The University.

You just graduated from a general biology program in college and now you want to specialize in the marine part of this field of study. A few universities offer a specialization in oceanography and with your good grades you have the opportunity to choose.

Choice 1 : You stay in Montreal with your friends and family in a place you already know, and study at McGill University to do a master in Atmospheric and Oceanic sciences.

Choice 2 : You go to the Marine Institute, Memorial University of Newfoundland, where you can study and learn directly in the field since the university is located at the waterfront of the Pacific Ocean. You learn in an Institute specialized in the marine sciences, but you are really far from all of your relatives.

Choice 3 : You go to the University of British Columbia where you study far from your city and your family, but at a university ranked among the top 40 in the world.

Far from the shore.

You decided to study at McGill University to do a master in the atmospheric and oceanic sciences. You know that you are studying in a good school, but you can’t really apply everything you are learning since you are living in the city.

Choice 1 : You stay in Montreal during your studies and apply all of your learnings in an indoor laboratory.

Choice 2 : You go to the shore or to a research center every chance you get or at least a few times every month.

Choice 3 : You just hope to be ready when your internship starts.

Far from your home.

The college you are attending is specialized in your field of study. Your teachers have a lot of experience and so does the entire school. You can apply everything you learn as soon as you learn it since the research center is at the school itself and since the ocean is in your backyard. In an environment that much specialized, it is no wonder why the institute attracts the best students from all around the country. With that many talented people, it is becoming more and more difficult to out yourself from the rest.

Choice 1 : You trust your choices and believe that even if you are an average student, you can still find an internship or a job considering the recognition of the school you graduated from.

Choice 2 : You decide to do everything you can do to obtain better grades.

Choice 3 : You know you can’t really have better grades because you are already studying a lot so you decide to get involved in a few extracurricular activities and do volunteering work.

Is the rating of the school as good as the actual practice?

You study in a really good university, with good equipment, but without your family. Even considering the rating of the university, you wonder if it is enough compares to the reality of a natural aquatic ecosystem and if it will give you the same experience as the Institute (situated on the shore) would.

Choice 1 : The recognition of the university is enough to make big companies and the government hire freshly graduated students from this program.

Choice 2 : You finish college with good grades and easily find a job, but you start at the bottom of the hierarchy and struggle to get a better position in the company.

Choice 3 : The only place you get selected only offers you an unpaid internship.

The laboratory experience.

You graduate from McGill without really applying your learning in real life situations. You decide to move to Vancouver where you are close to the shore and can finally be a real oceanographer.

Choice 1 : You realize that a job in the field and a job in a laboratory are really not the same.

Choice 2 : You really like your new job but feel alone far from your friends and family.

Choice 3 : Doing your research with or in the ocean itself passionate you and you can’t seem to see yourself go back.

From the city to the ocean and from the ocean to the city.

To get as much experience as you can you decide to travel to the closest marine research institute every chance you get to do volunteer work but the driving and the volunteering take a lot of your time and you can’t have a job.

Choice 1 : Since you stayed in Montreal, you still live with your parents and you are able to pay everything with your savings.

Choice 2 : Your parents did not have enough money to save for your studies and you have to pay for everything. The cost of the school, the gas, the books, etc. is too much. You have no choice but to ask the bank to lend you money.

Choice 3 : Since you will be moving out after you graduated you can’t keep going without a job and without saving money. You have no choice but to stop travelling to the shore every weekend.

Hope is the key.

You graduate form McGill with really good grades and find a good enough internship out of the city. Once you are in the field, you struggle to keep up with the rest of the group since you never really had real life situation out of the school. Your college and employers start to wonder if you are really made for this job.

Choice 1 : You decide to persevere, show them that you are not a quitter and show them what you can do.

Choice 2 : You start doubting yourself and your capacities.

Choice 3 : You ask your colleagues to help you, no matter how it will make you look.

Am I ready for this job?

You have finished your master and you now want to pursue a career as an oceanographer but you know that there is only a few positions offer in the region.

Choice 1 : You know you are ready, but you don’t have any reference or contacts outside of your teachers and the number of job offers is really limited.

Choice 2 : With the help of your teachers, you are accepted in an internship for the government of Canada.

Choice 3 : You accept a job in an organism that has reach out to you.

Hard work pays.

You work really hard during the whole year and start making significant progress. You start studying so much that don’t have time anymore for your friends and activities. The tiredness and isolation depress you and even if you are at the top of your class, you are not happy.

Choice 1 : You decide that your mental health and happiness are more important than good grades. Your start doing more sport and go out with your friends more often.

Choice 2 : You cancel a few classes every session to have less work and more free time, and complete your diploma in one more year.

Choice 3 : You suck it up and keep doing everything you need to obtain you diploma, even if you are unhappy.

Knowing people can make the difference.

Your involvement in different organisms and extracurricular activities have allowed you to meet people that are now really good friends and your teachers want to recommend you when you graduate. However, you are offered a paid internship by a company that could most likely lead to a job offer, but it is abroad.

Choice 1 : You decide that you can’t miss this amazing opportunity and make your goodbyes.

Choice 2 : Hesitant, you wait to make your decision and ask your friends for advice.

Choice 3 : You can’t get yourself to leave your friends and decide to refuse the offer, trusting the effects of the recommendations of your teachers.

Public or private?

You just graduated from one of the best colleges in the world and with the good grades you had and your new diploma you get offers from the public sector as well as the private sector and you don’t know what to choose.

Choice 1 : You decide to accept the offer from a private company since the position allows you to travel while working.

Choice 2 : You decide to work for the government because you see more advantages when it comes to retirements and insurances.

Choice 3 : You want to make the decisions concerning your projects by yourself so you decide to work independently.

When will I see results?

Your new job demands a lot of time and does not offer you a good salary since you are the employee with the littlest experience in the company.

Choice 1 : You decide that you want to get higher in the hierarchy of your company so you go back to school to do a PhD.

Choice 2 : You accept the consequences of your decision and know that it will get better with time.

Choice 3 : You like challenges and welcome the change. you are determinate to get recognized by your employers.

Is it worth it?

You apply for every available job you see but with your lack of experience, the only organism that calls you back can only offer you an unpaid internship.

Choice 1 : It is the only way to get enough experience to get hire for a real position in a company.

Choice 2 : You decide that if you won’t get paid, you might as well do it for a good cause. You end up moving out of Canada to work in a non-profit organization.

Choice 3 : You fight the company for your rights and a minimal salary.

Moving back.

You work during a few months in a coastal institute but you don’t like working in the field. You realize that you would much rather work in a laboratory and you are not happy in Vancouver. You move back to Montreal where you find a job a laboratory as a general biologist and decide to stay even if it is not related to your specialization.

Choice 1 : The end.

Happy ending.

While working on a project, you meet the love of your life. Since you don’t want to be separated from him/her and you want to stay close to the shore, you decide to stay in Vancouver even if it is far from your family. You don’t regret your decision and soon decide to get married.

Choice 1 : The end.

A successful career.

Your passion and devotion make you work extra hours, do more every day and be really successful in your works. The institute you are working in recognize your works and decides to promote you to the head of your department. You stay there during your whole career and receive many distinctions.

Choice 1 : The end.

Thank you parents.

Living with your parents has allowed you to volunteer a lot and to study without worrying about money and getting a job. You graduate from college with the money you made during summers and the institute where you went to every weekend offers you a paid internship since they really appreciate tour work. A few years later you end up getting a permanent position and a bright future in front of you.

Choice 1 : The end.

The interests.

You graduate college with good grade and some and a good enough CV but you have a big student debt and can’t move out from your parent’s house until you save enough money. The position you wanted in a research center is taken by someone else and you can’t find a job related to your field of study. Discouraged, you start having doubts and wonder why you chose to specialize in something that requires such a precise localization.

Choice 1 : The end.

I have money but am I happy?

After graduating, you try to find an internship or a job related to oceanography but your lack of involvement during your studies keep you from getting any serious position. You end up working as a biologist for a research center on plants and wonder if you are ever going to be able to get a position related to the marine world.

Choice 1 : The end.

I am not a quitter.

Your perseverance and determination pay off and in addition to catching up with the others, you gain their respect. Everyone now wants to pair up with you for the projects and you make friends and contacts that will help you for the rest of your career.

Choice 1 : The end.

Was it all for nothing?

The doubts of everyone get in your head and you decide to quit and go back to Montreal. Defeated, you don’t want to work in this field anymore and have to start over and find another career.

Choice 1 : The end.

Supporting each other.

Even if some people are judging you and doubting your abilities, your requests are well received by the majority of the group and some people accept to help you study. Their advice and friendship help you a lot and you start to blossom in this field. You are thankful for your new friends see the future with a positive mind.

Choice 1 : The end.

Doctor-oceanographer.

To stand out, you decide to go back to school and do a PhD in oceanography. You are very happy with your decision because you love learning. Once you are done, the openings in your field are way more numerous.

Choice 1 : The end.

Internship.

By chance, you did really great during your internship and the government wants to offer you a permanent position. The position is in a research center located in Gaspésie which is a 9 hours’ drive from Montreal. You accept it anyway and end up finding a better job in Montreal a few years later. You are hired because of the experience your first job gave you.

Choice 1 : The end.

Sizing the opportunity.

The job that you just accept is nice considering the few options you had, but the organism is located in another province where people don’t speak your first language. You decide to take classes before you move there really appreciate your experience.

Choice 1 : The end.

Putting our health first.

You complete you’re your studies with good but not extraordinary grades. You are happy and that is all that matters. You learned a lot about yourself and your health and you now know that you really need to also do things for you in addition to school and work. After your graduation, you decide to go backpacking around Europe to realize your dreams.

Choice 1 : The end.

Take your time to do things well.

Your decision to realize your diploma in one more year pays off. You finish your studies with excellent grades and a good moral since you had more time and less stress. You studied during a long time and now you can’t wait to work. With your results, a few organisms offer you a position and now you have to make decisions. Will you go in the private or the public sector? You want to do research on the river or on the ocean?

Choice 1 : The end.

Can good grades compensate?

You finish your diploma really fast and with excellent results, but you are really drepressed. You have no motivation, no energy and you have lost your passion. You have a lot of job offers but your health forces you to stop everything. When you recover, all of your friends are working and all your dream jobs are taken.

Choice 1 : The end.

At home, even far from home.

You leave Canada and start your internship. You communicate with your friends and family with the internet. As time pass, you make new friends and even if you miss home, you don’t regret seizing this opportunity.

Choice 1 : The end.

Just go for it.

The more you wait, the more you feel pressure to decide. You don’t want to confront your problems and end up waiting too much. The position is offered to someone else and you spend all your career wondering what your life could have been.

Choice 1 : The end.

Closing one door to open another one.

A few months after refusing this offer, a Canadian company approach the school for her best students. Your teachers recommend you and you are selected with a few of your friends. You finish college happy with your decision.

Choice 1 : The end.

The private sector.

You really like your new job and the salary that comes with it is really good. However, the company does not offer job protection, and after a few years they fired you without prior notice. You end up with no job and not a lot of money.

Choice 1 : The end.

The public sector.

You like your new job in the public sector, but your salary is not really good and you keep working extra hours. As the years passes, you get rewarded with a few increases in your salary and privileges.

Choice 1 : The end.

Independent or alone?

You work by yourself during a few years and realized a few projects. After a certain time, you star running out of money and have no choice but to find a job in a company.

Choice 1 : The end.

Back at school.

Your new diploma allows you to apply for higher positions at your company, such as the leader of the research team. After a few years of work, you get selected and as time pass, you keep getting promoted and you get selected for better positions in the company.

Choice 1 : The end.

Speak up for yourself.

You work hard during a few years, but you are becoming more and more tired of the lack of recognition from your employers and your coworkers. Your salary is better than when you first started but you still have no power or influence in your work and all your colleague are new in the company. You feel invisible and, after a while, you decide to go talk to your boss. He thanks you for your years of service and tells you that if you want to have more responsibilities you need to do a formation outside of the work hours. You accept and only hope that for now on your boss will see you and your hard work.

Choice 1 : The end.

Determination can bring recognition.

Your determination impresses your employers that decide to name you leader of your team. Even if your work gets complimented, it is never enough. You always want more and want to gain more power of decision in the company. Your non-satisfaction annoys your colleague and you have difficulties making friends or having a pleasant working atmosphere.

Choice 1 : The end.

Working for free.

Your new internship gives you a lot of experience and makes you like your profession even more. Sadly, you start running out of money and need to start getting pay or else you will have to quit. You end up asking you employers for a salary but they refuse, saying that a lot of people would really like to have your internship. You have no choice pour to quit.

Choice 1 : The end.

A good cause and a good ending.

You are really happy with your decision to volunteered in this organism and really like the new country you are living in. You feel like you are making a difference and finally found a purpose in your work. Your motivation leads the organization to offers you a paid and permanent position because they really like your work and devotion. You accept this position and continue to blossom as an oceanographer.

Choice 1 : The end.

Fight for your rights.

You talk about your situation to the other students and you all decide to create a committee and organize a manifestation. A lot of employees join you and strike with you. You discover that working for a syndicate really passionate you and you change your career.

Choice 1 : The end.