| March 20, 2016

Archana Rampure, Senior Officer, Political Action, at CUPE National

Archana Rampure, Senior Officer, Political Action, at CUPE National

BY: as told by Archana Rampure / written by Catherine Nygren

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As an undergraduate student, I was good at literature and interested in how it could lead to a better “read” of the world. Continuing on to graduate school at the University of Toronto, my dissertation focused on romance novels as the texts of globalization. I had a topic that motivated me and, luckily, a supervisor who fostered a sense of community among her students.

The flexibility of grad school also allowed me to follow my interests into the student movement and politics; by the end of my degree, I was the president of the CUPE teaching assistants and sessional union.

Academia was still calling, however, and I spent a year working as a sessional at Toronto, OCAD, and Waterloo, and then another at a limited term appointment at Dalhousie. A postdoc followed, but I was feeling a lack of community. And I realized that academic work would be a lonely pursuit.

So, trying to think outside of the box, I interviewed for a job with Olivia Chow for the NDP. Instead, she suggested that I try for a job with her husband, Jack Layton. I quit the SSHRC postdoc—they asked if I was sure, “since people don’t do this”—and departed to my non-academic career.

Connections through the NDP and my past with the union movement led to a research position at CUPE, where I’ve been since 2008. I love being able to work on a variety of research topics and campaigns, meet new people, and travel a lot—much preferable, to me, than teaching interminable service courses.

I have no regrets about doing my doctorate, since it led me to my current position. I still use some skills I acquired during my academic years, like writing well and writing fast, but in the years since, I’ve realized that I don’t know as much as I thought I did when I graduated.

My advice? Use the years in grad school as an opportunity to explore interests outside of your research.

Continue to put energy and passion into personal projects. They help you to be a more rounded person and you never know what you’re going to end up doing after grad school.

As an undergraduate student, I was good at literature and interested in how it could lead to a better “read” of the world. Continuing on to graduate school at the University of Toronto, my dissertation focused on romance novels as the texts of globalization. I had a topic that motivated me and, luckily, a supervisor who fostered a sense of community among her students.

The flexibility of grad school also allowed me to follow my interests into the student movement and politics; by the end of my degree, I was the president of the CUPE teaching assistants and sessional union.

Academia was still calling, however, and I spent a year working as a sessional at Toronto, OCAD, and Waterloo, and then another at a limited term appointment at Dalhousie. A postdoc followed, but I was feeling a lack of community. And I realized that academic work would be a lonely pursuit.

So, trying to think outside of the box, I interviewed for a job with Olivia Chow for the NDP. Instead, she suggested that I try for a job with her husband, Jack Layton. I quit the SSHRC postdoc—they asked if I was sure, “since people don’t do this”—and departed to my non-academic career.

Connections through the NDP and my past with the union movement led to a research position at CUPE, where I’ve been since 2008. I love being able to work on a variety of research topics and campaigns, meet new people, and travel a lot—much preferable, to me, than teaching interminable service courses.

I have no regrets about doing my doctorate, since it led me to my current position. I still use some skills I acquired during my academic years, like writing well and writing fast, but in the years since, I’ve realized that I don’t know as much as I thought I did when I graduated.

My advice? Use the years in grad school as an opportunity to explore interests outside of your research.

Continue to put energy and passion into personal projects. They help you to be a more rounded person and you never know what you’re going to end up doing after grad school.

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