What knowledge and skills did you learn during your Research Master’s that are really useful to you now?
I improved my organisational skills and learned coping mechanisms that work for me. Since I did a Research Master's, there was a high workload but it was all doable with the right scheduling and coping strategies. I also learned more about myself and what I want to do in life. I noticed my strengths and weaknesses and can now focus on what I am good at.
What did you find most challenging in your Research Master’s? Did you encounter any obstacles?
The biggest obstacle for me was realising that I don't want to pursue a career in scientific research and that I'm actually not even really good at it (even though I did a Research Master's). I had a really hard time realising that, but then I also understood that I still learned a lot during my studies and that I can still use all of that knowledge and skills even though I might change careers. Another aspect that was challenging was time planning and scheduling. I improved on that and found ways that worked for me. And lastly, statistics, of course, was a big challenge for me. But it was all doable with the right preparation. I had a lot of respect for that course and that helped me to take it seriously.
Could you say a little about the job you do now?
I will start working in online marketing. It is a company that works for clients (brands/companies) that want to sell their products on Amazon. We observe selling numbers and try to improve them. I will only start in a month, so I don't know exactly how it all works yet, but I am really looking forward to starting! I changed careers because I noticed that research is not my field of interest and I want to do something more practical where you can directly see results and changes.
What do you like about your profession and what makes working in your field so interesting?
I (will) like it because it is about identifying a problem and trying to solve that through different strategies. And then I can directly see if it has worked or not. In research, it is more about finding something out and doing more research on that. I like that I will be creative and practical, and not just theoretical.
Do you have any tips/suggestions for prospective students?
Don't be scared if you realise that you actually don't love the thing you are studying right now! It can be very scary and I had several crises about that thinking I made a mistake or should have done something differently. Just focus on what you learned for yourself and don't be insecure about it. You don't have to LOVE research and do it for the rest of your life after having done a Research Master's. There are many different pathways other than working as a researcher and you might only have to find your own niche.