I’ve heard of PhDs struggling to find employment outside of academia because they’re “overqualified” (which is HR-speak for “we offer shit pay”) but surely it can’t be that bad… right? Right?!
It really depends on what you specialized in and what you want to do. If youre in engineering and your university gets funding from a company, can be an easy path to employment.
That said, in general, the type of person who wants a phd doesn’t always have the same mindset as someone who doesnt. A big part of engineering in practice is realizing when you have enough information to make a decision and how to quickly and cheaply obtain that information, and that doesn’t always align with the work scope that gives the best information.
It is that bad. Not an impossible challenge but you have to learn whole new skill sets too. And adjust your mindset radically
Omg you’re making me freak out. I had to quit academia a year and a half ago (after 7 years of postdocs) and, after a bad experience in the private sector (techy start up bitch who was just plain insane), I’ve been struggling for 10 months to find a new path and a job…and I’m still nowhere near finding something I’m afraid.
I can’t sugar coat my experience. It was rough. But it is true that it varies widely based on a lot of factors, so definitely don’t freak out.
You have mad skills for sure. The main new skill I meant is a whole new perspective on those skills and how you market them.
For me, I knew I was too wound up in the academic perspective so I consciously took a job that was more physical and social, definitely not a brain-job. That helped clear my mind and remember how non-academics look at the world.
I was able to get a good job in laboratory automation eventually, but it was a trial for a few years.
Thanks for sharing your experience, I’ll keep that in mind!
I’ve heard the concern that employers are worried someone with a PhD who is taking a “lesser” job won’t be around all that long and will continue job hunting for something better. For employers with this mindset, I’d like to suggest: 1) it’s not too hard to beat academia wages; 2) find ways to promote within/add responsibility when people prove themselves
I know, JFC, talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth.
Anyone who can pound sand straight up their own ass for many years and stay focused enough to produce a product sufficient to graduate will be an amazing asset in most any setting.
Depends on your field and thesis.
It took me eights after my phd exam to escape from academia, so this brings back memories. Thank you.
that’s the trick. don’t start your PhD in acadamia
All I know about phds is my mother is ‘all but dissertation’ and that my mother’s husband must have done a dissertation at some point because he has a doctorate I’m pretty sure.
Postdocs get paid a lot though ours get like $11k a month for math
The NIH postdoc rate and therefore academic standards in most places for all biomedical postdocs is ~60k. Math is an outlier by a lot.
I guess they have to compete with the financial sector and the likes? Over here, it varies wildly by field and by what you do.
I volunteered a fair bit at my college’s food pantry. The undergrads might grab one or two things. The grad students and the post docs were desperate.
