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Doctoral studies - perspective

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Rinnake:
Good day,   
 
my brother and I would like to ask for your views on doctoral studies in power electronics. At the moment, we have successfully completed a master's degree in power electronics and control of electric controlled drives, and we are deciding whether it will be worthwhile for us to complete an additional doctoral degree.

If we continued our studies, due to our diploma theses whose topic was the design, construction and control (vector oriented) of the Vienna rectifier, the dissertation would be directed towards power electronics and develop existing knowledge and research on new AC-DC topologies of power converters and its new advanced control techniques. However, we are at a crossroads. We are "reproached" that if we continue to study, we will lose work experience, which is often more valuable for today's employers than the degrees obtained, and the financial side of things will not improve significantly with a PhD degree. From this point of view, continuation seems to us to be an obstacle, but on the other hand, one does not know what will happen in 10 years, if the current activities do not stop fulfilling him and then he could regret not taking the opportunity of this study when it is offered.

According to our findings, a doctoral degree is necessary if we want to remain active in the academic sphere, which does not attract us yet, and also in the research field. The research area is very attractive for us and we would like to get into the development of new products. However, we found out that most of the trained doctors still work in exclusively engineering positions, which surprised us very much. According to some doctors, PhD does not bring other benefits and values and is associated with very low salary. Do you think if it is worth completing this study today? If so, in what form (full-time at school / remotely at company)? 
 
We will be happy for your views on this study and its contribution to future employment.
 
Thank you for the discussion and we apologize if we posted this post in the wrong thread of this forum.

EDIT: I live in Czech Republic (sometimes called Czechia).

Slh:
I work in a research focussed power electronics company. I work with some very good people with PhDs, some very good people with only a bachelor's and have worked with some rubbish people with PhDs. I have also interviewed a lot of people with PhDs....

A lot of the time, all a PhD shows me is that you can complete a PhD. The PhD often doesn't give them particularly useful skills above and beyond what they gain from their undergraduate degree. it's essential for academia but  not for industry.  Most of the PhD candidates that I get would be suitable for a graduate role. Not all of them realise this... Unfortunately, often the post doc roles don't improve things enough either.

Most of the PhDs I work with don't work on stuff directly related to their PhD. I suspect they would also do a great job if they'd gone straight into industry.

If you want to do a PhD, then do a PhD. It's unlikely to get you more money.

Peter Taylor:
I have spent half my life at university only to find that all I did was learn. I started a business seven months ago, and at 55 years of age, it was the best thing I have done. The three D's of life. Do, Do, Do. Do what makes you happy.

RoGeorge:
Go get your PhD.

First, you'll get a few extra years of youth freedom to live.  This alone would be enough.  Then, the thread of life is not only about money.  You won't get rich in your first years as an engineer.  Don't get so eager to get yourself a job and a boss.  You'll have all the rest of your life for that.

Then, right now the economy is not in its best shape for engineering jobs, so you might end up not even finding a job at all in engineering.  Instead, during the next years you can finish your thesis, while the economy recovers.  And you'll end as a fresh PhD in a booming economy, instead of starting now as a fresh engineer in a recessing economy.  Your choice.

You say you like research.  Do you want to spend the next years doing research for your PhD thesis, or you want to stay in a cubicle doing repetitive tasks as a fresh engineer?  You might never get the opportunity to do research again for the rest of your life, so do it now.  And if you think in terms of employment advantage, of course you'll get an advantage as a PhD, a lifetime advantage.

Companies are looking for PhD in EU, especially the small ones, especially in EU.  Sometimes, small companies have to prove their expertise when bidding for contracts, and one of the things they do is to list the number of PhD they have on their payroll.

If you can, then go get your PhD.  :-+

m98:

--- Quote from: RoGeorge on June 17, 2022, 03:56:01 pm ---Go get your PhD.
First, you'll get a few extra years of youth freedom to live.

--- End quote ---
Not sure if having extra youth freedom would be an accurate characterization of the PhD Students I work with. Quite the opposite, actually. Relatively bad pay for the skill level, still having to live in a WG, having not one, but at least two bosses, regularly stressed out and working overtime, hard constraints on what they can actually work on, as papers and conference proceedings need to be constantly pumped out, etc...

Can't really give any view on the career perspectives, but I don't think it necessarily increases your chances of landing an R&D-Position compared to just applying for one with a Masters degree and some relevant work experience.

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