Anyone done a PhD?

D D Danneh · 15 Mar 2016 at 12:58

So I'm halfway through my MSc, looking forward to finishing and starting a career, but not so hot on the whole job hunt malarkey. I hadn't considered a PhD due to the workload and poor money, but I was just collared by my lecturer and asked whether I'd be interested in doing one. It's run by said lecturer, and it sounded like I'd have a good chance of getting it, mainly because it requires security clearance and I'm the only UK citizen on my course.

The pay is really good, on the higher-end of what I was hoping for out of a job post-tax, and it's in a field of study I'd like to be involved in, tied in with a company I'd like to work for, so I'm pretty much set on at least applying. I'm posting here simply to get thoughts and experiences from other people who did PhDs. How much IS the actual workload? What I'd like to know most as well, is how much direction and guidance are you given? I understand it's a far cry from being given tasks and deadlines, but I think I might be a little lost if I was just thrown a problem and told "Here, you have a year to find a solution and write a paper on it".

Any thoughts?

drakioned · 15 Mar 2016 at 13:26

I started one, quit it after 2 years, and went into IT. My other half has some corrections to do for hers but otherwise has one.

The experience can be pretty variable, but in general you'll be doing a more a regular job's worth of hours for less pay than is available elsewhere, in exchange for the certificate at the end.

Guidance is purely dependent on how good or bad a supervisor you get, and it's possible to get a PhD even with poor or no guidance, but it just takes longer and more work.

Bear in mind that if you still have work after your funding runs out (basically happens to everybody), you either have to get a job and complete a PhD part time (a lot of people never complete due to not seeing much value in the certificate after already having a job) or borrow whilst you complete your studies.

drakioned · 15 Mar 2016 at 13:31

Oh, one perk of PhD, the stipend is usually tax free (although doesn't count toward your working years for state pension)

rickh · 15 Mar 2016 at 13:47

I'd recommend it, but as said above, make sure you'll be able to fund yourself for about 6 months after the funding runs out (usually 3 years). I don't know many people who were able to completely finish within 3 years (i.e., be able to start a job in the 1st month of the 4th year).

The workload is not significantly more than a job in industry, IF you're able to put in a solid day's work every day - which can be challenging to self-motivate yourself.

D D Danneh · 15 Mar 2016 at 13:54

drakioned said:
I started one, quit it after 2 years, and went into IT. My other half has some corrections to do for hers but otherwise has one.

The experience can be pretty variable, but in general you'll be doing a more a regular job's worth of hours for less pay than is available elsewhere, in exchange for the certificate at the end.

Guidance is purely dependent on how good or bad a supervisor you get, and it's possible to get a PhD even with poor or no guidance, but it just takes longer and more work.

Bear in mind that if you still have work after your funding runs out (basically happens to everybody), you either have to get a job and complete a PhD part time (a lot of people never complete due to not seeing much value in the certificate after already having a job) or borrow whilst you complete your studies.

Ah, I hadn't considered there being work left after the 3 years, guess I'm too used to the standard "exams and you're done" model.

As far as pay, it's £21k/year tax free, with rolls royce, so pretty much on par, if not better pay than some graduate jobs, and means a pretty good standing for a job afterwards (assuming I don't drop the ball

).

There are three supervisors, one being my lecturer (all-round excellent guy), another being one of the uni academics I haven't met, and the other being the industrial supervisor who I've spoke to briefly. Hopefully this is a good thing, more people to push me in the right direction!

Cheers for your input

rickh said:
I'd recommend it, but as said above, make sure you'll be able to fund yourself for about 6 months after the funding runs out (usually 3 years). I don't know many people who were able to completely finish within 3 years (i.e., be able to start a job in the 1st month of the 4th year).

The workload is not significantly more than a job in industry, IF you're able to put in a solid day's work every day - which can be challenging to self-motivate yourself.

Good points, motivation I can manage if there's something to do, and I'll make sure to put away some of that stipend in case. Pretty excited to be honest, things just keep falling into my lap

Freefaller · 15 Mar 2016 at 14:05

I was on the verge of starting one, but I pulled out as I was well established at work and I'm frankly just not academic enough and my field of interest had shifted away from it. Furthermore, it was not going to advance my job prospects or "career". If I could repeat my life, I might have opted for an MBA instead as it is much more related to what I'm doing now, although still in engineering I am much more programme / project management related than research based. Much more applied knowledge and that was part of the point for my decision.

It was a PhD in the renewal energy field - but this was over 10 years ago so at the time was still much more of an unknown.

joeyjojo · 15 Mar 2016 at 14:12

If you've already got a good relationship with one of the supervisors I'd say go for it. That money is good too.

Too many supervisors isn't a good thing in my experience. I think things go best when you work tightly with one person (daily to weekly meetings) and get bigger-picture oversight from the others, or specific assistance (e.g. proof-reading).

dowie · 15 Mar 2016 at 14:49

If you're doing one with an industrial partner like that and it is something you're passionate about then it seems like a no-brainer. The other thing worth maybe taking a look at are the doctoral training centres where you get funded for 4 years and do a bunch of advanced taught courses in the first year. (I wonder if they then are less likely to overrun the time they're funded as a lot of the background reading etc.. can been done during the taught first year).

I kind of regret not pursuing one, I'd be quite tempted to pursue one part time *if* I was in the sort of job that could let me manage it.