PhD vs Work

Reposted from my Google+

Okay since, I'm hardly getting any advice from my parents - they were like 'okay, you do whatever you want and we'll support you' yesterday and today, after I've gotten that job offer - they were like 'take that job!!' and 'We'd better buy you new formal working clothes tmr' or 'after PhD, harder to find work'. ZzzzZzZZzzzzz What about that 'okay, you do whatever you want and we'll support you'? I don't get a say in this anymore? Tough luck being the eldest... they'll want you to start work asap somehow :\

Anyway, weighing my options: 

That job offer... firstly, I don't really like doing sales - I just can't imagine myself persistently trying to ask someone to buy something that I don't think  will be useful to them (only remotely useful but those potential customers proly wont know that unless they learn science [bio mainly] and searched it up). Secondly, it's a 24hr-on call kind of job, besides the usual working hours.... which, goes without saying, sucks. Thirdly, the pay is really good for a fresh grad like me RM2650 without counting commission but including allowances. Fourth, I'll get to travel around Penang (might or might not be fun), but the downside of this is my driving skills are like okay nia and I get lost easily. Fifth, the work includes setting up a booth at a hospital and sitting there for hours - I've seen those salespeople in the hospital b4 and I pity them... they looked awfully bored. Sixth, I'll have to put up with potentially annoying doctors or customers just because I want to try to sell something - I can be patient but, when I lose it, you won't want to be around lol. Seventh, I can get to meet various people and it may help my extreme shyness issue with strangers and build up my self-confidence and courage to speak. Eighth, well, I have always viewed sales as a rather lowly job - I mean like people who would do almost anything to make you buy something from them? No thank you.

PhD offer..... I've visited the lab an I find it very welcoming and complete - the people there are very friendly (atm anyway :P). The potential supervisor is a very nice person as well and I like his work ethics (I've asked his students how he is like) - he puts his students first and is the involved kind of person, who pops into the lab frequently. He also said it may be possible to sent his students to Germany for a exchange of knowledge. I am confident I could finish my studies within 3-4 yrs (imagine! a PhD at 25 yrs old lol) but ofc there might be unforeseen problems within those years - it's a risk that I'll have to take if I choose this path. And to top it all off, I'll have a 'prestigious' title at the end of my studies =P. But, despite all that, my future after PhD may look very bleak - even harder to get jobs (no work exp, rarely company would be willing to give that extra pay to employ a PhD grad) - even to get a lecturer position won't be easier at all; my mom said no guy will want a gf who is academically 'better' than him (lol! well, it's true I guess). I am a bit reluctant to be stuck in the lab for the rest of my life either. Plus, I only get very little 'pay' and I'll (my parents will) have to pay tuition fees of RM4300 unless I can secure that PhD scholarship. I also thought of my parents - my dad who is going to retire in 5 yrs' time, my mom will follow after - and not to mention, I'm not sure whether my bro will want to work or go for masters/PhD after he graduate.

Sigh... any advice? you know, deep down, if I can have it my way, I'll take that PhD opportunity over any other job - unless you give me like an editor/computer-based kind of work with 3k plus pay. But obviously, I dont think I can have it my way lol - my parents are pressuring me to take the job - lol, in fact, they are not even pressuring - they are already making plans for me to take the job offer. wtf.