Choosing a career

When it comes to career, many of us think and take steps to work on our thoughts meticulously. However, there are chances that people often end up making a wrong career choice and land in trouble. Trouble in this case can be described by the feelings one experiences after opting a course or a career.

Choosing a career is more important than choosing a life partner. Because when you have nothing at a point in life, career is all that has the ability to support you and keep you sane.

When people ask me what made me choose the career I pursue today, I think about all the times when Biology intrigued my career interests.

‘How did I know that Science was the field I would be happy in & that I wanted to be a researcher/scientist ?’

Well, I was fascinated by biology and firm on my decision at the age of 9 that I wanted to go to med school. Dissecting bodies, learning everything about the body and all of that wet lab bio stuff was something I was looking forward to. I wanted to be a Neurosurgeon indeed BUT; I ended up as a Researcher in the Biological sciences field, where I was fortunate enough to learn studies similar to Medical although not exactly same or detailed. The project I thought of later during my post grad dissertation was what gave me my first break to study and actually work on something I have always wanted to work on – Animal tissue culture and Neuroscience.

I was fortunate enough to get a supportive guide who not only helped me explore the field of Neuroscience, but also in Animal tissue culture. From dreaming about dissecting animal tissues to performing in vivo assays using model organisms, I was actually living a life I had once only dreamt of. I was dissecting chick embryos, isolating fibroblasts, growing glial cells along with learning and working on the nervous system using model organism Caenorhabditis elegans.

The very first thought that came to my mind was “Whoa no way! Is this some kind of coincidence that after so many years of dreaming about med school and studying animal tissue culture and the nervous system, I have finally got a chance to work on it !!” And as usual, I answered my own question : “No, it’s not some kind of coincidence. It was my appropriate career choice that allowed me to do all that I had just thought of once.” As a person of science, I occasionally believe in coincidences and focus more on the reasons behind those events.

Now if you ask me why did I opted Biological sciences and not any other related field, my answer will be : Because I found the answer to my question ‘Why Biological sciences ?, Is it something that will make me happy? Will I end up getting a life which has no regrets? Will I be able to live happily doing research work like I have always thought about?

These are the 4 questions I asked myself before filling out my grad form for Biotechnology and of course, I also researched and did my homework by exploring more about its scope and if it would be a great career choice for me.

Since I took up a career in Biology, I have not only been happier with my life, but also satisfied with the way I live it. I turned my fascination with Biology into my career. Passion to Profession is the key, whereas the other key which I believe to making a career decision is - Find the answer to your whys and wills. Those answers and your feelings will get you to choose a zero regret - career loving life for yourself.Cheers to finding the answer to your whys and wills & a new chapter of getting a great career for yourself. Life’s an experiment & you gotta research for yourself.

Good luck!!

- Rachna Jadhav

@theresilientresearcher