Are you thinking of pursuing a Ph.D. degree for a better job? Go ahead, but before that, look at the risk factors mentioned in our articles.
Before we dive deep into the details, let us first understand what is a phd
A Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is someone who has done an advance level of research in a specific field of study.
In many countries, Ph.D. is the requirement for pursuing a career in the field of academia, because it is considered as a guarantee that someone who is teaching a particular subject understands the in-depth details of a subject.
I would not stop you from going for this prestigious degree, but I will make some points on the basis of which you can decide is a phd worth it or not.
It is Time Consuming
In today’s fast-paced life, getting a Ph.D. means you have to dedicate around five years again in going through articles, exploring the books, gathering the data, and learning the data measurement techniques. If you are passionate about pursuing teaching as your career, it is good to go for a Ph.D., but if you are more focused on starting a family life and career, then better do not go for it.
Today those who want to make money are investing their efforts and time in learning Business and Entrepreneurship Skill. A study reveals that 45% of the Ph.D. graduates in Germany are on temporary jobs, and there are 13% of them still engaged in lowly occupations. Also, the income difference between a person having a Master’s degree and a Ph.D. is not huge. Even after investing so much time and money on your Ph.D., if you have the same standard of living, what the deal?
Market Saturation
Today there is an excess number of Ph.D.’s as required. Also, they only teach their students the bookish knowledge and not train them for real-life challenges. This is what the business community and corporate sector claim.
A Different Social Life
Ph.D. is not as easy as memorizing the course material, getting an essay prepared by asking someone at a website to write it for you, or buy academic papers. Though you can seek assistance from these experts in writing your dissertation as well, you have to be engaged throughout the process. You need to work with your supervisor, and you have to do the literature review for hours and hours before a meeting with your supervisor. Simple, you have to make a lot of compromises on your social and family life. Trust me, people doing Ph.D. says that they even find themselves working while sleeping.
Ph.D. does provide you a social interaction that may not be your areas of interest, such as speaking, well-prepared speech for a meeting, presentation of your synopsis, and handling criticism. If you like spending time doing such intellectual things, go ahead. But if you lack consistency and patience, this may not be a good fit for you.
You Might be Considered Over Qualified
Due to financial problems, if a Ph.D. applies for a job with basic skills and qualifications, they are not given the job because the HR people think from the perspective of employee’s commitment and retention chances. They know that this job does offer the monetary benefits that a Ph.D.deserves, and they might leave as soon as they see another bright opportunity. They will consider you overqualified and might not hire you.
Ph.D. Is Expensive
If it is is not fully funded, or you do not have any financial assistance from your university, going for a Ph.D. means you need more funds now. Students who are already under debt and loans do not think of investing some more years and money on getting another degree without a job.
