Last March marked my 8th year of being in my current job, a faculty member in a university. I cannot say whether I am happy or sad about the fact. The other fact is: for the next 5 years I have to stay with this university because it has paid for my schooling, back in 2007-2010.
People (career "experts", job counselor, your aunt) readily advise you to look back from time to time, thinking whether you have made significant contributions to your workplace. I rarely do this, out of general laziness mixed with long lists of things to do daily. And when I do, I realize with horror that nope, I don't think I've made enough contributions to the workplace where I spend so many of my waking hours at.
All these years I have been focusing only to study more, becoming better at my field. I have set goals for myself, without thinking about the faculty at all. Of course I realize that when I get external research grants, the faculty gets credit too, so I guess that's some sort of contribution on my part. But what I have in mind for whatever project I am working on, is to build a bigger, better CV so that one day I can flee this place and work in a better place.
So there. Whenever you see me working diligently, typing a research proposal madly or doing endless simulations for a research: I am not seeking to contribute to my current workplace. On the contrary, I am preparing for a job in a better place. Ha.
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