Should You Do a PhD?

This is what I always answer when people ask

Oil-over-canvas of a woman graduating a PhD in a fall forest. Generated with Adobe Express

If they gave me a dollar for every time a PhD wannabe has asked me whether I’d recommend doing a PhD…

And it’s understandable. It is a HUGE commitment time-, personal-, and money-wise.

So what is my take as someone who not only graduated a PhD but also completed many years as a Postdoc and conducted Academic teaching? As someone who ultimately left academia for the non-profit and then public sector?

There is a simple question I make before I fully answer the question.

What do you want to accomplish with your PhD?

Then I proceed…

Think about what is that you want to do with your time and energy during and after you complete the degree.

Does it require you to have a PhD?

Does your dream job require you to have a PhD?

Is there a scientific question that you REALLY want to find an answer to?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, by all means, do a PhD.

I would do it again if I had the same circumstances I had when I started mine.

But doing it for the wrong reasons can leave you with wasted time and resentment.

Let me ask you something more:

Can you accomplish the same goals or dream job WITHOUT a PhD?

For example, only half of my current co-workers, with the same job title I have, have a PhD at the moment.

If the answer is YES. If you can accomplish the same thing without a PhD, then I would advise you to jump into the sector you want to thrive in right away.

Learn while on the job instead of while earning very little and/or getting in debt as a graduate student.

But remember….

This is a decision that YOU and ONLY YOU can make.

I hope this helps…