Career path post PhD - going off in my own direction
Hi friends,
I completed a PhD 11 years ago and since then have worked in industry, at a national lab, and in scientific consulting. While each role provided me with great learning and growth opportunities, I struggled to find something I loved doing as much as lab research in grad school.
After my kid was born, I was a stay-at-home-parent for a while. During that time I really struggled with feelings/internalized expectations around what I should be doing with myself and my career because "isn't it a waste to have worked so hard for a PhD, yet I'm throwing it away?" Nobody ever said this to me, but I would often repeat some variation of that in my head from time to time. It was a hard pivot to being "just a parent" when I'd spent decades measuring my own worth by my academic and professional accomplishments.
At my core I still remained the same scientist I've always been. During that time I conducted several "studies" at home about whatever piqued my interest - disinfectant efficacy, seed germination, currency markings under the microscope - because I was still insatiably curious about the world and how things worked.
I returned to full-time work for a while but eventually went back to being a stay-at-home-parent after realizing that I preferred spending my time with my kid. In my spare time I use optical microscopy to learn more about whatever I want, including mixing phenomena in liquid systems, freezing/melting processes, and dissolution/recrystallization. I'm figuring out how to share what I learn/observe with the world because I think that gaining a better understanding of everyday things is useful and fun. That being said I still often struggle with thoughts/feelings around "what am I doing with myself" and "is this the right path?"
Has anyone else felt like they're not doing the "right thing" when it comes to your career? It honestly feels so isolating because the vast majority of folks I know who completed their PhD around the time I did are working fancypants jobs in industry, academia, etc seemingly making good use of their credentials.