In an online forum somebody asked me: Do you want an academic career? The answer is yes and no. On one hand I enjoy studying. I would love to spend a few more years and get a PhD. On the other hand I know that I cannot justify the time and money invested in it if I don’t want to use the degree afterwards. The best use would be in an academic setting, but I have some reservations about it. I would be very much interested in doing research. I never taught clases so at the moment I am a bit afraid of it. It is not something I “want” to do but would like to test the waters whether I would be good at it, enjoy it. I also have this (mis?)conception that academia is a high pressure environment if I want to get on a tenure track. So the answer I would give right now is 60% no and 40% yes.
Meanwhile I had a counseling session Wednesday with a career advisor. We talked quite a bit about being a Librarian. Based on my Strong Inventory Skill test and Myers Briggs test this job would fit well with me. (I am INFJ.) We spent time on this because this is the only actual occupation (as opposed to vague ideas) that came up and I was/am interested in. But I am having a hard time getting enthused about it. To do so I will probably have to disperse some of my related misconcpetions. Including:
1. I thought of it as a low-prestige job. (From this I learned that prestie is still something I value, despite that I thought detached to the idea.)
2. I considerd it boring, not challenging. (Which reminds me that I need stimulus.)
3. I didn’t see any growth opportunity in it. (In other words, I want a job where I can learn new things and move up if I am apt.)
Others I am inconversation about this topic emphasized that whatever I do I should chose what my heart desires. Find out what I am passionate about. If I’d do that I would just sign up for a Religious Studies PhD. And then do interfaith work. But at the moment I have no idea about how I could make a living that way. I do know that’s one of the things I can envision myself doing long term. But I also have a pragmatic side, focusing on security, both in financial and job terms.
So my next steps:
1. Talk to a librarian
2. Research grad school for library sciences
3. Find the experts of my quite clearly defined research topic. Where do they teach, do those school have grad schools?
4. Reduce my lists above, by going through one by one and checking the faculties and other conditions.
5. Research interfaith careers.
6. Research job prospects, trends, based on the different kind of degrees I could go for.