Text-to-video posts seem to be all the rage these days. I find most of them corny, but this one about seeking a doctorate in Political Science made me laugh aloud (literally, LOL). I could relate to the student with vague dreams but no concrete plan on how to achieve them.

When I tell people that I’m working on my DPA, the most frequently asked follow-up question is: “What do you want to do when you finish it?” I need a better elevator speech, because I’m not sure how to answer that in a simple phrase (or even a couple of sentences). What do I want to do when I grow up?

Hmmm …

I enjoy working in Development, but my upward mobility in the university setting is limited. It’s possible that I could work in another administrative capacity, provided that another division has as little succession planning in place as my division. What I think would be fun and challenging is to work in a center or institute within a university that focuses on policy research, etc. I also enjoy being in the classroom (Clarification: university setting, not a classroom of children), and I think I would enjoy being a faculty member.

Whatever the future holds, we’ll see what happens. I appreciated the tongue-in-cheek humor about the value of obtaining a terminal degree, and even when the future seems uncertain, I think it’s healthy to be able to laugh at yourself.