And, even if you want to be an academic, it’s worth thinking about a few of them before you start. I don't want to be idealistic and assume that I can change the state of education, but I know I can't stand to feel this powerless within the classroom. The point is that a PhD-even if it doesn’t pay off now-certainly can (or will) later. The skills learned during a PhD are also invaluable in many ways, but the reality is that these transferable skills still don’t seem to be enough by themselves to land your first job in many cases (although very job and company dependent). Chat to lecturers and tutors Academic work is about more than teaching and research. (In fact, when my first set of business cards arrived without my credentials, they were immediately re-ordered at the supervisor’s request.). And are the outcomes you’re seeking worth the investment – both personal and financial – that goes into three or more years of research? EDUCATE YOURSELF about other sectors and career paths where your skills apply. “I’m familiar with that position,” I might say, “and it’s honestly too entry-level for someone with your credentials.” I say this based on the fact that I’ve spoken personally with the hiring manager for the position to see what points they might be flexible on. The author suggests that those who pursue a PhD in the life sciences are either “suicidal fool[s]” or “incomprehensible sociopath[s].”, Further, he cautions, “if you are considering getting a lab science PhD, please immediately hit yourself in the face with a brick. I recently watched a video posted in r/highereducation regarding adjunct professors living on food stamps, and it's terrifying to think that I might wind up in a similar situation if I choose to pursue a PhD and take on additional loans to help ease the cost. Following my decision to pursue a career in the industry, I was unsure of what to expect since I had previously been pursuing an academic track. What else do PhD graduates do? For the three years since then, I have been going to work, all the while thinking about how I'd much rather be researching and writing. The simplest way to offset this is by acquiring funding for your PhD. Working at some level in the national or state government doing policy or regulatory work. The vast majority of university researchers and lecturers in countries like the UK do have a PhD. So it's important to know what to expect before you start. The faculty need TAs - so even if the department does not bring in sufficient amounts of funding to through RAships around, there has to be some TA support you should attempt to pursue/expect (assuming you are good and they know that). Universities also support students within broad doctoral programmes that focus on developing employable PhD graduates. Now that I have launched my own business venture, I realize that the network I built during graduate school and my postdoc is priceless. Would I do it again? Many students do go on to careers in higher education, but these include administration and leadership positions as well as academic posts. They also crop up in a range of professions where large conferences and events are a regular occurrence – from politics to trade fairs. If you are passionate about research - by all means consider pursuing a Ph.D. Serve in a leadership role? Financial cost is an issue for me. For my part, I am very happy to have earned my PhD and I would do it again, although not for the original reason I had in mind when I began my program. EDIT: The school I'm looking into is ranked within the top 10 for education. But there are lots of careers out there for self-motivated project managers with excellent organisational skills, experience of public speaking and event planning plus the ability to effectively analyse and communicate large amounts of complex information. If you are-it is for the wrong reasons). It likely also means that you’ve made the realization that your training didn’t include the part about looking for jobs, writing resumes, interviewing, etc. Though the debate continues to this day as to whether that shortage actually exists, one piece of evidence stands out to me. Cookies help us deliver our Services. But learning to understand the world in more depth, to develop our own ideas in more depth is not a scam. You might think it strange to think of PhD research as an opportunity to develop skills in oral communication, but the presentation and discussion of your ideas will play an important role in their development. Read our guide for more information on popular non-academic careers with a PhD - and how to get started with one. (Sorry, I'll get off of my soap box...) I feel very passionately about the children who have come and gone from my classroom, and it's discomforting and saddening for me to think that I can better serve them from outside of the classroom than from within one. At the time of this writing, Debbie has accepted a position as Associate Medical Writer at a large contract research organization. Grad Student Advice Series: What to do with your PhD: Post Doc or Real Job? But it it’s prudent to understand the profession you’re preparing for – and to keep your options open. The culture of non-responsibility must be changed, Point of view: How postdocs benefit from building a union, Hit the Ground Running: Life After Academia (The PostDocWay). Thank you so much for your response! Having 1 or more post-doctoral years has shown my ability to expand my knowledge into another area, and also the ability to manage my own research ideas and projects. You can find out more about Postdoctoral projects and opportunities at FindAPostDoc.com. If future income is a consideration, a PhD is worth little more than a master's. You may also want to know how much a PhD is worth – and to who. She got a head start on her job search by participating in frequent networking events, serving on a committee to organize biotech events in the community, and building up leadership cred by acting as president of her university’s postdoctoral association. And an increasing number have a completely different career in mind. But one very important point to make is this: How you define the value of a PhD or if it was worth 5-7 years of your life (and time out of the workforce)-is entirely individualistic. But failing to complete a PhD is rarely a desirable or ideal outcome. She is no stranger to the frustrations of the job hunt, having weathered some truly frustrating situations: being told, for example, during an informational interview with an industry scientist that she should complete a third postdoc in order to broaden her skill set, and losing out as #2 on the short list after several exhausting interviews. Our district frequently throws around the term "research-based" as a way to justify the recent changes that have been implemented widely across our schools, and it really irritates me to see that research conducted within a secondary setting is being used to explain why my 6 and 7 year old children should (but very clearly do not) learn best from reading instruction that does not actually involve teaching basic reading foundations. Others may be fresh out of graduate school and have a different view/opinion or may only feel frustration. I attained a position as a scientific recruiter precisely because I had a PhD. A Postdoctoral Fellowship (or 'Postdoc') is often the next step in an academic career, after a PhD. Our advice on doing a PhD is a good place to start. You have to squeeze as many transferable/soft skills as you possibly can out of your degree program. And remember, the topic of a presentation isn’t important. A PhD is a big commitment. This seems like a no-brainer to me: it’s completely unethical. I slaved over but also really enjoyed the entire process of writing a thesis paper. So you have that going for you. Also, and I don't know how to say this delicately, their average research productivity is much lower than faculty in any other part of our school. A range of options are out there, from pre-funded projects to individual scholarships and even the prospect of student loans on the horizon. Enough doom and gloom Part 3: Standing upon the great infrastructure of science, Michelle Capes earned her Ph.D. in Physiology in 2010 and was an AHA-funded postdoctoral fellow until 2013, when she transitioned into a private sector role as a scientific recruiter. The task of identifying, managing and analysing large amounts of complex information isn’t simple. But it may be an expensive proposition that does not quickly turn into a lucrative career. You may be surprised how diverse the answers to these questions are. In my experience, research in the industry is not only about what you know – it’s also about project management and the ability to communicate across groups of people.”. Having a strong passion for the field and research is what gets people through. And proficiency in composing and communicating complex ideas is valuable in many careers – even the ones that don’t actually involve ‘publication.’. Now, I have never served on an Education faculty search, so I don't know the ins and outs. They are accustomed to doing research in academia, so the default answer for industry seems to be R&D Scientist. By its very nature every PhD is a unique project, focussing on a topic no one has researched before. In your program, though, do try to get experience as a grant writer. The agency prided itself on “scientists recruiting scientists,” and having that credential after my name lent credibility to their selling point. Debbie’s response to “Was your PhD worth it?” was this: The answer is no longer the obvious ‘yes’ that it would have been in the past. Postdocs are short-term paid positions that usually focus on a specific research project. We use cookies to give you the best online experience. You will need to be able to persevere all of the BS that will go along with getting a degree and have the self discipline to complete an independent research project. Potential PhD students, current students and post-graduates should reflect on what their PhD experience will or has taught them, not just about the science, but the soft skills that help to set them apart – I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to figure it out; it might have paid off even sooner. As for other jobs, of course there is school administration (seems almost a given your principal and superintendent types have an EdD or PhD). This list is not comprehensive, but gives a view into the dimensions [that] a PhD has to offer. With a tough job market and increasingly high [hiring] standards, having a PhD doesn’t seem to mean as much as it did in the past. PhD fees aren’t actually that high. It doesn’t matter what you plan to do with your PhD or how much it ends up costing you: if you don’t finish your project you’ll have little to show for whatever time and money you have invested. A PhD is very different to a Bachelors or Masters degree. And your PhD could make you one of them. Set aside some time to find out what kind of support might be available for the kind of project you want to complete. It’s also helpful to be able to point to the successful grant applications I prepared during grad school and my postdoc. As a recruiter, I was frequently contacted by PhDs wanting to apply for positions advertized for bachelor’s-level candidates.
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