Recently, I completed the application for a scholarship and enrollment in a PhD program. Although pursuing a PhD was not my initial desire, I will go through with it if I am successfully granted the scholarship.
There are two reasons for my decision to apply for a PhD. The first reason is that a PhD program allows me to extend my presence in the field of computer science and software engineering. I have been unable to find a full-time job that matches my skills for several months, and it is expected that the situation won’t change in the near future. It’s common knowledge that if you have a gap of more than one year in your resume, it becomes challenging to re-enter the field, especially for a graduate with no relevant local work experience. Given this situation, I am not willing to let go of the opportunity to pursue a PhD.
Another reason is the internship opportunities in the industry. During a hackathon event, I met a senior performance analyst at North Metro who expressed interest in having me work on projects within her organization. However, since it’s a government organization, I cannot directly participate; it must be through a Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) program at school, which is quite awkward since I have already graduated. She mentioned that she might be able to help if I were admitted into a PhD program. The frustrating part is that while pursuing a degree at a university, you spend most of your time studying coursework to obtain a reasonable grade and graduate. Yet, after you graduate, you find that the industry is looking for candidates with experience for full-time positions or students for internships. There is no room for recent graduates with no work experience in the job market. Although they offer graduate programs, the chances of getting one are slim, similar to trying to obtain a rare character in a gacha game.
I hope to secure the scholarship; otherwise, I am uncertain about my next steps.
