Doctoral studies - perspective

[CatalinaWOW]

The anecdote correctly demonstrates that a PhD does not guarantee employment or high pay.

For another anecdote, a former colleague obtained a PhD in astrophysics.  Unfortunately this was in the time when Sagan made astrophysics very popular and there were far more newly minted astrophysicists than positions available.  While a very talented individual this guy was not the top of the field and wasn't able to grab one of those positions.  He did well with us, and became one of the best managers I have known.  But didn't like managing and left to form his own business.  Unfortunately in a field that evaporated in a few years.  I lost track of him so don't know what he did next, but have no doubt he did all right.  His degree was almost irrelevant to his success during the time I knew him. 

His degree did provide some benefits.  The knowledge gained is always more broadly applicable than just the specialty.  The learning skills and such have value.  And the degree itself will open doors not accessible to those with no degree at all.  Unfortunately it will also close a few due to "overqualification".

[Peter Taylor]

I'm 18. I'm smart. I did year 12. I did top Maths. I did Uni.  I'll work in a 33rd floor office overlooking the city with a secretary that wears fish net stockings and a low cut top.

You're just an electrician.

I did a job where I spent more on transport and lunch than I took home.

The electrician works physically hard, earns much more than me, has a happy wife and a happy life.

When I was 16, I should have become an electrician, not an electronics engineer.

Having said that, I don't regret one second of my life.

I learned to work hard at what makes me happy, even when it makes me sad.

[tggzzz]

When working in HPLabs, we once mused about what were valid and invalid reasons for doing a PhD if you wanted to be employed in industrial R&D. We came to the conclusion the only valid reason was "because I wanted to". An academic career is, of course, different. (BTW, "only" is an exaggeration to make the point, see below)

Getting a PhD

• delays you entering the workforce for 3+ years, so you are 3 years "behind" your classmates
• won't increase your salary; unless the PhD's subject is directly relevant you will be on a new graduate salary scale
• will be in a narrow subject that is unlikely to be of direct relevance to an employer (unlike a first degree)
• if it is of direct interest to an employer, you have to be careful they don't suck out your experience, then discard you
• will indicate that you can independently learn in depth about a subject. By implication that will be relevant to some industrial jobs, but there are other ways of demonstrating that
• might be relevant to rare employers where advancement beyond a certain point requires a PhD
• might be helpful if intending to emigrate to a country with "points based" entry requirements

[coppice]

When working in HPLabs, we once mused about what were valid and invalid reasons for doing a PhD if you wanted to be employed in industrial R&D. We came to the conclusion the only valid reason was "because I wanted to". An academic career is, of course, different. (BTW, "only" is an exaggeration to make the point, see below)

Getting a PhD

• delays you entering the workforce for 3+ years, so you are 3 years "behind" your classmates
• won't increase your salary; unless the PhD's subject is directly relevant you will be on a new graduate salary scale
• will be in a narrow subject that is unlikely to be of direct relevance to an employer (unlike a first degree)
• if it is of direct interest to an employer, you have to be careful they don't suck out your experience, then discard you
• will indicate that you can independently learn in depth about a subject. By implication that will be relevant to some industrial jobs, but there are other ways of demonstrating that
• might be relevant to rare employers where advancement beyond a certain point requires a PhD
• might be helpful if intending to emigrate to a country with "points based" entry requirements

That's pretty much it. If you want to get a PhD and not let it simply put you 3 years behind in building a career, you really need to be focussed on your topic. If you pick one that looks like in 3 years its going to be the hot thing, it might work out well for you. For example I knew someone who did his PhD in a some types of sensing, just when health and safety regulations were requiring big updates to the protection systems in construction equipment. He was so in demand at graduation, he had investors pushing money at him to start his own business making modules for the industry.

When you ask most PhDs to describe the work they did, they can be quite reticent. They don't seem to feel that great about it, like they made a dead end choice. If you get them to open up, it can be clear they did.

[tszaboo]

I indeed decided to do a PhD in Physics "because I wanted do", and that part of the plan certainly worked out nicely: I had a great time learning, teaching, designing and building stuff during my PhD project.

Yes, and that is Physics and not EE, so unrelevant.
I can hire an EE. A someone with the relevant BSC can do the job, because there we have BSCs doing the job. I can hire a BSC, an MSC or a PHD, one has 6 years of experience, has been onsite everywhere, did some regulatory approvals, knows some SAP, knows how to select components and not to buy maxim, and knows the ins and outs of the software we need to operate to get the job done. The other has a title, and 0 experience, and some publications. The MSC somewhere in-between.
Guess which one I'm going to pick?

[Infraviolet]

Speaking for myself, a PhD gave me a lot more chance to build up actual lab and practical experience than all my earlier learning had. But I might say you want to take a PhD perhaps a little different from what you've done earlier, something that could be close enough to still give you a good excuse* to build some power electronics expertise you already have in to your project, but also will get you to explore areas you don't yet know so well.

You might well be able to find a PhD you get paid to do (applies in the Uk and much of Europe atleast), not one you pay for. This is a good idea, the way unis are set out (in the Uk atleast) it also means the professors are a lot more motivated to involve you in projects rather than just use you as a source of money.

*every academic justification is really about making a excuse to do what you want to do all along

[Vtile]

Power electronics pfff, so last season.. I wonder if now growing ev, e.planes, helicopters, grid powerbanks, robots, ships, boats, pf-compensation, war-machines will work without.

[Galenbo]

I work(ed) with a lot of Phd's, none of them earns more than I (Msc), except when successfull in sales or management.

For an academical career, pharma, medical,... it's the only way to progress, for all the rest I would advise to look at your field of intrest, and aditionally study something else, useful to get those things done.
Your "Power electronics" projects can benefit from knowledge in Law, Big data, patents, mechanical design, hydraulics, Network security,...