I am still curious if it would be a possibility for me? Finding non-academic career pathways has been challenging, as graduate school is designed for the academic pipeline. I believe that my experience could be valuable to any laboratory or scientific career— but I worry that my experience may be dismissed because of my atypical pathway.
For reference, my PhD is largely research based, while I take some classes, most of my time is spent working on research projects. My PhD work mostly focuses on ecology, evolution and animal behavior. So, I am not in a medical field or microbiology-focused field currently. But I love lab work and have a decent amount of bench work experience. I am familiar with DNA extraction, PCR, and ELISA. I have some microscopy experience, and soon will have a lot more. I also have strong data analysis, and scientific writing, and research skills.
Would my extensive research experience be enough to get a foot in the door as a MLS? Is a graduate degree looked down on (as it’s usual) or could it be helpful? I can only do so much molecular work in the position I am in now because I am not in a molecular-focused lab, but I plan to lean into the molecular and physiology sides of my research as much as possible. Lab work is the part of my job I enjoy most. Do you have any tips for how I can prepare myself for a MLS position while in graduate school?
While I am no longer interested in staying in academia, I am hesitant to drop out of my PhD program at this point. I could potentially switch to a masters, but my partner has a good job in the area that is setting him up for a good career if he stays for the next few years. I also do not pay for graduate school and have a guaranteed stipend for the next few years due to a paid research fellowship I received+support from teaching assistantships when my that fellowship runs out. I still think there are valuable experiences and skills I can learn through the program as well. The job market is a scary place at the moment… And I am very nervous about finding a fitting career after graduating, because I am worried a PhD will be dismissed as useless by anyone in industry, despite my PhD being more like a research “job” than “school”.
I don’t want to give out super specific information that could reveal who I am to people at my institution, but I am happy to clarify anything.