Reply to: Is it worth doing a phd?

[Xenophon]

Indeed.

[fullyautomatix]

A friend of mine did a PHD in text search and is now employed by Microsoft straight after the degree on a starting salary coming to about 45K with perks. I guess it helps if you get a PHD in the area where there is demand. Microsoft might be able to absorb a lot of search engine specialists because of its pig headed determination to topple Google.

[doodab]

Yes. On the continent bits of paper are well thought of

Very true. We have Drs everywhere. Still no guarantee of competence though.

[threaded]

I have a PhD: stories like the above abound, but nowadays getting a phd is not such a big thing - even the originality requirement has been watered down. Today, you have to submit something commensurate with 3 years of research work; a lot of theses are just glorified literature surveys.

Yes, there is now a higher qualification added to a 'PhD' in most countries, that is more like the old fashioned PhD was.

[threaded]

anyone here got one?

Yes. On the continent bits of paper are well thought of.

One of my clients is paying for it all, sending guys on an MSc, and flying them to various countries for the face to face parts of the modules and exams.

[Moscow Mule]

tay is back!

[AtW]

Yeah

tay is back!

[tay]

Blimey, this thread is like a who's who of long gone posters.

Yeah

[Zippy]

I'd love to do a PhD but I'd do it for me and not for a job (I'm overqualified as it is)
I'm under no illusions as to the dificulty of obtaining one, as one of my old tutors used to tell me about those theses he'd had to can (often in the viva ). Sometimes you have to do things just 'cos you think you can.

[OwlHoot]

Blimey, this thread is like a who's who of long gone posters.

I'll fess up - Nipple Clamp was an alias of mine, because I forgot my password and couldn't access the email I had previously signed up under.

[conned tractor]

A PhD is not worth doing. Your department will use you as cheap or unpaid labour and if you pass your supervisor stands most to gain as more phd students who pass mean more promotion prospects for your supervisor.

Many supervisors do not supervise their PhD students, even in good universities, and get away with it. Expect a few minutes once every term. If the student does not float, then they are expected to just leave. There are many ways they have to hide their drop out figures. For example, a popular method is to keep the student on record as having intercalated (indefinately) and therefore never having failed or dropped out. Hence it does not show up as a fail so no future funding is affected.

What you gain when your graduate is expertise in a very narrow area where you would be unlikely to proceed further as a career. When you try to find a job not related to that area you will be overqualified and less employable. Those who did not stay on to do a phd will have settled in employment, but you on the other hand will struggle to find employment with your overqualification (as I am now).

People who like to use the title of 'doctor' outside of academia are generally not looked kindly upon in the workplace so its worth hiding the fact you have a phd if you find a job.

Are you me? No, having a PhD definately seems to get in the way of finding work and i'm currently questioning why I ever did one.

I don't agree with the first bit though because I had a good supervisor/group.

You forgot that the permie roles that state PhD as advantageous also pay far fecking less generally. I've seen some even as low as grad starting salaries (20-25K). Do they think you stop understanding the concept of money and just do it for the love of it and raise your family in a bedsit?

I have just started applying for uni research ass/fellow positions in desperation - at least its a pretty easy life although these only pay around 27K ish, if your lucky.

Oh, and when I found a contract doing what I was doing in my PhD the fooking agent whacked a fooking huge margin on that made the clients position of saying fook off easy. They (client) thought I was expensive (large aero company, makes engines), however was only asking for £25/hr as went in low to get contract (I also have a few years previous aero experience also).

Getting seriously down about it all now. My wife has gone back to her part time job after maternity leave because at least she is still employable.

[Clippy]

Blimey, this thread is like a who's who of long gone posters.

[Moscow Mule]

Laaaaaazzzzzzzaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrruuuuuuuuuuuussss ssssssss.......

[EternalOptimist]

er...
<cough> good points, well made

[evansad]

A phd is not worth doing

A PhD is not worth doing. Your department will use you as cheap or unpaid labour and if you pass your supervisor stands most to gain as more phd students who pass mean more promotion prospects for your supervisor.

Many supervisors do not supervise their PhD students, even in good universities, and get away with it. Expect a few minutes once every term. If the student does not float, then they are expected to just leave. There are many ways they have to hide their drop out figures. For example, a popular method is to keep the student on record as having intercalated (indefinately) and therefore never having failed or dropped out. Hence it does not show up as a fail so no future funding is affected.

What you gain when your graduate is expertise in a very narrow area where you would be unlikely to proceed further as a career. When you try to find a job not related to that area you will be overqualified and less employable. Those who did not stay on to do a phd will have settled in employment, but you on the other hand will struggle to find employment with your overqualification (as I am now).

People who like to use the title of 'doctor' outside of academia are generally not looked kindly upon in the workplace so its worth hiding the fact you have a phd if you find a job.