Career Options Outside Academia
Intro
Do you have a degree, but don’t want to stay in academia? What other options are out there for you to explore? Dr. Jihye Kwon joins us today to discuss career options outside academia.
Guest Bio
Dr. Jihye Kwon is the Associate Director for Survey Research at the Race and Equity Center at the University of Southern California. Her academic interests include diversity, equity, and inclusiveness, international student experiences, institutional research, and research methods.
Q: What was your experience in academia like?
I enjoyed it for a time, but eventually I felt like I needed something new. I was working on campus, not as a faculty member, but I was really passionate about race and equity issues. I was interested in going to a larger city to have more diverse experiences. That was when I moved to southern California and started working as a researcher.
Q: What are some of the challenges you have faced so far?
The biggest challenges have been my confidence and regional differences, both in terms of language and of cultural differences. That is a part of living and studying abroad, but it is still not easy. There are still things I feel like I don’t understand about America and that affects my confidence level. It is a challenge to keep my mindset positive, but that helps with my self-confidence.
Q: What have been some of your successes?
What I have learned about being successful is, as long as I get things done, I am successful. Being diligent and consistent is a huge factor in achieving goals in life. Take action or things will not change. Personally, I find working in a field I am passionate about a huge success. I am fortunate enough to have found a job I enjoyed, and that is one of the biggest successes you can have.
Q: Do you have any advice for people seeking to explore careers in the United States?
One thing that I can say is to study things that are marketable. If all you do is take classes that are just interesting but have no practical experience outside of the field you are interested in at this time, when the time comes to move on you will feel trapped. Spend time thinking about what you really want and find ways to work towards those goals. Even if those topics aren’t trendy, there are always people who share interests that you have.
Closing Thoughts
Find what you are passionate about and find a way to make it marketable to a wide field. If you sink all of your time and effort into a single field that you are interested in, you will become trapped there and be unable to find a job anywhere else. Study widely, and you will be able to thrive in any career path you desire!
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