Reflections of a PhD Wannabe

In my domain, there are quite a few research labs with famous companies where you can get a job once you finish a PhD. I will have the opportunity to work in such a lab for 6 months or so next year. This event made me think about a job in industry for the first time in my life. So far, I have dismissed the idea of a research lab in industry for several reasons: I love teaching, I like to interact with students, young and fresh minds, I would definitely enjoy the flexible schedule and the academic environment. Besides, I’ve always imagined myself being a professor, doing the research that interests me as opposed to working for someone else’s future (i.e., famous company).

I have to admit that the stories you hear everywhere about how departments work (or shall I write don’t work?) and how the tenure process is a nightmare, etc. leave a very bitter taste in my mouth. Even at my student level, I can witness different “unpleasant” situations/people etc. that “shouldn’t” take place in academia (according to my – probably idealistic – image of academia).

I can imagine environments where I would thrive as an academic: a few good and motivated grad students that would become my extended family, a couple of colleagues to collaborate with, some not-sleepy undergrads that keep your lectures going and an open-minded chair. That may not sound like a lot, but I get a strong impression that it is! At the same time, I can much easier picture a department where I would hate my job just because of the environment. That’s very easy because most stories I hear are about this type of departments. I wonder how hard it is to detach yourself of such an environment, build your own research group, try to do your best and ignore negative people. While this sounds ok in theory, I think in practice doesn’t really work that way. You depend on those people and that department in ways I’m probably not aware  of right now and that complicates everything.

It’s human nature to describe and complain about negative aspects and only rarely tell the positive stories. Shall this be the case about academia? Maybe academia is just a normal place, with its good and bad, but only the bad gets rumminated and spread around?

I hope that sooner or later I’ll have the courage to launch myself in a research  career of some sort, in academia or industry. I also hope to be flexible enough to “travel” between the two. Being flexible and open-minded is something I want to keep on learning.