Well What Should I Do With My Life?

[Zopperoni]

Do anything, take a simple job for two or three months, quit and do something else after that for two or three months. While at those jobs, you can continue searching for something decent, but going through different jobs keeps you active...and you might find something fun

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison

Laz has a damn good point, but in a really demanding situation, nerves get the better of me.

I'd soon beat that out of you.

Seriously- you've just got low confidence because it's something you've never tried. Sales isn't like something off "Wall Street"- it's just about talking to people to find out what they want and helping them choose/looking for commitment. There's no guns held to anyone's heads.

If that's not your pick, I think you'd have the people skills to cut it in a generic management/Team Leader role. That might take more time to get but I'm sure you could do it justice.

[TCO]

(serious recommendation)

look for a job selling medical or biological instruments. I know several people like you who dropped out of Ph.D. solid state chemist track...and then went to work selling X-ray diffraction equipment.

There are a fair amount of these types of jobs in the medical/biotech industry. It doesn't have to be an instrument you are totally familiar with, but the closer the easier of course.

Ventana Medical Systems (check web site) is an example. I am familar with their sales of histology machines. They use a salesman and a customer service rep (usually at ~ Ph.D. level). you could look for either type of position. In some cases the two roles are combined.

Look into this...

[TCO]

Oh...and don't sweat the sales angle. It's mostly about jumping in the cold water and swimming. Great salesmen have a lot of tricks and savvy. But you can do ok by just taking the bull by the horns and doing lots of calls...

[Velociryx]

(not so serious recommendation)
-Balancing GP's post-

Come to the US, diligently study home chemistry, steal a car, learn to play an instrument (doesn't matter what), take a cross country trip (in the aforementioned stolen car), write songs on the way, when you get to california start a band, get hideously famous, fake your own death and disappear.



-=Vel=-

[Boris Godunov]

Marry rich.

[TCO]

Originally posted by Velociryx
(not so serious recommendation)
-Balancing GP's post-

Come to the US, diligently study home chemistry, steal a car, learn to play an instrument (doesn't matter what), take a cross country trip (in the aforementioned stolen car), write songs on the way, when you get to california start a band, get hideously famous, fake your own death and disappear.



-=Vel=-

Sounds like fun!

I'm a corporate dropout working as a ski instructor...

[Garth Vader]

Is there a chance for you to finish your PHd at a different place that has a better environment?

[Velociryx]

Are you really, GP? Hmmm....wanna join the band I'm putting together?



-=Vel=-

[Provost Harrison]

I like the idea that Boris has, marry a millionairess

Well I will keep my eye out for appropriate posts. There do seem to be quite a few sales jobs and it would certainly be a change to what I am used to, but it was just the cut throat nature of it, or perceived, that put me off. I'll enquire though.

And Garth, I'd like to have completed my PhD but it all just seemed a bit random to put together into a thesis (a major factor why I quit). I have a good, varied portfolio of research, but I just don't think it is coherent enough.

[Immortal Wombat]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
I know what CPR is

And PCR.

[Immortal Wombat]

What was your research into mostly?

[Jon Miller]

man itis slow right now



Jon Miller

[Provost Harrison]

A lot of it was vascular stuff, half into investigations into pulmonary artery, the other part into vasa nervorum (arteries of the nerve), and then cell culture culturing primary dorsal root ganglia and it was just hard to conceive how I can get those to go together.

[Alexander's Horse]

They are always looking for crash test dummies at Volvo.