Career musings

While I generally give a lot of thought to my career path choices and options, fresh thoughts were sparked the other day while reading Jame's comments about his choice, at least for the moment, to abandon his chosen academic/science career path.

Certainly one of the best, and scariest, aspects of my life at the moment is the complete uncertainty of just where my career is heading. I have written before, about my dislike of career advice that focuses on the "where do want to be in 10 years?" philosophy. My current answer, in short, would be "not dead!", which probably wouldn't give the careers counselor much to work with. Of course, I have ambition, and a desire to move forward in life, but at this stage, these ambitions and desires have not converged on a specific career path to facilitate this.

I am somewhat fortunate to already be on a "default" academic path of sorts, which ensures that I am not simply treading water, waiting for something to drop into my lap from above. In many ways, being a full-time PhD student on a scholarship that keeps me from starving, is the perfect way to explore just what interests me. Since quitting my full-time teaching position at Melbourne uni, and entering the significantly less structured world of the PhD student, I have sort to explore other potential avenues that may interest me. This is not to say that I am against a research and academic career. In fact, more often than not, my wanderings into other potential areas appears to be re-affirming my choice of an academic path. However, even if this is the case, there is stil great value in constantly challenging the choice, if only to remind myself that I am never completely trapped.

Exploring what it is I like, and dislike, is an infinitely fascinating hobby. If you're an obsessive list writer, then I recommend sitting down and writing what gets you motivated and what you detest about your current line of work. If your experience is anything like mine, then it will undoubtedly become quite a deep and philosophical exploration of not just your career choice, but of your quality of life as a whole.

To give you some idea of how much my mind has been ticking over this issue, here is a list of career paths I have considered in the last 8 months (no particular order):

- academic/researcher (robotics and computer vision) <-- the default.
- academic/researcher (vision - biology and robotics)
- academic/teaching (i.e. don't worry about a research career too much, just lecture comp sci at a less research intensive university.

- science communication (i.e. promoting science through media - newspapers, radio, or even TV)
- teaching (high school)
- writing (humour, travel or just plain creative)
- politics.
- public service (science policy development)
- town planning
- architecture
- train driver (always on the cards!)

Of course, some of these are a little more far fetched than others, but I dare not say which ones just in case they end up happening. I should also re-iterate that many of these have been passing thoughts over the course of the last 8 or so months (some over many years), and so my enthusiasm for some has since subsided. I am not even sure I have covered everything with this list.

What I do find interesting is that despite having a Bachelors and Masters degree in computer science, I have little to no interest in pursuing any sort of software engineering/computer programming career, which just goes to show how futile it is making a career choice half way through year 12, when you're filling out those Tertiary Entrance forms.

I am in no great rush to make any big decisions at the moment. I have 2.5/3 years of a PhD left, and so that allows me some time to think seriously about all these options (and others), and to continue to explore opportunities when they arise. It really is quite exciting, and yes, just a little scary.