Today, I would like to share my personal motivation for studying physics and eventually pursuing a PhD. You will realize that my motivation has changed quite a bit over time, but I firmly believe that I always followed my heart and trusted my instincts. Perhaps the main takeaway from this blog post is this: Always follow your passion, stay open to new opportunities, and do not view shifting gears as a negative thing. I hope that my personal story will inspire some of the readers and encourage folks to chase their dreams. While many steps in my CV may seem logical and straightforward, I would state that, in some regards, my career has taken a nonlinear path.
My initial passion was astrophysics. As a kid, I was captivated by documentaries on German cable TV that dealt with black holes, supernovae, comets and the Big Bang. I also loved watching the science-fiction series "Stargate" and admired the role of the astrophysicist Dr. Samantha Carter, who could eloquently explain everything that is going on in the universe. In high school, physics was not necessarily my best subject, but I certainly did enjoy it. Other contendors for my future college major were computer science and electrical engineering, but ultimately I decided to pick physics. My decision was primarily driven by the hope to find answers to the big questions about the universe while still being able to secure a decent job in the future, since physicists appeared to be in reasonably great demand in the job market.
So I embarked on my physics studies, and things went pretty well. However, I realized after a few years that astrophysics, albeit very intriguing, did not fulfill me as much as I had anticipated. Instead, I got to discover the field of condensed matter physics (which, frankly, I had no idea about until the introductory course during my second undergraduate year) and I grew to appreciate it. I became fascinated by the complexity of solid-state materials, the role of symmetry, and the blend of sophisticated theories and practical applications in our daily life. In particular, I developed an interest in superconductivity and even attended an elective theory course on this very phenomenon.
As I could not find any suitable Master's thesis projects on superconductivity, I ended up working in a different subfield of condensed matter physics, namely magnetism. Once again, I had little initial knowledge of its relevance and complexity, but I got hooked very quickly. Finally, magnetism has become a central theme in my professional journey, including my PhD and my two-and-a-half-year postdoctoral stay in the United States.
Although I still engage in some activities related to this field during my spare time, I shifted gears once again and transitioned into the semiconductor industry a couple of months ago. I am genuinely happy to work on another fascinating topic -- silicon carbide-based power semiconductors -- even though I would not have expected this a few years ago. I think that changing the focus of your work from time to time can be worthwhile. Approaching new subjects from a unique perspective, different from more established people, can help to develop both your personal and technical skills.
Certainly, there are individuals who prefer to become specialists in a specific field or are so enthusiastic about a particular topic (e.g., astrophysics), that they devote their entire careers to this subject. I think that's commendable. At the same time, and to tie everything together, I would like to encourage everybody to acknowledge that passion and interests can change over time. This implies that choosing a certain major in college or focusing on a specific subfield of physic is not an irreversible decision that predetermines your future career. Instead, especially in modern times, it is entirely acceptable, and perhaps even desirable, to shift your focus and change your career path in a nonlinear way. Most importantly, I don't see this as a failure but as a strength that allows you to adapt and follow your ever-evolving passions and interests.
No comments:
Post a Comment