MSc Global Politics, 2011
PhD student, University of York
Please describe your career path to date
The differences in approach between my undergraduate school and the LSE kept me torn between different research topics. This slightly delayed the application process for a PhD. I also decided that I wanted to take a year off. Therefore, I worked for 6 months in an NGO in Cameroon. At the same time, I focused my efforts on my PhD applications. In this context, within a year from the end of my masters, I embarked into a PhD.
Tell us about your current job
I am a researcher and also teach undergraduate students. There is a set of skills that you need to develop as a researcher. The MSc taught me how to navigate literature quickly and carefully. This should be further developed within a better understanding of not only arguments but methodologies as well. Being self-motivated and independent is important, but the extent of it depends on factors such as personality, age and particular research project. The same qualities are important for leading seminars. A good understanding of the topics in all their nuances allows you to make careful interventions thereby leaving space for student discussion, while still pointing it towards the right direction.
Why did you choose this job?
My initial plan was to do a PhD. The MSc was merely a bridge to that. My choice is related to intellectual advancements rather than the further development of market skills. There is an overlap, but its extent depends on the pursuits of the individual.
What do you like most about your job? Is there anything that you dislike?
It is a personal project. It is the first time that you have a reasonable amount of time to explore your ideas and/or a number of topics that interest you to an unprecedented extent. There is a goal that guides this effort which is to produce a final piece that will reflect all of this intellectual progress. This will hopefully be an important addition to existing knowledge. The last can be a downside. There are various compromises that one should make due to limitations in time and a plethora of existing literature. The less compromises you make, the harder you have to work. But, on the other hand, following your inspiration, interests, and inherent qualities might equalise that in the sense that you are far more productive.
What career plans do you have for the future?
I have started making some first contacts for some teaching positions. I am in the third year of my PhD and I will hopefully finish in time. So, I want to teach after that, while exploring my post-doctorate options.
Thinking back, why did you choose your degree subject and why did you choose LSE?
I wanted to explore the non-traditional IR approaches, while still focusing on International/global issues. Globalisation in particular was the meta-narrative via which I wanted to approach all topics. LSE has one of the most prominent globalisation studies programs. Many of the leading scholars in the field were or are there. After I managed to get through the initial confusion I can now situate my arguments in relation to various literatures in a more informed way. In addition, although there is a disagreement on what globalisation represents, and how it should be shaped, I do agree on the emphasis on the global.
What advice would you give to prospective or current LSE students?
Choosing the right subject and the right department is important. Try not to get overwhelmed from the variety of 'opportunities'. Do not let certain 'imposed' career routes guide your whole experience, but, at the same time, do cultivate those qualities that will lead you where you really want.
Overall, how do you look back on your LSE experience?
There are some good memories. Some are related to the first experience of permanently leaving your country to pursue something that your efforts allowed you to pursue. But, the university has played some role. Also, the fact that the LSE creates the University of London hub along with other notable institutions adds to the experience.