What's next?
Posted @ 2011-05-04 by Mariella Siña
June of 2011 and I will be finished with my master program in Environmental Chemistry, but what's next? Since a few months ago most of us have started to wonder already what we will do with our new degree. Options? Get a PhD position, get a job, work as a volunteer for Doctors without borders :) etc.
Getting a PhD position seems to me to be the most feasible option, considering that the language spoken at this scientific circle is english and provided that the education that we have received is very specialized and adequate to work in front line research. In fact that is the reason I need to be very careful with the second option, since I believe I shouldn't waste the capabilities acquired.
Finding the right job comes to my mind now, and a very important question Where? I didn´t contemplate this issue for the PhD research since that kind of degree is not an option in a peruvian institution (there is research though that is carried out in cooperation between advanced scientific institutions and interested groups in countries from the global south).
So there is the opportunity to go back to my country and improve the work I have been doing before. This to the eyes of anyone here might sound like too much work, since I am speaking about starting new projects, getting funds, evaluating with an impartial scientific approach, etc etc. The right job might not be there, but it is possible to create only after spending some time doing all other kinds of jobs.
Finding a job in Sweden is another story, speaking swedish is the greatest advantage, specially since there are not many swedish that are taking this field (we have only 1 swedish classmate, and a few others I met that study other master or bachelor chemistry programs).
Finally, specially if you are young, you can also take some time and go on for a little adventure while still envisioning what would be the effects of us all working to protect and remediate our environment. This might just look like crazy suggestions to you all but you can always check the work of Doctors without borders, WWF, Amazon Watch, or any other organization that works in environmental projects around the world. I got to know them in Peru and behind the lobbying there is always a technical team.
It's time to make new decisions, but we make them anyway everyday don't we ;-)
Peace to you all!
Mariella