The Back-up Plan

Category : General
Date : December 22, 2015

Spoiler alert! This is not the review post for the movie ‘The Back-up Plan’. Instead, this post is meant for those PhD holders that are looking for a back-up plan to back them up in the race against research. If you are reading this post, then it’s safe to say that you are up-and-done with your PhD and are clueless as to what happens next! Let me take that scowl off your face and present you with the best (non-academic) career options that you can go for after completing your PhD.

Psychologist: Before going any further, let’s be honest here. We are bookworms, we love to read, we love to write, and we love our Google. And that’s how we earn the title of ‘research expert’. We look for problems, search gaps in the literature and rack our brains to fill them. That’s what we have been doing. So why not use this talent to solve the most complex creatures in the world, humans and their brains!

Writer: You may-not-know how you exploited theories in your research, you may-not-know how you conducted analysis, you may-not-know how you tested formulas! But you may-very-well-know how to WRITE (Well, PhD certainly makes this one thing sure). So, what are you waiting for? If you are a creative creator of imagination, then write away your dreams and flow in the world of words.

Stop Holding Back and Be Your Own Brand: The ability to ‘be-independent’ and ‘manage-all-under-pressure’ comes as complementary supplements with the baggage of PhD skills. And running your own business fits perfectly in the picture! Pursue a trade that appeals you the most, it can be anything, you can even set up a food stall if you want!

Social Helpers/Activists: You don’t need a PhD degree to help others, in fact, you don’t need any degree to do that. You just need a big, strong heart that has the capability to solve problems. Crossing so many PhD blocks makes you strong and helps you in acquiring that ability. So join the sector of NGOs to bring a change and make a difference.

Teaching: Well, it’s not the last resort but definitely the best option to build your career in. Teaching comprises of everything, knowledge, problem-solving abilities, management abilities, communication skills, creative thinking and researching talent. In short, it is everything you can ever be, and PhD teaches you to be exactly that. Give it a chance before crossing this academic option!

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