I have finally decided…

November 2005, I still remember the conversation I had with my professor in his office. We were discussing about my future plans. 4 months before that, I had been toying with the idea of a career in academia; I loved the learning environment, the research rigor, the intellectual challenges that university offered me. And so that summer, I gave some thought into pursuing academics. That summer season itself, I met up with 2 of my closest professors, and both positively encouraged me to pursue it, as they felt I was quite capable and had the potential to go into academics.

Fast forward 4 months later, just a couple of weeks before christmas, here I am sitting with one of the 2 professors I had seen to first express my interest in academics. I had explained to him that while I was still keen on pursuing on my academic endevour, I needed to take time off, to experience the working world, to see what the real business world is really like. I guess in part I too felt confident that I could get a very good job back at home given that I was ranked among the top 15% in my university.

MNCs sure would not have reservations of hiring a person of my qualifications.I felt. Yes I was hell bent only on joining a big name company. I wanted to only work for a MNC, nothing less, that was my sole reason of even wanting to return back and join the work force. Why? Simply because I felt the experience would be an extremely useful addition to my academic ambition. MNCs would give me greater experience and exposure to the working environment.

27 months have passed since I made up my mind to take a break from my academic ambitions. In those 27 months, I did many times think of my academic career plan, I did think about my professors, I would sometimes reminisce of the times I would spend hours in the library just reading up scholarly journals and scouting for articles I felt would contribute to my professor’s research. (I had the rare opportunity of working as a research assistant during my final semester in university – a rare chance given to an undergraduate). There were times I wasn’t interested at all of returning back to academia What on earth for should I waste my time when I’m already doing so well? A good paying job, a car, a plush condo, I have everything I want.

Very, very true. I keep saying that people would kill to be in my position, and this is just evident by the number of times I hear people telling me how blessed and lucky I am to have such a good paying job, and that too in a super duper lucrative field.

No doubt, how I even got into this field was all because of the Man up there, and He has indeed been kind; too kind I should say to me. I guess He really wanted to give me an opportunity to see what’s really out there. And yes, it’s wonderful (sometimes it sucky though, but then again….) , but yet once again I find my heart yearning for what I had once dreamt about some time ago. The intellectual adventure still lures me, the pursuit of graduate studies continues to entice me, so much so after being in the workforce for almost 2 years now, having lived the life of a corporate employee, I’ve decided it is time… time for me to return back to my roots, to my first love,

Academia

Author’s thought : You know, this has come as no surprise, as I still have this inkling toward management books, and books/articles relating to my academic interest, that is Organizational Behavior and Theory. I still find myself hovering over the Management isle at Borders of MPH and requesting the retail assistants to unwrap books covered with titles such as Management, or Organizational Theory or Behavior at the Workplace.

And yes, that MNC comment above was somewhat 80% true, not all MNCs will hire you just cuz of your grades!