Two early career social science researchers, Jawaria and Heidi got to know each other through the MiB network and quickly found that they had much in common. Shared personal ambition to do research lead into regularly meeting with a cup of coffee, talking about career and kids.
Who are the moms?
Jawaria came to Finland six years ago to study her Master of Social Science and recently finished her PhD - check out the dissertation. She was born in Pakistan and studied there for 16 years, after which she has lived in Finland and is a mother of two.
Heidi, a PhD student at Tampere University, has lived in Helsinki and Iisalmi and studied in Helsinki, Tampere and New York Universities. She is also a mother of two.
So what do these two mothers talk about, as they meet? We captured a dialogue between the two social scientists in a cafeteria:
- Heidi, I am so glad to meet someone after one hectic week of just taking care of my kids down with flu and fever. What about you? How have you been?
- Thank you, my week has also been quite stressful. I study at the doctoral school alongside full time work. I am also part time Junior Researcher at this new Research group, which focuses on organizations recruitment skills. So I can say I have three jobs. But everything is so interesting!
- I know. Currently, I am doing three research papers side by side. I feel like a disaster, my mind is occupied with either the reviews or the pressure to publish. There is a constant voice in my head which says ‘publish or perish’. By the way, what happened with the funding you applied for your research work?
- The good news is I got it. Now I can concentrate on my PhD for ten months.
- Congrats! That’s an achievement!
- I know. I am relieved. I have applied for several fundings. Applying for funding and grants takes a lot of working time. I can suggest the new site Research.fi - there you can find news and open funding calls.
- Thank you for sharing this. I have struggled hard with funding throughout my PhD. My research suggest that there should be a bare minimum fixed stipend for PhD students so that they do not have to look for other work during their PhD studies.
- This is a good suggestion. Jawaria, you have already finished your PhD. How do you experience your situation now?
- After finishing my PhD I considered working in academia but the situation as an international is quite tough. Post docs often require mobility and with small kids it is not easy to move to other cities or countries. So to broaden my job search, I am looking for options outside of academia too, related to my education and experience. Firstly, as an international it is difficult to find a job which does not have Finnish language requirements. Then if you get lucky enough to find one which actually requires the skills a PhD graduate possesses, the competition gets so tough.
- Can I ask, how did you succeed with your job searching process - have you found anything yet?
- So far nothing Heidi! But I am quite hopeful that the transferable skills a PhD possesses will be valued in the non academia world and I will get the job according to my expertise sooner or later.
- I am glad that you are having a positive attitude about it. We really need PhD´s in working life. Finland already has the largest shortage of highly educated workers in OECD countries. According to an estimate by the parliamentary RDI working group, up to 9,000 RDI experts would be needed annually between 2024 and 2030. So there is always a ray of hope!
- Agreed. I have the qualification and experience to start a job right away. The longer unemployment period takes, the harder it is to stay optimistic.
- That is true. But do not give up. Are you familiar with Jobs in Finland? There are also other platforms for English speaking experts. You can check Academic Work and Academic Positions.
- Thank you for these, I will check them out!
- What about networks?
- Well, networking as an immigrant mother is tough too. I lack at having or building a network because my PhD studies were mostly done during COVID-19 era and I was at home with my newborn. I have taken her to classes and meetings but I could not attend international conferences in person, I took them online or I mostly opted for the ones that were hybrid. My mentors say that the only thing I lack right now is a good network. Thus, one of my friends suggested that I join MiB network and this year I decided to do so. And look - I got to meet you.
- We have to continue with this topic! I am especially interested in digital networking and mentoring opportunities. Next time I would also like to hear how you have experienced combining PhD life, job searching and motherhood.
- Great, we will continue with that topic. See you next week!
Did our discussion spark thoughts or ideas? Comment here or feel free to contact us!
E-mail: jawariakhan786(at)live.com, heidi.lehtovaara(at)tuni.fi
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jawariakhan/
If you wish to find like-minded people from your field to share your personal ambitions and other current ideas, please sign up in our English FB group. There are close to a 1000 English members in this group from various different fields and industries. See you there!
Mothers in Business (MiB) is a nationwide network that supports career-oriented mothers in balancing work and family. MiB’s aim is to provide opportunities for skills development, networking and career advancement. Currently, the network has over 4000 members and hundreds of volunteers throughout Finland.
