If you’ve been following me for a while on social media, then you know I’m not the kind of person to shy away from the truth.
At the same time, my truth can change depending on the season I’m experiencing in life…and if you’ve been following my journey this past year, then you can safely assume it’s been quite a challenging season for me in Italy…
What started as an exciting, new adventure that happened to coincide with my budding career in academia soon turned into a whirlwind existential crisis. Suffering through a second wave of COVID lockdowns, struggling with a new work environment, and experiencing disappointment with my attempts at cultural assimilation led me to come head-to-head with my depression again.
And the biggest trigger was my current job, which ironically was what allowed me to come to Italy in the first place.
Winter 2020 was when I first began to feel academia would never be the place for me. I thought that the fellowship opportunity I was provided with in Italy would reignite a spark for academic research—that a successful stint in Italy would perhaps push me to pursue a tenured professorship position soon after.
In my situation, the complete opposite happened. I realized that the things I wanted to prioritize for my life and career—financial security, work/life balance, benefits—were better achieved within industry. These things could be achieved in academia, but given that the current number of post-docs significantly outnumbers available faculty positions, it would take a helluva lot more work (and luck!) to get to a place of security in academia.
Despite the ups and downs of the job hunt I fell into this year, I managed to find a unique, career-boosting opportunity that was exactly in line with my newfound career goals. It’s been a slow but interesting process to undergo, and to see it firmly taking shape in recent weeks has been such a relief.
So, what does this all mean for me and Italy?
I’m joining a pharmaceutical company in a scientific communications role! When I stumbled upon this opportunity, I was absolutely thrilled. The timing happened to work out well with the company’s needs and what I was looking for. Best of all, the job description seemed to tick off all the boxes for items that would make me competitive for a similar role in industry (medical science liaison; MSL) in the future, as I further my career…
Obviously this opportunity will allow me to continue to stay in Italy for now, but…I’ve realized that Italy is not long-term for me. As a US citizen with a biology doctorate, I know that financially, I am better off returning to the US after gaining industry experience—especially if I am to pursue a medical affairs career that has the potential to develop into an executive role. They say money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy security. Safety. A comfortable retirement. The freedom to pursue other passions while not feeling pressured to rely on them for income…
This overall experience has helped me to firmly organize my priorities. I want to grow in my career. Get back to serious training with my running. Pursue writing projects I hope to develop into something big and invigorating…
Living abroad for a substantial period of time has also made me feel a new appreciation for home and my family.
Since I know Italy isn’t long-term, this also means a shift in my priorities. I’m not too hung up on learning Italian, at least as much as I was when I first moved to Italy. Establishing this in my mind takes a huge amount of pressure off—especially in regards to no longer taking offense by people who switch to English and prevent me from practicing Italian in the first place 😂!
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Going into the new year, I’m excited to work remotely for a few weeks in the US before returning to Italy. We’ll (my new company and I) be working towards an EU Blue Card as my new visa, so that will be an interesting experience to go through and document 😅.
Even though my priorities and future outlook have metamorphosed in regards to Italy and I, I am truly excited for my new career venture. And let me just say—compared to academia, my overall compensation package is 🤩. Being able to carry out a job with skills you’re passionate about, while getting appropriately compensated for it, is every career-oriented millennial’s dream, that’s for sure!
Alright 2022, let’s get going! I’m ready to make moves in my career, and let the ripple effect flow into other aspects of my life! 😉
Wow Pree….. this was such a heartfelt post!! I absolutely enjoyed reading it and shared in your emotions! Congratulations on your new job!!!! Your mental health and happiness is worth prioritising, all the best!
Xx
Grace
Author
Thank you so much for this sweet comment Grace ♥ I appreciate it so much and thank you so much for the congratulations 😊
So much to unpack here!! First of all, I am SOOO proud of you for recognizing your job was no longer serving you. It can be difficult to accept a change is needed. Second, I am SOOO stoked you are able to stay in Italy a bit longer while trying out a new job and I am hopeful that will be a much needed helpful change. This is so exciting. Congratulations, and I hope there has been a huge weight lifted.
Author
I think the most difficult part was realizing the job wasn’t right for me but then having to wait almost a year for something to come together! Tortuous, but it was an experience! A huge weight has been lifted, and I’m hoping this new venture will change my outlook in a positive way. Thank you always for your support friend ❤️