Hello guys,

I would like to know what options I have if I decide to leave my PhD and join the work force. My undergraduate degree was in biochemistry and cell biology. Then I completed my masters in pharmacology. Currently my PhD doesn't look very promising due to lack of interest/motivation, bad supervision, confusion about future, and etc. Most of all, I've come to the realisation that I am not made for research. I've done some researches on the internet, and there are a few opportunities in pharmaceutical project management which I will attempt to apply. For those who have changed their path either during PhD or post PhD (ie. not staying in research), what did you do and how did you do it? Just need some advice on how to even start organising this big life change. It is a huge decision for my life, and so please provide me with some guidelines.

Much appreciated

-Alex

======= Date Modified 17 Sep 2008 20:30:25 =======
Not quite the same situation, but I recently left my PhD for some of the same reasons as you. However, I was still interested in research. In my case, I had identified a different field that I had wanted to work in *after* my PhD, but given that my project was rapidly disintegrating, I figured I might as well just take the plunge instead of going through any more of the situation I was in.

Before I told my supervisor I wanted to leave, I went to see a contact I had in the other field, in the hope of getting some career advice. As it happens, he was looking to expand his team and made me a sort of job offer. Had to go through a proper application process and there were other candidates, but I got the job in the end and I'm much much happier working there than I was in the last year or so of my PhD.

So I would say that if you're unhappy for reasons that aren't easily fixable, moving on can be a good thing. But it does very much help if you have a plan for what to do next. Knowing that there was something else I was definitely interested in made leaving easier for me, and the real possibility of a job was even better. Why not apply for some jobs before definitely leaving? Your reaction to whether or not you get invited to an interview/offered a job might tell you a lot about whether you're making the right choice for you.