Aka1234 Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 (edited) Hi everyone, I am hesitant whether to progress as an academia or a professional. I think I am bit naive, just enjoy working and studying hard that academic career path is best suit for me though some recent experiences make me think twice. Following my PhD degree in a top 10 university, I worked as research based consultant in collaboration with industrial partners in this University (in top 30). My line manager is not academically sound and really lazy (never write anything, saying all "big" key words but all terms are mixed up) but good with politics. This person got honoury professorship, going to all international conferences for networking but never deliver anything (even a presentation in front of us academic). And then now another colleague (same salary grade) who only had master degree relevant to the field, claimed work credit from my own technical delivery report work, and couldn't understand physics/ maths formula. So that person tried to do PhD by portfolio and got turned down from getting supervision by one of my friend who is real professor. And now he got himself deputy head of school position (2 grade above what he and i had) which requires candidate to be principal lecturer. To make it valid they offer him a lecture position as he haven't got sufficient academic background (no phd, research or teaching experience). Of course he mingles with the right people, plays good politics. I could set up a consulting company and could deliver lots of technical offers but I know I could not win work because of the prejudice (asian, female, young looking and still have light asian accents). I've recently got a job offer as researcher with a good professor that I think i could deliver quality research and hopefully I can move onto another institution. But the unfairness bothers me, I'd like to progress in career and if academic career is all about playing politics to get promoted, same norm everywhere then I'd rather cut my loss...get myself a position as engineer in industry then later with more experience i can be self employed. Can anyone in University shed sone light on this for me? Edited November 18, 2015 by Aka1234 Link to post Share on other sites
GemmaUK Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 If you intend to work in an English speaking country please brush up on writing skills. I am assuming you have relaxed your grammar as this is only a forum. If not then that element for one needs some work. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Author Aka1234 Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 If you intend to work in an English speaking country please brush up on writing skills. I am assuming you have relaxed your grammar as this is only a forum. If not then that element for one needs some work. Hi Gemma UK, thanks for your bluntly advice. It's true that I have problem with my writing especially when I am ruled by emotion and also watching 'How to get away with murder". My story is not from my home country, 3rd country full of corruption that's why it is upsetting me. You may feel disappointed to know that my story is in UK Higher Education and I've been working here over 5 years. My Master & undergrad were both taught in French so I learnt English from French not via my native tounge. Beside critising my writing, do you have own experience in academia to give me some advice? Link to post Share on other sites
Maggie4 Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 There is A LOT of politics in academia. What you described does not surprise me. I think you have a good plan: learn the industry then start your own business. There is no prejudice against your race or appearance. Don't doubt yourself. If there is doubt in someone else's mind, you erase it. 3 Link to post Share on other sites
GemmaUK Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I have trained many, from straight out of school, apprentices, graduates with Masters degrees plus people at all ages and all sorts of points in their lives. Professionalism was what made me employ them. I am sorry if my previous post sounded personal towards you, it wasn't intended that way. Communication in business can make or break. I would be wary of someone who was not an effective communicator if part of their role was communication either inside or outside of the business. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Author Aka1234 Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 (edited) I have trained many, from straight out of school, apprentices, graduates with Masters degrees plus people at all ages and all sorts of points in their lives. Professionalism was what made me employ them. I am sorry if my previous post sounded personal towards you, it wasn't intended that way. Communication in business can make or break. I would be wary of someone who was not an effective communicator if part of their role was communication either inside or outside of the business. Hi Gemma, my husband shares your view and we both see it as my weakness if I want to offer professional services. I am thinking of doing elocution class in London even my husband is British and I am surrounded by British people. One reason that my work was being claimed by others' because I was trying to get them proofread so I am used to being told my English writing is not good. To be honest with you, we can get away with a lot of these in academic career (I have met so many professors that none can understand what they are saying). That's why I am considering academic life. Edited November 18, 2015 by Aka1234 Link to post Share on other sites
Author Aka1234 Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 There is A LOT of politics in academia. What you described does not surprise me. I think you have a good plan: learn the industry then start your own business. There is no prejudice against your race or appearance. Don't doubt yourself. If there is doubt in someone else's mind, you erase it. Thank you for your word of wisdom. Link to post Share on other sites
GemmaUK Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Academia can get away with a lot..but when it comes down to it the written word has so much value I cannot even account for it! I still make mistakes and I had a reading and writing age of a 9 year old when I was only 3 years old! lol! Elocution is more aligned with speech and etiquette. I think you could learn more from English Grammar tutorage (and it would be cheaper). Face to face language we can all deal with to an easier extent - we allow for differences in language, culture and just personal oddities. Grammar is a different thing but also it would help with 'in real life' elocution too. I don't think you need elocution because I understood the context and elocution (which is more the delivery in speech to be honest) is secondary to being able to get a point across. In business life though, grammar will only help you. Link to post Share on other sites
Author Aka1234 Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 Academia can get away with a lot..but when it comes down to it the written word has so much value I cannot even account for it! I still make mistakes and I had a reading and writing age of a 9 year old when I was only 3 years old! lol! Elocution is more aligned with speech and etiquette. I think you could learn more from English Grammar tutorage (and it would be cheaper). Face to face language we can all deal with to an easier extent - we allow for differences in language, culture and just personal oddities. Grammar is a different thing but also it would help with 'in real life' elocution too. I don't think you need elocution because I understood the context and elocution (which is more the delivery in speech to be honest) is secondary to being able to get a point across. In business life though, grammar will only help you. Think I have to disagree with you. I had obtained the highest French qualification in linguistic which enabled me to get their scholarship to fund my study and French Grammar is lots harder. And I had some problem during my stay in France because people don't speak/ use grammar correctly. I took intensive English class for 4 months to get IELTS and spent less than 2 weeks learning Grammar. And I was the best student in Technical Writing class tand had to explain grammar to a group of British people as they can't explain the grammar, only know it's not correct because they speak it. Mind you they are all highly qualified professionals, some even think "going" is a word...maybe it's a perk of being British, having English as the native language. I haven't got any problem getting job or publish research articles in international journal. So i believe speaking English properly would enable me to be self employed and get more clients, hence considering elocution. Link to post Share on other sites
Author Aka1234 Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 I am all ears if you have any experience that can help me to make a decision of staying or leaving academia. Any academic folks in the UK, US, Australia? Many thanks, Link to post Share on other sites
WaitingForBardot Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 While it is true that academia is rife with politics, it isn't much better in industry. In fact, politics plays a significant role everywhere and in everything. Even the homeless living under overpasses in a city have a political infrastructure. Although clearly without your level of credentials, I worked as a Pharma researcher in industry for ~15 years and advancement had much more to do with playing political games, cronyism, etc., than I ever would have believed without experiencing it directly. And I'm a white, native-English-speaking male. I did well enough, but it was a constant, uphill battle throughout my career. While studying for my PhD I naively (in retrospect) assumed that arguments in my industrial career would revolve around the science, ideas, and the like, but sadly it became more about building alliances and playing politics. My advice is that if politics is the only thing putting you off academia you should just stay the course. And GemmaUK is spot on about language and writing. 3 Link to post Share on other sites
Maggie4 Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 I know many people who left academia and never looked back. You should not let your language skills dictate your career choice. To start your own business, you need to be hungry. If you're hungry enough, you'll get it done one way or another, whether it's hiring a frontman to pitch for you, get someone to help you write, or find a niche market in your native language then expand. If you are serious, you really should be talking to people in your field about this. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
fiatflux Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 (edited) There is no prejudice against your race or appearance. Don't doubt yourself. On the contrary--in fact responses in this thread are rife with racism. I have a friend who suffered with this same sort of racism, corruption and politics in a US academic institution. He was wrongfully terminated. He's now at a different academic institution in a good department with a kind and ethical boss. However he has friends at the same institution who are in crappy departments with unethical colleagues and jerky, incompetent department heads who play politics. It's a crapshoot, and you can run into the same thing in industry. Just apply for jobs and hopefully you'll luck out like my friend did in the end. Edited December 22, 2015 by fiatflux Link to post Share on other sites
WaitingForBardot Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 On the contrary--in fact responses in this thread are rife with racism. ... Pardon my naivety, but could you help me out with the racism rife in this thread. Not saying it's not there, just that I'm not seeing it myself. Link to post Share on other sites
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