Industry - Senior researcher / consultant

During my PhD, my ambition was to become a heart surgeon because I love the operating room and the technically complex surgeries. In addition, I find the physiology of the heart and lungs fascinating.

After completing my PhD, during my residency, I began to question my ambition of becoming a heart surgeon for multiple reasons. In today's world, there are many uncertain aspects when it comes to becoming a specialist. Furthermore, the life of a doctor is not flexible at all, and the longer you stay in the field, the less flexible you become to switch careers. Whilst I have so many other interests as well. As a result, I started to explore interesting alternative jobs outside of the hospital.

Because I wanted to completely change direction, I started exploring different options by visiting various companies and having coffee with multiple people to hear about their experience. Eventually, I applied for a consultancy job at BCG because of all the possibilities in different industries they offer and because they were very welcoming to people from different backgrounds.

BCG is a high-paced environment where you face new challenges every day and where you can create your own career journey. I love that aspect of the job because you learn so much so quickly. Every project involves a different team, client, subject, and problem. Together you push for interesting and creative solutions. Although it is not scientific research, I do have the feeling that every project is the start of a new research project. And the nice part is that your results are quickly visible, and you work towards the results together.

With a consulting team we develop growth strategies for companies and contribute to governmental and environmental initiatives. Skills acquired during my PhD that I use in my consulting job are analytical thinking, problem-solving, communication skills and research. To be more specific, during projects I identify trends, analyze market dynamics and competitive landscapes and evaluate complex data. Especially my experience in developing hypotheses is very useful in this job, to be able to conduct analysis promptly and quickly draw conclusions.

Continuously challenge yourself and ask yourself if the path you are currently on is truly what you want. It is easier to stick to the familiar road, whilst it takes courage to take a leap and explore new possibilities. And there are so many exciting opportunities and career choices to discover. Your PhD can open so many new doors, don’t let it hold you back!

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