This past semester I navigated the decision on whether to start my career in grad school or in industry. After a lot of reflection, I wanted to share some of my thoughts and advice about the main takeaways I gained from this experience:
➡️ Choosing grad school vs. industry is a career step - you can take additional steps later in your career through education, training or practicing skills to refine your career path.
➡️ Realize that there is likely not an objectively “wrong” choice between a set of decisions you make coming out of undergrad. With this in mind, it is important to weigh out your options clearly and by talking to your mentors.
➡️ Think about where you see your purpose - and follow the opportunity that falls in line with that most closely. Think about where you can get experiences that will help you develop the tools to execute on your purpose.
So if you are getting stressed out by a similar set of decisions like I was, take a deep breath, remind yourself of some sound advice, and realize everyone in your corner will be cheering you on to make the right decision for your needs!
What were some of your thoughts regarding choices about your career while leaving undergrad?