Should you do a PhD?

0:00 Introduction
0:19 The positive side of a PhD
0:47 Important caveats
1:28 How a PhD differs from everything you've done before
3:20 You don't need to do a PhD to continue learning
4:02 Who should do a PhD?
4:43 Make sure you get the right support
6:53 Look at the job market & have a backup plan
9:22 Talk to people who've done a PhD and get different perspectives
10:00 Doing a PhD for the validation
11:18 If you really want to do a PhD, go for it!

[wrbl]

Much truth said. I was offered to do a PhD by my PI after starting to be the head contractor in a research project and accepted it immediatly, mainly for the higher income and validation I guess. I was given whole research plan for the thesis which I thought was a huge advantage at first but it turned out to be a big nightmare, as I did not believe in the research I do, also due to the fact that the plan and general idea was not invented by me and impostor syndrome was hitting hard. I wanted to drop out 1000 times a day. Finally I left academia. Luckily for me, beside the important field I worked in, the skills gained through the doctoral school education and university job were highly appreciated in the industry and easily got me a senior-tech/R&D job. After starting the fulltime position I finished the thesis with tears and pain as a really stubborn person. Now as I am waiting for the defence, I look back on the PhD thing as a process which gave me persistence and valuable skills, not only the title that I hopefully will be given soon. Every person situation and individual perspective is different, but you must answer yourself as quick as possible, is the academic environment suitable for you. Good luck to all the people sturggling, you will make it.

[didikyanto]

Thank you, James; it opened my mind and was very inspiring. It very much relates to me, right now. Again, thank you

[Muslim_Hind]

Many people in India are going into phd just to get 4-5 years of funding. They don't know what they will do after phd with such a mindset.

This is happening because there is so much unemployment or underemployment. Also, most of the passed out phds don't tell the reality but only encourage for doing a phd. Either passed outs are unaware of other things that exists in the market or they hide the reality for some reason.

[CharliWrites]

Thank you so much for this video. What advice would you give to (social science) bachelor's students who are interested in pursuing a PhD in the future? How can they best set themselves up for success during the years in between?