How can I transition from industry to academia when having 3 years of job experience?
I am new to this site and I am seeking advice from people who have succeeded in transitioning from industry to academia and can provide me with feedback.
Background
I am an engineer from Mexico with a Bachelor's in Mechatronics Engineering. After I completed my undergrad, I originally wanted to pursue a Master of Science (M.S.) at my university but due to personal reasons and family pressure, I went for a job instead. Currently, I have 3 years of job experience in industry.
I have experience with industrial automation for the industrial machinery and food sectors, using systems such as PLCs and robotics to solve problems in industry, but mostly the former, and while I have to say that I am grateful to my employers for allowing me to enter the workforce and begin my career, I have reached a point where I feel stuck with my work because most of it is doing systems integration and maintenance; and due to my country being a manufacturing powerhouse, most of the jobs for mechatronics engineers are the same.
I am currently unemployed, and after doing introspection I reached the conclusion that I am not willing to go back to industry because I want to do research in robotics. I know that some might try to convince me otherwise, but I am serious about wanting to do a career change, as industry work can feel unchallenging and doing research seems way more interesting.
I was not the sharpest student and struggled a lot during my studies. A bachelor's in mechatronics in my country can be daunting as the programs often cover a very broad spectrum of subjects (e.g., in a semester, a student can take unrelated courses such as strength of materials and control theory), in such a way that after graduation most mechatronics engineers end up being a jack of all trades. I'm 29, and I know there are younger people that are way better prepared than I am for grad school, but again I seriously want to shift my career to academia.
I would appreciate your answers. Thank you very much.
1 Answer
I suspect that you have a long path ahead, but the first step may be the hardest.
First, for a career in academia, especially one doing research, you will need a doctorate. There are few exceptions. Choosing a school for a masters that also has a doctoral program would be an option, but in the US a masters isn't required (generally) for doctoral admissions.
But, that first step is to get admitted and I see two problems, which you might be able to overcome. It doesn't matter that you have three years in industry so much as that in those three years you have probably lost contact with former professors (you need about three) who remember you and can honestly vouch for the probability of your success in doctoral study. Since those are probably in Mexico, there might be some issues of perceived (not actual) quality of your earlier program. And your admission of not being a stellar student can be an issue as complete transcripts are also required.
You might be able to get one of those recommendations from an employer, but, unless they are familiar with graduate study and its requirements, it would probably count for less than one from an academic. So, reach back to your student days for a few people likely to have a high opinion of you.
In applying, don't choose universities in too narrow a band of perceived quality/ranking. Cast a wide net. Good advisors can be found nearly everywhere with an appropriate program.
See the following two canonical questions here, and their answers:
How does the admissions process work for Ph.D. programs in Country X?
How are Ph.D. applications evaluated in the US, particularly for weak or borderline students? Am I likely to get into school X?
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