Experimental Physics and Marketing are not as diametrically opposed as you might think.
How did I end up in marketing? The short answer is that I completed the course requirements and my research was nearing completion for my M.Sc. in Physics. Then life happened and put me on a different path.
It was devastating to give up on something that I had been dreaming about since I was a preteen. Science was (and still is) one of my passions. I want to know how things work. I was *so* close to my goal…but with my supervisor demanding more experiments before I could defend my thesis, combined with several other stresses in my life, I hit a wall.
I mourn the loss of those dreams. However, I cannot regret my decision because it was the best path forward. My mental health was more precious than a piece of paper.
I chose to do something completely different. I quickly landed a full-time job at Chapters Bookstore. (I love books!) This is where I got my first taste of marketing. I now have a new passion, Marketing Communications. I do research, planning, experiments, analysis, make discoveries and educate others every day. Not so different from my life as a scientist.
© 2021 Tracey Copeland, Rolling Sands Consulting. Originally posted to LinkedIn on July 30, 2020.
