Should you do a PhD?

Should you do a PhD? Like many simple questions, the answer is complicated… In this video we’ll go through some of the things to consider, some of the pros and cons and some questions to ask yourself before you make the decision.

Doing a PhD can be a fantastic experience.

You get to take a deep dive into a subject you’re interested in, you get to develop rare and valuable skills, and you get to work with brilliant people. And when you make a discovery or figure out something new, it feels great. It can also open the door to a career in academia, which might allow you to contribute something to the world through research and teaching.

But there are some caveats to this.

1. Number one: It doesn’t suit everybody.
2. Not all PhDs are equal. I’m not just talking about the relative value on the job market of PhDs in different subjects here, but about differences in PhD programs and the amount of support you’ll get and the experience you will have with different supervisors.
3. Doing a PhD doesn’t necessarily make you more employable. It can be very difficult to find academic jobs and difficult to transition out of out of academia too.

But let’s back up a little and think about how a PhD differs from everything else, because it’s important to know this before you start.

How is a PhD different?

Throughout most of the education system, there’s a certain consistency in the way it’s structured, where you typically have:

• A standardised syllabus to follow, that’s been structured to help you learn
• A clear timetable, so you know exactly what to do and when
• A standardised exam, based on the syllabus

Depending on the PhD program, you may have some structured coursework and exams, but for the research part of a PhD, which is the most important;

• There is no syllabus. You have to design your own project and decide what to do
• There is no set timetable. You have to manage your own time and set your own priorities
• There is no standard exam. You have to defend your work in front of an expert panel and you don’t know what they might ask

The big fundamental difference is that in a PhD you’re trying to discover new knowledge, rather than learning established concepts. So a PhD is not just different to everything you’ve done before, in many respects it’s the complete opposite.

This means that the skills that get you into a PhD are not the same skills you need to complete one.

Many good students struggle

Many students who’ve done exceptionally well throughout all the previous levels of the education system struggle when it comes to a PhD. And when I say struggle, this can include quite serious mental and physical health issues.

So if you want to do a PhD because you miss studying, or if you see it as a way of continuing learning or “completing” your education, it might be better to study something new at a lower level. Learn a new language, learn a new skill, or just read books on anything that takes your interest.

You can get a world-class education for a dollar fifty in late fees at the public library, or you can even take ivy league university courses for free on YouTube. So if your goal is just to keep learning, you can do so without the cost and stress of a PhD.

Who should do a PhD?

I’d say you should consider it only if you genuinely love your subject AND you love doing research. This means enjoying problem solving.

As a PhD student, you will be learning new skills and trying to do something that nobody has done before, at the same time. You’ll spend 99% of your time frustrated, so you need to be at your best; your most curious and engaged and energised when things are going wrong and you’re not sure what to do.
If that appeals to you, then maybe a PhD will suit you.

Not all PhDs are equal

However, not all PhD programs are equal, and who you work with will have a massive impact on your experience and the ultimate value of the PhD. I’m not talking about the status of the institution or the reputation of the supervisor, but the level of support you’ll get and the amount you’ll be able to learn from others.

If you get a good PhD supervisor, you will learn a lot not only from them but other people in the research group too. They’ll help you develop your skills, help shape your project and possibly also help prepare you for a research career.

But this is not always the case. There are PhD supervisors who contribute nothing, refusing to talk to their students until they produce a complete draft of a thesis. Or, worse, some will actively undermine their students, or delay their progress to keep them around as cheap labour. Once you’re in that situation it’s very difficult to get out.

So when you’re applying for PhD programmes, you need to think not just about whether you get accepted, but whether or not the programme is acceptable to you.

Questions to ask before you start a PhD

I would ask a lot of questions about the kind of support you’ll get, how often you’ll meet your supervisor and whether there’s regular contact or collaboration between PhD students or other academics in the department.

• If they say they’ll only meet with you every few months, or
• that they’ll only give feedback when you have a complete draft, or
• if they emphasise that it’s all up to you, or
• if you get the impression that everybody works in isolation, or
• if you don’t get answers to any of your questions

These may be a bad sign.

I would also ask, if you’re speaking to a potential supervisor, what they love about their job. If they seem enthusiastic and energised and seem to enjoy their work, that’s probably a good sign.

Know the job market

Let’s say you love doing research and you’ve found a good potential supervisor, should you go ahead? Before you do, I think it’s worth thinking about the potential costs and benefits.

Some assume that getting a PhD will automatically increase their prospects in the job market, but this isn’t always the case.

In you want to stay in academia, having a PhD is necessary, but not necessarily enough. This is because there are more people graduating with PhDs than there are jobs available, which makes it extremely competitive.

It’s good to be informed early about the job market, the areas of research where jobs are available and the skills that are in demand, rather than waiting until you graduate to find this out.

Where are the jobs in your field?

It’s also good to look at where the jobs are and whether you’ll have to move country to find a job. That might be part of the appeal, and having a PhD might help you get a work visa somewhere and open up the world, but for others it might be a problem. For example, if your partner has a good, stable, non academic job, are you going to ask them to move for a potentially insecure temporary academic job?
It’s also worth looking at the value outside of academia of the skills you’ll develop in your PhD. Even if you are dead set on becoming a career academic, it’s good to have a back up plan.

My experience in the academic job market

When I finished my PhD at the end of 2007, there was a lot of money flowing towards nanoscience and technology. There was even a joke that the word nano was greek for funding. But in 2008 we had the global financial crash and funding was cut for everything. Whereas previously you could find plenty of 3 year postdoc positions, suddenly it was almost impossible to find anything longer than 12 months (and that was in a field that was exceptionally well funded compared to others).

I don’t want any of this to put you off: if you want to be an academic, go for it. But you should be aware of the job market and the demand for different skills.

You can get an idea of this by looking at academic and industry job postings, but it also helps talk to people who’ve done it.

If you’re an undergraduate or masters student right now, talk to some of the academics in your department. Ask them what it’s like and how they made the decision and how they got to where they are now. You can also ask them about the good and the bad aspects of the job and ask them for advice.
And try to speak to a few different people and get different perspectives, because it’s a big decision.

Other things to consider

Some people do a PhD not for any specific career reasons, but for the validation and the status that comes with it. If this is the case, if you feel like you’re somehow not enough if you don’t have a PhD, getting one won’t solve the problem.

Don’t get me wrong, it feels good to pass a PhD, but that feeling doesn’t last that long. It might only last a few days, but then you’ll find that whatever insecurity drove you to do a PhD is still there, except now you don’t have anything to aim for.

Also, if you’re doing it for validation, it can put you in quite a weak position, potentially unable to walk away if the PhD is a complete nightmare because your whole sense of self esteem is tied up in it.
So if you feel compelled to do a PhD for validation, it’s probably cheaper and easier to find a good therapist, or run a marathon or do something else that makes you feel good about yourself.

If you really want to do a PhD, go for it

Honestly, I think most people shouldn’t do a PhD. It doesn’t suit everybody, and it is not an easy path.
But, if you really want to do it despite all the risks and the caveats, because you just love your subject and you love getting stuck in and solving difficult problems, go for it.

And while you should think carefully and ask questions before you commit, any big life decision will carry some risk. You will never have perfect information, and you can never know how things will turn out, but don’t let that stop you trying.

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