Just to give the back story, after finishing my undergrad microbiology degree and scraping a 2:1 (between 60-70%), I decided commit to job searching, instead of almost predictable option of going for the one year biotech masters degree. I wanted to get out into the real world, and having previously done an internship I thought I'd the edge over the other students in my course. I thought that if need be, I could do a masters some time later in life, after having gotten a better sense for what I'm interested in. Having made this decision though, a very small part of me knew that there was a chance things mightn't work out, and if so, that I might have to go back and do a masters a year later anyway.
During this year I managed to become a manager in a pound store where I worked for a year, all the while applying for lab jobs. After a year, and no luck from a total of 5 interviews, I decided to bite my lip and do a biotech masters. The reason for the popularity of this masters being its final semester's 30 credit research project, which most students secure in industry.
So by the time I'd started this masters, I'd already unsuccessfully applied for more than 150 laboratory positions. This made it hard to continue applying for positions (albeit college internship programs now), and to somehow expect a different result. Eventually this April, after a phone interview, I was told that I'd successfully secured an unpaid industry research project. I finally had a huge amount of motivation for the first time in years, and I was looking forward to starting there, intending to work my ass off. I visited the company a few weeks later in early May, and shortly later relocated to a new apartment in order to be nearer for travelling purposes.
Then came the bad news just this Thursday, that this company has changed their mind and no longer want to hire me, leaving me in a very awkward location, if I'm to be instead commuting to the college. I've tried to ring the company but I think they're giving me the run around. To make matters worse, is that because it took 5 weeks for me to hear about their change of mind, this meant that during that time the research projects left in college were all taken! One lecturer is now trying to develop a project for me.
And if all that wasn't bad enough, I won't be graduating until next year due to 5 credits that I'm missing. This issue wouldn't have mattered if I'd secured the placement, as I'd get the industrial experience, which is what matters. After hearing this, my motivation for college work is now lower than it's ever been... so I just wonder if I'm fooling myself thinking that I can complete this next 3 months. I know you might say I've come this far, but maybe it's time to call a day to all this college caper. Without the industrial experience I'm back to square one anyway. This will really make me feel as if I'm completely at the mercy of third level institutions, who take my money and dangle the carrot out in front of of me, just to draw it back.
I feel like I've spent the last 2 years of my life pointlessly jumping through hoops. It's scary the amount of knowledge I could have learned, with the time I've spent tailoring cover letters to job specs. I think in the MSc career guidance module, they could have been more honest with students, in saying "X amount of students each year fail to secure projects outside college", instead of the 'cheer leading' nonsense they spouted at students. All the while I did have a sense of doubt about securing a project in industry, but even I, would never have thought things would get this bad. And if I were to put my current situation in the context of what my hopes were 2 years ago, I'd be fuming.
Obviously I'd be quick to point out 101 reasons why to drop out, and have little to say as regards what I could now do with myself! It would feel good to just work an ordinary job for a while, but where could I go with it? This college course is killing my spirit. At least I have my undergrad degree? What sort of jobs are there out there that someone like myself could take up? However, there'll be a gap in my CV if I don't complete the masters. So this might mean that any hopes for ever working as a microbiologist might be crushed.
Although I've an interest in molecular science, I've always sensed that if I were to be really feel like I've value and motivation in my work, that it wouldn't have anything to do with lab work. At the back of my mind, I thought I could use some sort of lab job as a stepping stone to independence, and that years down the line I'd somehow use my wisdom and carefully saved money to go a different road.
Thanks for reading.
During this year I managed to become a manager in a pound store where I worked for a year, all the while applying for lab jobs. After a year, and no luck from a total of 5 interviews, I decided to bite my lip and do a biotech masters. The reason for the popularity of this masters being its final semester's 30 credit research project, which most students secure in industry.
So by the time I'd started this masters, I'd already unsuccessfully applied for more than 150 laboratory positions. This made it hard to continue applying for positions (albeit college internship programs now), and to somehow expect a different result. Eventually this April, after a phone interview, I was told that I'd successfully secured an unpaid industry research project. I finally had a huge amount of motivation for the first time in years, and I was looking forward to starting there, intending to work my ass off. I visited the company a few weeks later in early May, and shortly later relocated to a new apartment in order to be nearer for travelling purposes.
Then came the bad news just this Thursday, that this company has changed their mind and no longer want to hire me, leaving me in a very awkward location, if I'm to be instead commuting to the college. I've tried to ring the company but I think they're giving me the run around. To make matters worse, is that because it took 5 weeks for me to hear about their change of mind, this meant that during that time the research projects left in college were all taken! One lecturer is now trying to develop a project for me.
And if all that wasn't bad enough, I won't be graduating until next year due to 5 credits that I'm missing. This issue wouldn't have mattered if I'd secured the placement, as I'd get the industrial experience, which is what matters. After hearing this, my motivation for college work is now lower than it's ever been... so I just wonder if I'm fooling myself thinking that I can complete this next 3 months. I know you might say I've come this far, but maybe it's time to call a day to all this college caper. Without the industrial experience I'm back to square one anyway. This will really make me feel as if I'm completely at the mercy of third level institutions, who take my money and dangle the carrot out in front of of me, just to draw it back.
I feel like I've spent the last 2 years of my life pointlessly jumping through hoops. It's scary the amount of knowledge I could have learned, with the time I've spent tailoring cover letters to job specs. I think in the MSc career guidance module, they could have been more honest with students, in saying "X amount of students each year fail to secure projects outside college", instead of the 'cheer leading' nonsense they spouted at students. All the while I did have a sense of doubt about securing a project in industry, but even I, would never have thought things would get this bad. And if I were to put my current situation in the context of what my hopes were 2 years ago, I'd be fuming.
Obviously I'd be quick to point out 101 reasons why to drop out, and have little to say as regards what I could now do with myself! It would feel good to just work an ordinary job for a while, but where could I go with it? This college course is killing my spirit. At least I have my undergrad degree? What sort of jobs are there out there that someone like myself could take up? However, there'll be a gap in my CV if I don't complete the masters. So this might mean that any hopes for ever working as a microbiologist might be crushed.
Although I've an interest in molecular science, I've always sensed that if I were to be really feel like I've value and motivation in my work, that it wouldn't have anything to do with lab work. At the back of my mind, I thought I could use some sort of lab job as a stepping stone to independence, and that years down the line I'd somehow use my wisdom and carefully saved money to go a different road.
Thanks for reading.
