First year from the ivory tower to corporate America

LinkedIn stated that I had worked for my current employer for 1 year and 1 month, which makes me feel uneasy. I haven’t reached my anniversary onboarding date. In fact, I’ve only been at my job for about 9 months due to taking a personal/professional leave during the summer of 2022. The title of having a full year of employment doesn’t sound to fit me at the moment.

It’s okay if professional social media platforms can’t accurately reflect my employment history — or if they don’t care for the nuance. But I need to reflect on what’s happening because 2022 wasn’t how I imagined it at the end of 2021.

My hunt for a non-academic job began a couple of months before my defense in September 2021. The process continued through Thanksgiving, and by the end of 2021, I was finally on the relieving end of the spectrum. I felt hopeful to start the new job with my current company the following year, and I couldn’t wait for putting my degree and skills to use. I was ready to take on new challenges and advance my career. After all, one of my original goals of going for a PhD when leaving my 3-year stint of engineer job in Taiwan was to work and live abroad.

Working in corporate America has not been what I thought, which I would tell my younger self if I could go back in time to my PhD days. (Although I don’t want to do this at all because it deprived me of the opportunity to grow.) Despite working in two different careers — 9 months as a scientist and 3 months as a journalist — I’ve learned some similar lessons.

(1) Work as a team. Communicate with the team.

This one is particularly hard for a recent PhD graduate to adapt to. During PhD, you are expected to do everything for your research — conceptualize questions, conduct background research, collect and analyze data, examine the reasoning behind your findings, and publish and present the findings. In industry, you typically do a few specific things and are expected to do them very well. The rest of the work relies on collaboration and communication with others.

I used to feel inadequate for falling short in some areas because academia seems to demand an all-rounded researcher who masters all aspects of research. Additionally, it’d be great if you could integrate work and life well to thrive. Moving into the industry, I’m relieved not to have to worry about those weaknesses and instead have permission to focus on my strengths.

At the writing desk, my editors and fellow journalists are my best sounding boards. I’ve learned that everyone has their own way of thinking about and approaching writing, which is also true in the science and technology workplace — there isn’t only one way to achieve goals. At work, my manager is a great resource who helps me guide the support I need. Working as a part of a team in the lab, I’ve learned the value of delegating and prioritizing work when there’s a lot to be done, rather than trying to carry everything on my shoulder.

(2) Your role is not meant to replace or replicate someone else’s work, but rather to create a unique role that would not have existed without you.

My current position was created specifically for me, which made me wonder if I’m in a unique position or redundant presence. When I become too attached or stuck in my work, I’d ruminate that anyone else could take over my job. “Maybe the other journalist can handle this assignment more gracefully” or “I don’t have the perfect skills to complete the task. I’m so unqualified.”

Instead of sitting around and doubting, I’ve learned to take charge by asking what I’m doing and what I can do for others. I found that most of the time, the team didn’t look for a perfect person who does it all but rather a person who has the relevant skills and motivation to fill in the gaps.

(3) Health is everything — physically and mentally.

This is a big topic to discuss and hopefully, I can spend more time writing about it. I did not expect that my physical health would become a concern in 2022, which feels strange because I am just starting my career and entering the “real world.” Also as a sensitive person, I can get stressed and emotional when not processing my feeling properly.

First was the COVID. It caused me sole muscles, fatigue, and a very painful canker sole in my mouth that made me difficult to eat, drink and sleep. Throughout the year, I’ve had recurring canker sores, two cracked teeth, and unknown allergic reactions with symptoms of a stuffy nose, swollen fingers, and red spots on my skin. These health issues appear minor, but I interpret them as my body telling me that I no longer have a body that I can use as I was in my twenties or early thirties. That being said, I wouldn't proceed with my career and passions in the same way that people who enter their career ladder at a younger (or older) age do.

But alas, better safe than sorry. To prioritize my health and needs, I make my non-negotiables to get at least 6 hours of sleep per night (targeting 8 on weekends) and exercise each week including indoor cycling, yoga, and meditation. I also incorporate journaling and planning into my routine, which can take anywhere between 5 minutes a day and an hour of reflection a week.

That’s it. Looking forward to a new year!

* First appeared in Medium blog.