This question comes up about twice a year.

I’m not even sure I’m the best person to ask about this. Yes, I have a PhD. But I also took a very meandering path to get to where I am in my career. I went from the Navy to getting a Ph.D. in Physics, but then I went into robotics software engineering. Now I’m working primarily in robotics data analysis. So, yes, my Ph.D. is in there, but it’s far from a direct line from education to where I am now.

Regardless, people ask me about this question so I’ll give it the ‘ole phd try.

About twice a month, I’ll get someone coming to me to ask for career advice. I’m starting to collect the more common questions and my thoughts on them. I’m putting these together as a series of blog posts under the tag CareerPlusPlus.

Why?

This is the first question I ask someone when they ask me about getting a Ph.D.

I think it’s incredibly important that you have a strong reason in mind for undertaking this. It’s a multi-year journey that will be hard and will contain a number of hardships, most likely.

The usual reasons I find that people are interested in getting a Ph.D. are:

• Prestige – they want people to look up to them for having those 3 letters at the end of their name
• Avoiding going into the work force. I see this more from people who are in the middle of their other degrees, and less so from people already working. This is far more common than I ever expected.
• You need the credential. There are some jobs that require having a Ph.D. When I was at a government contractor, there were some contracts that were only available if led by a Ph.D.
• Salary. Yes, having a Ph.D. will lead to a higher salary on average than not, but if you take those 4-7 years of missed salary increases into account it may come out in the wash. Remember, it’s about you and not what happens on average across the industry.
• Want to do research. Let’s say there is a topic you’re deeply interested in learning more about and exploring from many directions.

All of these reasons are valid. The last bullet – wanting to do research – is the only one in which I recommend someone go to get a Ph.D.

What you’re in for

Programs vary, but generally you’re looking at 4-7 years of working on this. I do not recommend ever trying to do a part time Ph.D. I have not met a single person with one of those who impressed me. This is a major endeavor.

You might need a Master’s degree to go in. You may not. You may be funded by the university. You may have to pay your way. Programs are all over the place.

My program was partially funded. I was required to do teaching or research to pay for my school tuition and a stipend. The stipend was just enough to live on.

Actually, I had young children and my entire stipend went to day care. We lived on my wife’s salary.

Generally there is a courses portion and then the research portion. For me it was 2 years of classes, during which I started research with my advisor. Then it was 4 years of research.

The entire point of getting a Ph.D. is to learn how to do research, think critically, and work independently.

The doors it opens

When I am hiring and I meet someone with a Ph.D., it immediately puts them at the top of my stack. I know that might sound slight add odds with my “reasons to get a Ph.D.” if you’re going after it for the credential.

The reason I look to hire Ph.D.s is because they have demonstrated they can push through an arduous program. I know not all programs are created equally, but it is an indicator. To successfully complete one usually requires both intelligence and determination.

People do treat you differently, both in work and in other places, when they know you have a Ph.D. This creates opportunities when you wouldn’t expect.

I just accepted a new job last week, and it is an amazing opportunity. I would never have gotten this new role if I didn’t have the experience I gained through my Ph.D. and what it led to.

The doors it closes

If you go into industry, especially if it doesn’t line up with your Ph.D., you will make yourself unqualified for some jobs.

Many hiring managers will not hire a Ph.D. if the job requirement is a bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience. This is what some people call “over qualified.” This is a real phenomenon that I experienced myself when trying to find my first job after grad school.

Many hiring managers are afraid you will demand higher salary or will leave the job in 6 months for something better because you exceed the required qualifications.

I graduated in 2013. The job market wasn’t doing great. It took me 6 months to find a job. That was incredibly disheartening. I would ask myself, “I have a Ph.D. in a very difficult field from one of the top universities in the world – why didn’t anyone want to hire me?”

Eventually I did find a good job, which led to a great job. Finding that first job post grad school can be extremely difficult.

Should you do it?

I can’t answer that for you. But I do strongly encourage you to think carefully. You’ll be dedicated years of your life and putting your career on hold (sort of).

Are you willing to give up your current salary to go back to student life?

What are all of your motivations?

Is there a subject you want to become a deep subject matter expert in? Would you love to dive in and push the boundaries of human knowledge in a small way in that field? Does the subject excite you?

Closing thoughts

I’ve had a handful of turning points in my life – times where everything after changed as a result of the experience. Things like getting married, having my children, and joining the Navy shaped me and my entire world view. Getting my Ph.D. was one of those experiences.

That being said, with perfect hindsight I don’t know if I would do it again. It was hard and I studied something I almost never use in my day to day life. However, I honed a skill set there that has been instrumental in my success.

Just like in the Star Trek TNG episode Tapestry, my life is defined by my experiences and I can’t just extract one and expect the rest to remain unchanged.