phd?

mawk

I'm gently considering a phd..
probably not until next year but its started simmering in the ol melon.

do many engineers here hold a phd? is it really worthwhile?

enda1

What's your long term goal? 5, 10, and 15 years?

Turbulent Bill

mawk wrote: »

do many engineers here hold a phd? is it really worthwhile?

Define "worthwhile"! From an employment perspective (baisc salary etc.), probably not unless your going into a very specialist field - masters plus 2/3 years experience is better for general employment. For academia clearly it's a prerequisite.

Personally I found it very worthwhile - it's a huge intellectual challenge, and I'm still proud I did it. See the "Postgraduates" and "Researcher" forums here for general PhD info.

In my place about 10% have PhDs, with about 50% in total having a postgrad of some kind. I'm pretty much certain that I wouldn't have got in the door without a PhD. It's probably the exception rather than the rule though.

godtabh

I know 2 engineers with PHds that work in industry. The vast majority work in academia. Which environment would you prefer to work in?

I was very close to doing a PhD in my late 20's. If I had looked in to it in my mid 20's I probably would have done it. After doing a Masters that was enough but I do hope to do a MBA next year

djpbarry

mawk wrote: »

do many engineers here hold a phd? is it really worthwhile?

That really depends on what it is you want to do?

Turbulent Bill

godtabh wrote: »

I know 2 engineers with PHds that work in industry. The vast majority work in academia. Which environment would you prefer to work in?

I was very close to doing a PhD in my late 20's. If I had looked in to it in my mid 20's I probably would have done it. After doing a Masters that was enough but I do hope to do a MBA next year

If you're suggesting that a PhD would 'cut you off' from industry, that isn't the case. The vast majority of my PhD colleagues went into industry, mainly into R&D roles. Some went into academia, but the combination of lack of academic posts and being sick of college meant most left. The motivation for doing a PhD varies from person-to-person - I'd no interest in an academic career, just wanted a challenge.

You're right about the ago thing though. It's one thing to run from a degree into a PhD in your early 20s, but totally different to restart in your late 20s with commitments, work etc.

godtabh

Turbulent Bill wrote: »

If you're suggesting that a PhD would 'cut you off' from industry, that isn't the case. The vast majority of my PhD colleagues went into industry, mainly into R&D roles. Some went into academia, but the combination of lack of academic posts and being sick of college meant most left. The motivation for doing a PhD varies from person-to-person - I'd no interest in an academic career, just wanted a challenge.

That massively depends on the industry. A civil engineer with a PhD would probably have the same prospects as an BE with experience. In medical devices/pharama/etc this would be the case

My interest was in the challenge, the teaching opportunities and work opportunities. Two of the three were only ever possible

Kilough

I'm about 4-6 weeks away from finishing mine. I went in straight after my undergrad so I've very little work experience really. I'm looking for work at the moment and it's not easy at all! Most jobs I'm interested in require candidates to have 3-5 years experience unfortunately.

As somebody else pointed out a PhD in Civil is really only useful if you're planning to lecture. A PhD in mechanical/biomedical is more sought after from an employers point of view.

PhD's seem to be more sought and better paid after in Europe/US compared to Ireland and the UK.

djpbarry

Kilough wrote: »

I'm looking for work at the moment and it's not easy at all! Most jobs I'm interested in require candidates to have 3-5 years experience unfortunately.

Apply for them anyway. Never forget that job descriptions are essentially “wish lists” drawn up by the employer – you have absolutely no idea whether they are actually finding candidates who meet their criteria. If you think you can do the job, then apply for it.

Kilough wrote: »

PhD's seem to be more sought and better paid after in Europe/US compared to Ireland and the UK.

That’s a very, very broad statement – I know PhDs all over the world and their rates of pay (based on what I know) vary widely. I certainly would not say that PhD’s in continental Europe or the US are generally better paid than in the UK & Ireland. In fact, anyone I know with a PhD who is working in Ireland is extremely well paid. At the same time, a friend of mine with 4 years' postdoctoral experience is working in New Jersey for only slightly more than she was taking home during her PhD!

Kilough

djpbarry wrote: »

Never forget that job descriptions are essentially “wish lists” drawn up by the employer – you have absolutely no idea whether they are actually finding candidates who meet their criteria. If you think you can do the job, then apply for it.

Good point.

djpbarry wrote: »

That’s a very, very broad statement – I know PhDs all over the world and their rates of pay (based on what I know) vary widely. I certainly would not say that PhD’s in continental Europe or the US are generally better paid than in the UK & Ireland. In fact, anyone I know with a PhD who is working in Ireland is extremely well paid. At the same time, a friend of mine with 4 years' postdoctoral experience is working in New Jersey for only slightly more than she was taking home during her PhD!

I'm just basing that opinion on what I'm seeing from job listings online. Some companies in Germany for example, in my field, offer quite a bit more starting off for people with PhDs.

Would I be right in thinking that the real value of a PhD might be a few years down the line for a lot of people, perhaps when it comes to promotion to management level positions?