What should i do ? Totally lost Academia or Industry

[Redoctober]

Hi ! I have recently graduated with a BSc in AEing. I published an article, won an international design competition, and graduated with a perfect CGPA + honors.

My original plan was to work for 3 years for experience then join an MSc program to specialize in the topic. Yet it has been around 6 month since i applied for more than 10 jobs and still haven't received any offer ! (The job range is very limited since i am of foreign citizenship to the companies i apply for. My country has no Aerospace industry sector)

I am now facing a dilemma. What should i do ?. Am i going in the right direction ?

Side1) I literally love every aspect in Aerospace Eng. (Structural, Aerodynamics, Control, Propulsion). I love designing stuff so much. Because of that, i want to be a design engineer in any of those fields with a potential of becoming a project manager where i interact with clients and manage the work flow.

Side2) All my professors told me that i should do a PhD directly after BSc (while some told me to do the MSc then PhD) because, to them, i look exceptionally talented to become a researcher, academia guy. I fear this option, however, since it might be not good financially and it feels very risky to me ! (What if i fail to make a great thesis ??!) I might get stuck and never get the PhD !

I am totally lost about what i should do since i don't want to take a wrong turn where i would regret it in the future !

Aside from that,

a) is it sufficient to get an MSc to become a design engineer ?
b) Does the university' name from where i get the Graduate degree matter ?

 

[micromass]

(What if i fail to make a great thesis ??!)

What do you think you'll regret more 50 years from now?
1) Not trying the PhD because you were scared, and thus not knowing whether you'd be a brilliant researcher or not. Forever thinking about the opportunity you wanted so much, but that you were scared to pursue.
2) Trying everything to get the PhD, and then finding out it wasn't something for you.

To me the choice is clear. Your professors are not idiots by the way, if they say you have potential, then you do. Don't get impostor syndrome.