Going for a PhD after being unhappy in industry

Question

After finishing my studies, I worked as a researcher for a few months in the field of my master thesis, but was not quite satisfied with the field.

So, I tried to transition to industry. In my first job I was working in R&D as junior engineer and I quite liked it. Later on, I moved to pure software engineering and I hated it. Even though I was receiving a good salary for my experience. I couldn't stand the lack of innovation, I wasn't even good enough in my job (this is my personal opinion), I was always bored and after a while the dissatisfaction from my job made me unhappy for my life as a whole. I couldn't imagine myself doing this for the next 40 years. I quit my job and this is my last week, after that I have nothing scheduled regarding my career.

I am really very confused about my next steps and I have been thinking about finally doing a PhD. The reasons behind this is that I want to feel that I can really make contributions, bring my ideas, solve problems and not just write code lines. I would prefer intellectual and time flexibility, as I believe that I am functioning better this way. I had never thought of following an academic career before, now it may not be my ultimate goal, but I could consider it. I know that becoming a professor is very hard, and I am not targeting such a position, but I really want to do research and not just software engineering. I would be mostly interested in doing an R&D job later, either at a company or at a research center.

I have been reading here that a PhD can be a waste of time for people that do not seek a purely academic position. I have already applied a couple of times for research positions in companies and research centers without success. Thus, I thought that a PhD could make the difference here. What is your opinion regarding my case? Is it a good idea to go for a PhD or can it be a burnout after some bad career decisions until now?

Answer 1

I would strongly recommend against pursuing a PhD. You should only pursue a PhD if you are 100% sure that's what you want. Not because you hate something else, and PhD seems like an OK option.

It is especially hard to go from an industry position to a PhD student. Because you'll be getting paid 5-10 times less even though you'll be working at least twice as hard. And PhD is a 5-year commitment, with no guarantee of an academic job at the end of all this.

Do not pursue a PhD. It will be the biggest mistake of your life.

Answer 2

I strongly disagree with user117219. When I started my PhD, I was not 100% sure that that was what I wanted; the PhD seemed like an OK option to me at the time. Now I'm an assistant professor, loving my job. Your mileage may vary, and it might not. No way of knowing in advance.

If your personal finances can take the salary hit that comes with transitioning from an industry job to PhD research, it can be the right move to make. You indicate that your primary goal is to do intellectually stimulating research, and a PhD is definitely one way to achieve that.

Answer 3

I have been reading here that a PhD can be a waste of time for people that do not seek a purely academic position.

I doubt this is entirely true, and I suspect it is dependent on the field. What about research positions in industry or research centers? Here you have made a start ...

I have already applied a couple of times for research positions in companies and research centers without success. Thus, I thought that a PhD could make the difference here.

Presumably the positions you applied for did not require a PhD. Perhaps you might do some preliminary research on-line to see the availabilities of PhD-level research positions in the direction of your interest.

What is your opinion regarding my case? Is it a good idea to go for a PhD or can it be a burnout after some bad career decisions until now?

I would advise to follow your passions with a well-structured Plan B in your back pocket.

I sense that you may not yet have a clear grasp of your passions and perhaps not a sense of the need for a Plan A and Plan B. So ...

Define the problem (bored/unchallenged by my current career path), gather information (what other options exist, where do they lead), and outline the demands for the various options (SWOT, pros/cons, timeline, resources, manpower).

Visit your previous advisor and solicit some insights. Look again for research positions that require a PhD. Talk to your previous boss where you were a junior engineer and solicit some insights.

Also, in the short term ... the transition to a PhD may not happen immediately. Graduate schools have defined schedules to review applications and admit students. Should your PhD dreams fall flat, you may also need to keep yourself open to working so that you do not loose continuity in your employment history in the process.

In this latter regard, perhaps you might even search for a position that will pay you to get a PhD. Such positions are ... few and far between. To be successful, such positions require special arrangements between the industry and university. So, they will not necessarily be up front or immediately in your neighborhood. Are you ready to move locations too?

Finally, when done right, a PhD is an award that you earn by some hard work and sweat equity, it is not a return given for a minimum level of work input. You acknowledge and embrace the joy of having your individual flexibility to learn. That may be the thread that becomes the rope to pull you through the next steps.

Answer 4

I seem to be in quite a similar position to you myself. I have been working as a Mechanical Engineer in industry for over 10 years since I graduated and I have found myself becoming increasingly disillusioned by the repetitive nature of the work and lack of challenge. I feel like I am not really using my true abilities and not realizing my potential. Therefore, I have decided to do a PhD and I have been applying to graduate schools in the current cycle (to start in 2020).

I don't think anyone else can tell you whether or not doing a PhD is the right choice for you. It's something you will need to decide for yourself, based on your life/career plans and what you find interesting and motivating. It might also depend to some extent on your financial circumstances (and PhD funding might vary quite a bit between different countries).

If you dislike your current job, it might be possible to find a different job in industry that you find more rewarding. Just because you hate one job doesn't mean you would necessarily hate them all, and you mention that you quite liked the previous R&D job that you had.

However, doing a PhD would certainly be challenging and stimulating, although it is a big commitment and I hear it can be a tough path (especially in the US, where a PhD tends to take 4-5 years). For me, the thing that really made it clear that a PhD is the right path for me was the realization that I'm disillusioned with Engineering in industry in general, not just my current job. I have found jobseeking over the past year and a half to be a fruitless and very frustrating experience, which has only strengthened my desire to go back into academia.

Also, there are definitely jobs out there in industry that do require a PhD. Many of the more advanced technical jobs that I was applying for said they wanted someone with a PhD. So, I don't agree with the statement that a PhD is irrelevant for jobs in industry. It might not necessarily get you a higher salary and/or pay back on the (opportunity cost) investment financially, but I think it would probably give you access to more challenging and motivating research-based technical positions.

I hope this helps you to find the right path and good luck if you decide to apply!