Good evening fellow pedes! I’ve been around since the escalator and have been winning ever since! I’m seeking some wisdom because I am struggling right now with my career.
I am a teacher with 5+ years of experience and currently studying a PhD in Teaching and Learning. I thought that getting a PhD was what I was supposed to do, but I feel like I am just wasting time and energy in this liver infected environment which hates white men (such as myself). They are all liberals at this institution and, as you could imagine, are very difficult to be around. I am currently undercover and they have no idea I’m a pede. I keep my head down and work hard. But this program is unrewarding and completely fucked from liberal craziness.
My quest for wisdom comes from this horrible feeling I have about my profession. I have a Masters in Education and a Bachelors in Psychology. I don’t know where I could go for a new career. Does anyone have any idea for shifting careers as a late 20s professional? Any advice or wisdom would be welcomed. If nothing comes from this, I am happy I was able to share my shitty situation with other pedes.
God bless.
Hey fren - thanks for sharing.
Living "undercover" is such a draining experience. I can relate from my 10+ years in the very left-leaning startup world. I was treated like an eccentric uncle anytime I left my mask slip too far.
I know this doesn't map onto your experience because you're in academia, but one of my oldest friends (white male) is a substitute teacher working towards getting a full-time posting.
Since his masters, he's been acting like every new step along his process is supposed to be the one that makes it all worth it, and it never is. He's surrounded by the woke/nanny zombie horde and he hates it... but he's a very duty-bound individual and thinks if he just works hard enough he will reap the rewards of all the effort he's been putting in.
I got the feeling he was just too scared/ashamed to try something new. The sunk-cost fallacy was at play, as was the fear of the unknown.
In his case, when he asked me a similar question to yours - I suggested he try and find a way into the private school system or start his own tutoring business. (Again, since you have a more academic trajectory I don't think those suggestions necessarily apply to you - I'm just sharing since there are some similarities.)
I always told him that if it was already this bad... why would it get better later? The poison is in the drinking water. It seems you've had a similar realization.
In terms of moving forward maybe we could start here:
What would you be doing after your PhD? Would you have a research role or would you move into policy etc. ? Aside from the Leftist-BS cancer, is there something deeper pulling you towards completion other than the sunk-cost fallacy?
Do you have any competencies/skills you could monetize? Or any areas you've always wanted to explore and never did?
I have been mulling over your comment. I am very thankful and appreciative for your post and time in responding. I feel for your friend. The system has many openings and opportunities, but it is not the pretty red bow that they put on the position. I wish your friend great luck with continuing that path! I appreciate your motivation to make me think further about the future. I can't complain about spilled milk, I need to take action and be thoughtful for the future. The think with the PhD is that I do want to use that to help me enter educational leadership to provide better learning environments for more students than I could as a sole teacher. So all the research and policy work is not my interest, nor what I want to do in the future. I have been blessed that I have my education paid for, hard work at the university taking on multiple roles, so I have no sunk-cost fallacy. I have a lack of desire and happiness problem. It isn't fulfilling as I had hoped. I have a strong personality and very engaging with others. I always wanted to do something in the corporate sector and I always knew I would be great in sales and communication. It just seems so far off to leave my current talents and take a step away in hopes of something better. One in the hand type of thing.