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Dear Andy, can you plz make a video on individual fellowship for post-doc (like Marie-Curie fellowship, etc.)? How much it is easy to get compared to normal one, its pros & cons, etc.
This is sooo true. I literally had to ignore all of the negative feedback when I started telling professors that I wanted to work in industry instead of going into academia. It's not easy to stick to your decision but it is definitely worth it if you feel that academia may not be your initial path.
It depends a lot on the area. At a talk given by a bioinformatics professor he said that in the US 50% of his postgrads were looking to work in the private sector. Drug companies have a lot of money to throw at research.
In case you don't have 25 min to watch the video. Six options mentioned: 1. Post Doc (Postdoc treadmill) 2. Industry R&D jobs 3. Government/ Science Policy 4. Intellectual Property (Patent attorney) 5. Teaching/ Science communication 6. Grant Writer at university grant offices Important skills mentioned: - Networking - Use analytical skills you have to learn about the fields you want to go into in the industry - Willing to continue learning and retraining
There was a chemist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (the equivalent of our Oxford) and he worked "in a trendy field" which was battery technology. He then founded CATL. This year they report 293% growth.
@@BarriosGroupie On the other hand, people jump onto trends and scoop it up and reap the viewers when other people could have started a conversation about the same topic and be equally rewarded.
Hi Andy, thanks for this video, this was very insightful for a first year PhD - I am researching RUclips sociologically. I have a decade of work experience prior to the PhD so your perspective opened up my considerations. I just came across your channel and it covers very useful aspects. Thank you!
I never did a postdoc, I went straight to Assistant Professor. I could not imagine working as a pre-assistant professor for SEVEN YEARS across three postdocs...what a tough deal...no wonder you fell out of love with academia...I think I am fortunate as academia has been very good to me, and I would not want to be anywhere else...it has never dawned on me that I could leave academia...Your videos are definitely quite insightful, even though I finished 21 years ago...please keep posting!
Exactly. I am doing a postdoc as well as being a university professor at the same time. There is literally no reason to do only a postdoc after your PhD. Just go straight for tenured track.
Gosh your videos are super helpful!! Recent Bio grad considering a PhD here, have watched a bunch of your videos so far and they're making me feel so much more prepared for the scary and uncertain future! Thanks for your insightful and no-nonsense advice Andy!
Thank you for your channel, Andy Stapleton! Part of teaching staff currently, wondering whether or not to take up a PhD journey. Your behind-the-scenes videos are certainly an asset for people at a crossroads like me!
As an introvert it's frustrating to network... Although via LinkedIn it's easy enough. I like how positively you addressed the toxicity in academia. Your videos on LinkedIn have helped me cope through my own struggles mentally after having completed my PhD. Thanks!
Thank you very much for the insight. It's hard to say no to a PhD, especially the one I was offered. In my situation I have a couple of degrees and a few years of industry experience under my belt. My professors noticed that and have have bent over backwards organizing a PhD research opportunity for me on behalf of a giant manufacturer in the US and saying that I would be a great candidate. Not only would I get a scholarship but I would also receive grants for equipment costs and annual trips to the US. Initially I was very interested, but the problem is that I HATE academia and I already drag my feet through reports and essays. I would inevitably lose my mind once I've spent a year or two pedaling on that hamster wheel of research. Sure I already did a few degrees just fine but that's because it was practical course work with very little research involved and I could get away with some half-assed referencing. PhD is a totally different ball game. I'm definitely a practical hands-on problem solver and I just won't be able to apply my core skills and interests if I go into academia. Really bad idea.
I think that you are more self aware than most people and you seem to have made the right choice for you! Well done staying true to yourself despite all of the pressure.
Academia is hands on. Not sure why you would think otherwise. It's about daily problem solving... only the problems you are ultimately required to solve have never been solved before by anybody else. If you can't deal with THAT, then academia is not for you.
Academic Publishing - I get to work with some pretty awesome Chemistry PhD's - I have no clue what they are talking about but they sure are fun to hang out with!
When I was in (US) graduate school there was no mention (except in one passing joke) of grant proposals; that was the exclusive province of professors. Back in those days there were a significant number of PhD-level positions in large hospitals, but those days are gone. (I followed the example of a postdoc who went into medical laboratory technology, and I branched out into forensic toxicology.) I remember a couple of PhD's who became cabinet makers, one who took up raising alfalfa sprouts, and another who manufactured and sold handmade and non-toxic toys. I remember a fellow with a degree in particle physics who got a job with a little startup called Intel. In the US a master's degree or PhD is enough to teach at a junior college (first two years of college/uni)-- no specialist education required. In the US a PhD starts in civilian government service at a rank equivalent to a colonel in the Army, with equivalent pay and pension; I think they can also shop at military base stores and gas stations (no taxes).
2021 I'm watching this because I seemed to be at a crossroads of what I want to focus on after my Ph.D. After watching this vlog we have so many options and I too want to live academics and spread my wings. Thanks for this
PostDocs may seem like the path of least resistance, but this path is open to those who graduated from prestigious Carnegie R1-rated universities. If your Ph.D. is from an R2 or D/PU-rated university, you are not competitive for a PostDoc. The latest NSF statistics show that in many fields, there are more Ph.D. holders than jobs. I would add entrepreneurship to Dr. Stapleton's list. You may have to find a gap in the marketplace that you can fill (not unlike finding a dissertation topic) with your skillset.
If you are interested in nature conservation (Ecology, Biology, etc.) starting to work for an NGO is an obvious choice (although it might be considered industry as well?). I actually started my current job while still having to finish the final corrections and edits of my PhD thesis.
@@Paulo-nm1fx Working on human-wildlife conflict for the Cape Leopard Trust. Mostly dealing with farmers. But doing good, yes. Much better than during my PhD. What I am doing now is pretty much an application and adaptation of the knowledge I learned during my PhD (which was also on human-wildlife conflict, but in Namibia, rather than the Western Cape). Although I am still learning a lot as well.
On that topic, is working for a conservation oriented NGO in your country better than working for the efforts of a conservation NGO in another country?
@@Shasen589 That really depends. If you want a higher salary, working for a European or American NGO would probably pay better (but also higher cost of living). But for real field experience and actually working in nature, a local NGO in the area where you are working is often best. In my case I would have loved to work in Namibia, but working with the Cape leopards was an opportunity I could not pass by (I also had no guarantee that I would find a job in Namibia again).
I am in the process of accepting PhD program offers and I couldn’t stop thinking about what will I do after. As a first generation stem student this helped a lot. Thank you very much for to help
Essentially living on campus and teaching, or somewhere in government or public sector is one of main goals~ Cheers for these videos and sharing experiences and qualified advice ^^
@@ryvyr That's the local school board. It's just as hard to get on there as running for president but it pays nothing and you will have to vote for a few book burning programs to get elected these days. :-)
Speaking specifically about STEM PhDs: I know people who have 1) taken the patent bar exam to become patent agents; 2) further trained in project management and taken project coordinator roles; 3) made the transition to business development to facilitate new collaborations/deals; 4) went into investment banking and then to venture capital; 5) started own business offering niche technical services
I just finished my PhD in physical sciences, and I thought a transition to electrical engineering in industry should be straightforward, but now I am finding that electrical engineering goes much deeper than I realized, and I am missing a lot of the knowledge that comes with an EE degree even at the bachelors level. The people at CERN working on producing better electronic detectors for particle physics aren't physics PhDs but electrical engineering PhDs. It would be an EE that can design complicated microelectronic integrated circuits with 50 million transistors. I am not sure if restarting and getting an EE degree is worth the time. On the other hand I'm not sure wtf I really learned in my PhD other than the detector technology currently available is not good enough to perform the measurements we want.
Absolutely agree with all of these, whether you have a PhD or just a plain masters, like myself. I got to know a few of the PhD. students in my department and I was sad to see so many of them fail after they had finished. Yes, it was a liberal arts department, but I feel like the mistake a lot of them made was assuming there would be a related job open for them when they finished. You're right. I feel like PhD and even Master's students need to be networking constantly throughout their program. Definitely a mistake I made was leaving this to the last minute. No, you may not have a job waiting for you when you finish, but there will be people on your team who will be there to help. Also, look into associated fields. So, I got my master's in Museum Studies, which gets a bad rap, but if graduates don't make it into the museum world, you can always work in associated areas, ESPECIALLY in Europe and the UK. I met several people who did my program who worked in for profit luxury hotels, etc., who constantly used their skills in that field. And you can always then transfer back into your original field later. Sorry, I've been with a 4 year old all day.
Thank you so much Sir.. I am going to receive my phd within 3/4 months. Right now i m really confusing regarding career transition..This vid is helpful...
Thanks Andy for your videos. I finished my phd at Unimelb more than a year ago and was offered a postdoc at Monash straightaway. I joined reluctantly as I was super stressed out throughout my phd research doing unknown stuff all the time. In this past year as a postdoc, it has been more of the same. Everyday feels like a new challenge, things never work out as planned and take way more time, and I always lose my focus on the overall project goal for this. Even now, I feel like I don't know enough of anything and this feeling just eats me up everyday. Like you, I love to teach and have had really great experience teaching. And it was the reason for which i wanted to do a phd in the first place (yes, talk about being naive). But tenured track lecturer positions are so hard to come by. And even then, the applicants are judged on the basis of not how well they can teach, but what is their h-index, or whether they have connections within the department offering the position. I am honestly thinking of making a switch to the industry now, as I don't think I have enough passion to be a successful academic. Only question I still have is that, should I still wait a little longer and weather the storm? Or is the storm only gonna get stronger, and leaving early saves everyone time and money. I would really appreciate if you could answer that based on the context that I provided. Sorry for the incredibly long comment. Cheers!
I wouldn’t recommend doing a second or third postdoc. Postdocs rot on the vine if they are postdocs for too long, so it’s not helpful for getting academic positions, and that’s supposed to be the main reason to do a postdoc. You can apply for tt academic position from a permanent position too, as long as you’re publishing. Government national lab jobs for example are a great launching pad for that. You get paid a real wage while applying, have decent job security while you’re applying, and you come across as a professional willing to take a salary cut for personal passion, rather than a desperate, impoverished postdoc skittering around for scraps. There are really only a few reasons I would recommend doing a postdoc: 1. To learn a skill you feel you’ll really need. 2. To network. 3. To upgrade your pedigree (eg., going from a lower ranked graduate program to a higher ranked postdoc) 4. To satisfy the pre-req to apply to tt positions. 5. To bolster your publication record. There are probably other reasons to do a postdoc, but if your reason isn’t on this list you should at least think about it. Some possible bad reasons: 1. Because you don’t know what you want to do next. 2. Because it’s a familiar environment. 3. Because you have a girlfriend/boyfriend in town. 4. To take a pit stop to have kids. There are better setups for having kids.
Hello Andy, thanks to your advices I finished my Phd, one konth and half before. And I am now on this position which I feel lost looking for job. Even that is very specific field.
I am going to do my PhD next September, a bit unsure todo it parttime or full time, will have an online meeting with the program director on 5th January. Came across your videos and love them. Thank you Andy fro the good job!
I never did a post-doc. I’ve viewed that setup as underpaid slave labor to enhance the careers of the same Richard-heads (keeping it clean today!) that hassled me as a graduate student instead of my own. I’m now happy as an American 🇺🇸 expatriate in Taiwan 🇹🇼 and doing a blend of university teaching and private teaching (mostly online English as a Foreign Language). But that’s me and I’m sure that others see postdoctoral work much differently than I do.
`Could be a little bit different" when discussing non-STEM PhDs: Both my wife and I have non-STEM PhDs. If you are not in the top 5-25% of PhD grads based on publication metrics (based on field), it will be nearly impossible to get that tenure-track position. And there are not that many high quality career opportunities other than tenure-track positions outside of STEM.
This is helpful! I am having second thoughts about doing a Ph.D. (being scare). But I really want to do it! I guess is like you said, about time and money and being lonely in the process. Also, being brutally criticized your research LOL.
Please may you make a video of how to write a critical review article ???)) pleaseee I like the way of how u are explaining , you would be a good teacher
Please also make a video on how to become a university professor and academic researcher. And how much hurdles one face if he/she is more attracted towards university position?
It includes a lot of what I have thought anout for a long time… i am three years into industry after my phd working a s researcher, and i find the need to fill the gaps in business knowledge and basic engineering skills. Life is a continuous learning process
I want to leave academics after my PhD. But I feel I have no good set of skills. I do not know what and where should I go. Can you make a video on something like that?
I doubt that. You have presumably gained plenty of research, writing, presentation, and other communication skills! You just have to learn how to sell those skills outside of academia
How About going from phd to lecturer? Not every field requires series of postdocs to apply for an lecturer or senior lecturer position. In fields where work experience is essential (nursing) you can go straight from PhD to lecturer position. You can’t do endless postdocs as you would most likely loose nursing registration anyway. X
Great video! would you make another video in full detail about the Intellectual property career path? Im very interested in that path! Much appreciated
Hello Andy! I'm 31 yo guy, from Brazil, almost finishing my phD in biochemistry. Since I can't see any good job opportunity here in my country, I'm starting to learn statistics and programming. I hope to start a new career as a programmer. Ty for the video, I love ur contents. Cya!
@Anurag Chakraborty You are clearly spamming the internet, kid. Now that's quite an achievement for an engineering PhD who can't get a job in a world that is desperate for engineers. ;-)
Yeah, that's really smart. Any 15 year old nerdish kid can do programming better than you, already, and even the statisticians with a PhD are having a hard time getting a job. Why in the world did you learn biochemistry if you don't know how to get a job in one of the world's fastest expanding fields? So what if you can't stay in Brazil? You get a job in the US or Europe or wherever else they are hiring.
I did a phd in pure mathematics from a tiny, unimportant university. I am trying to find a way to work in industry but I have no idea where I can get work. Pure math is pretty worthless when it comes to finding work in industry.
@@mrinmoyroy269 I appreciate the response. I am considering these directions along with programming. Unfortunately my pure math background involves no data analytic training and I have never done anything in a bank so to get a job in those directions is a challenge.
That is a really interesting dilemma. Not sure how I would feel personally going into a teaching role just to know those people you’re teaching aren’t going to get a job just like you didn’t. Question. What were you thinking at the time? Where did you think a PHD in pure math was gonna get you? Was it more about the prestige and status on of the title? Or what were you thinking? - I understand this sounds assholely, but it’s not meant to be. Just genuinely curious.
as someone near the end of his electrical engineering Ph.D. period, I feel getting a Ph.D. may not be the best decision for someone who is not going to remain in academia. you can always learn more and grow faster in the industry world.
depends: the reason why after working for 5 years I decided I want to do a PhD is because there are a lot of things that the industry doesn't try because no one has really researched it and created a product/service yet. Same with my masters: after 3 years working I realized there was a gap I could cover by studying something that people in my field don't usually study. Now what I notice is a lack of knowledge at a particular area.
With the more study aspect, I'm not sure if I'll ever stop learning or studying something. For the first time in my life after undergrad, I haven't been studying much at all. I felt like it was making me insane going through each day not challenging myself in learning. I can't stop. The means through which I learn just changes I suppose. It makes me wonder what would happen after my PhD. Would this scenario repeat itself?
Год назад
I am lost. Researchers' positions are rare, and the requirement is high. When I apply for a junior position in my field, they say I am overqualified; however, when I apply for a senior position, they say I lack experience. I am in a post-PhD limbo.
2020 showed us that the world need PhD's. Who else would fight coronavirus, understand how it works and create vaccines? PhDs are heros and will continue to be so as long as humanity demands new techology.
Is that true? I thought it was the pharma companies who were inventing the vaccine? I also read somewhere where more patents were filed from industry than academia.
@@WhoIsJohnGaltt oh Yes, Pharma companies do research from scratch. They do not rely on a single article from academia. Also, there is not a single scientist working there holding a phD. If there are some, four years studying like crazy, and making research in the university lab was totally useless in their career. Companies will teach scientific method and advanced research skills for newbie employees.
@@augustodutra3839 yeah I’ve been a little skeptical about the actual contributions of PhD research to the world. I think I’m seeing a trend of more helpful things coming from industry research than academia.
Look for positions and consider moving, or limit your search to your area. Put in applications, develop the materials they ask you for, go to interviews. Same as anything else, but the application and interview process is vastly different depending on the university.
in my group I think that 100% of the people have gone on to industry. We work with companies that recruit directly from our group. I don't think my advisor has even suggested a postdoc. It apparently also helps bring in more funding because students leave and go to companies and sometimes create industry funded collaboration agreements with the group.
I have 3 months to find a job, and I have made very few connections throughout my PhD and I'm gonna do a post doc just to buy enough time to escape (I'm an international student). Life sucks
Hey, thank you for such an informative video. Looking good opportunities post PhD is really an important matter of concern coz thats gonna decide how rewarding your whole life would be.
Thank you for such a helpful video Andy. I am a PhD candidate doing research about Mandarin acquisition. What I really want to do after PhD is to work at a university, I just quite like university as the working environment. But is there anything else in Uni I can do other than a lecturing role in a language department where has a Mandarin programme? I'd hope to hear some of your suggestions.
Research university? If you can't get tenure at a research university, you are lower than the door matt. Even the students will be looking down on you because they know that "she couldn't get tenure". Why in the world do you want to do that to yourself?
@@eylam9690 Yes, but rational people aren't getting themselves into door mat positions that pay zilch, have long hours and no future. They move on. :-)
About a decade ago I read a University Affairs magazine article in which a man stated that in his field, it was very common for people to obtain a PhD and then take a job as an administrator. The PhD was a kind of badge of honor and authority and a way that they could find out what was going on in their field. This really seems like a waste of research training and skill development to me. Has anyone else heard of this kind of thing?
I’m in the process of applying for a PhD in second language research and all I wish to do is be a professor. I am already a highschool teacher but i want to move up. What are the odds of making it as a teacher?
What is so crazy to me is how they can expect you to do a phd, best case you are on your late 20s, then doing a post-doc for a few more years, I WANT STABILITY, I want to start looking for a place to finally "live" in, not fear about not knowing where I will work next year, or were I will live, and in my 30s is when I will take the final decision of having a kid or not, and I would basically be in the same position as those bachelors who are getting their first shitty short-term jobs. Yeah im doing my masters, look into getting into industry, if I cant then Im doing an industry phd and getting outta here, I want to do research but Im a person first, researcher second
For people who are considering to take a Ph.D: if they want to work outside academia, other than RnD. It seems to be almost pointless to take a Ph.D. It is better to directly go to the jobs without a Ph.D. However, if you have completed a Ph.D, you have to do this if you don't like academia and RnD, in other words "a career shift."
Andy, before two weeks, gave one interview in Germany and the supervisor interviewed me for around 1 hour and it was like a discussion. I think he was in a positive mood and last told me 'see you'. Still, he has not been mailed to me. What do you think? will he hire me?
I loved my PhD, but mostly because I love research so much. Academia, not neccesarily. I am trying to find a research job outside academia. I do LOVE the argument of academics regarding academic freedom. 'Yeah but there you can study whatever you want to!'. Do you, really? If you get funding, maybe? The competition drives me nuts. 'But you can work whenever you want!' Yeah you work NON STOP.
Cool movie! also think that you will never be able to get a good career advice at the university - with the university career centers, it's the same as with startup accelerators at universities. Yes, you can get a advice from them equity-free but how many successful corporations started there? I never heard of any.
Can I go back for masters degree after getting a PhD?? Note:the masters I want to obtain now is in another field.Will I be given visa?my target country of study is the US
Very nice video, eagerly waiting to submit thesis.... Facing troubles on multiple fronts, unusually lot of time spent and can't leave now..... really tough to do PhD with job as prof, less of research and with a very busy supervisor....
This needs to be condensed. As and aside...You don't need a PhD to apply for a grant. And networking should be genuine. You just said meeting people you don't really like. Proves it's all about the $$$
just go to industry as soon as you graduate from your desired degree. Being an academic is boring and takes away from living life. You won't be able to travel with your corp friends, enjoy networking events with big shot c-suits, and you will be missing out on a lot of money.
could you invite one of your friends who got into goverment positions to your channel and make a video with them? id be very interested to hear more about it!
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Dear Andy, can you plz make a video on individual fellowship for post-doc (like Marie-Curie fellowship, etc.)? How much it is easy to get compared to normal one, its pros & cons, etc.
"Do not listen to anyone in academia if you want to leave academia" haha great advice!
This is sooo true. I literally had to ignore all of the negative feedback when I started telling professors that I wanted to work in industry instead of going into academia. It's not easy to stick to your decision but it is definitely worth it if you feel that academia may not be your initial path.
Thank u so much, I literally got MY PHD A few months ago but I’m still. Bored hahaha
Says someone in academia lol
@@TheProfessionalPhD my former PhD supervisor might want to leave as well, and is curious about the steps I'm taking :p
It depends a lot on the area. At a talk given by a bioinformatics professor he said that in the US 50% of his postgrads were looking to work in the private sector. Drug companies have a lot of money to throw at research.
In case you don't have 25 min to watch the video.
Six options mentioned:
1. Post Doc (Postdoc treadmill)
2. Industry R&D jobs
3. Government/ Science Policy
4. Intellectual Property (Patent attorney)
5. Teaching/ Science communication
6. Grant Writer at university grant offices
Important skills mentioned:
- Networking
- Use analytical skills you have to learn about the fields you want to go into in the industry
- Willing to continue learning and retraining
Bear in mind that nothing in life is free, so people need to get paid for their time and energy via us viewing the video and adverts fairly.
@@BarriosGroupie true
There was a chemist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (the equivalent of our Oxford) and he worked "in a trendy field" which was battery technology. He then founded CATL. This year they report 293% growth.
@@BarriosGroupie On the other hand, people jump onto trends and scoop it up and reap the viewers when other people could have started a conversation about the same topic and be equally rewarded.
Sales
As a grade 10 drop out, this was extremely helpful.
lol
The real story is: If you are a worker, you get fucked no matter where you stand on the ladder.
high school is bupkiss
lucky guy
You’re funny!
Hi Andy, thanks for this video, this was very insightful for a first year PhD - I am researching RUclips sociologically. I have a decade of work experience prior to the PhD so your perspective opened up my considerations. I just came across your channel and it covers very useful aspects. Thank you!
I never did a postdoc, I went straight to Assistant Professor. I could not imagine working as a pre-assistant professor for SEVEN YEARS across three postdocs...what a tough deal...no wonder you fell out of love with academia...I think I am fortunate as academia has been very good to me, and I would not want to be anywhere else...it has never dawned on me that I could leave academia...Your videos are definitely quite insightful, even though I finished 21 years ago...please keep posting!
Exactly. I am doing a postdoc as well as being a university professor at the same time. There is literally no reason to do only a postdoc after your PhD. Just go straight for tenured track.
@@worawatsr9803 Just go straight for tenured track - lol, sure i will do that as a PhD in history in an environment experiencing massive cuts
@@worawatsr9803depends on your field. In mine, most tt positions require at least a year of postdoc experience.
Gosh your videos are super helpful!! Recent Bio grad considering a PhD here, have watched a bunch of your videos so far and they're making me feel so much more prepared for the scary and uncertain future! Thanks for your insightful and no-nonsense advice Andy!
Thank you for your channel, Andy Stapleton! Part of teaching staff currently, wondering whether or not to take up a PhD journey. Your behind-the-scenes videos are certainly an asset for people at a crossroads like me!
As an introvert it's frustrating to network... Although via LinkedIn it's easy enough. I like how positively you addressed the toxicity in academia. Your videos on LinkedIn have helped me cope through my own struggles mentally after having completed my PhD. Thanks!
I'm so pleased that I was able to help in some way! Keep moving forward, Apurupa!
Thank you so much. I really like your channel. Good luck with everything you are doing.
Thank you very much for the insight. It's hard to say no to a PhD, especially the one I was offered. In my situation I have a couple of degrees and a few years of industry experience under my belt. My professors noticed that and have have bent over backwards organizing a PhD research opportunity for me on behalf of a giant manufacturer in the US and saying that I would be a great candidate. Not only would I get a scholarship but I would also receive grants for equipment costs and annual trips to the US. Initially I was very interested, but the problem is that I HATE academia and I already drag my feet through reports and essays. I would inevitably lose my mind once I've spent a year or two pedaling on that hamster wheel of research. Sure I already did a few degrees just fine but that's because it was practical course work with very little research involved and I could get away with some half-assed referencing. PhD is a totally different ball game. I'm definitely a practical hands-on problem solver and I just won't be able to apply my core skills and interests if I go into academia. Really bad idea.
I think that you are more self aware than most people and you seem to have made the right choice for you! Well done staying true to yourself despite all of the pressure.
Academia is hands on. Not sure why you would think otherwise. It's about daily problem solving... only the problems you are ultimately required to solve have never been solved before by anybody else. If you can't deal with THAT, then academia is not for you.
Brave thing to take a stand. Knowing our needs and wants are key in order not to get distracted by non-goals.
Academic Publishing - I get to work with some pretty awesome Chemistry PhD's - I have no clue what they are talking about but they sure are fun to hang out with!
When I was in (US) graduate school there was no mention (except in one passing joke) of grant proposals; that was the exclusive province of professors. Back in those days there were a significant number of PhD-level positions in large hospitals, but those days are gone. (I followed the example of a postdoc who went into medical laboratory technology, and I branched out into forensic toxicology.) I remember a couple of PhD's who became cabinet makers, one who took up raising alfalfa sprouts, and another who manufactured and sold handmade and non-toxic toys. I remember a fellow with a degree in particle physics who got a job with a little startup called Intel. In the US a master's degree or PhD is enough to teach at a junior college (first two years of college/uni)-- no specialist education required. In the US a PhD starts in civilian government service at a rank equivalent to a colonel in the Army, with equivalent pay and pension; I think they can also shop at military base stores and gas stations (no taxes).
Thank you. I’m starting my Ph.D this year, God willing. Your videos are helpful 🙏🏼
2021 I'm watching this because I seemed to be at a crossroads of what I want to focus on after my Ph.D. After watching this vlog we have so many options and I too want to live academics and spread my wings. Thanks for this
We are together, have you completed
@@erasmuskabu2717 I haven't completed yet.
Loved your video. It really helped me to know I am not the only one that doesn't know what to do after her PhD
Glad you enjoyed it!
PostDocs may seem like the path of least resistance, but this path is open to those who graduated from prestigious Carnegie R1-rated universities. If your Ph.D. is from an R2 or D/PU-rated university, you are not competitive for a PostDoc. The latest NSF statistics show that in many fields, there are more Ph.D. holders than jobs. I would add entrepreneurship to Dr. Stapleton's list. You may have to find a gap in the marketplace that you can fill (not unlike finding a dissertation topic) with your skillset.
If you are interested in nature conservation (Ecology, Biology, etc.) starting to work for an NGO is an obvious choice (although it might be considered industry as well?). I actually started my current job while still having to finish the final corrections and edits of my PhD thesis.
What's your job mate? Doing good now? I'm a biologist undergraduate and I also am interested in this area!
@@Paulo-nm1fx Working on human-wildlife conflict for the Cape Leopard Trust. Mostly dealing with farmers. But doing good, yes. Much better than during my PhD. What I am doing now is pretty much an application and adaptation of the knowledge I learned during my PhD (which was also on human-wildlife conflict, but in Namibia, rather than the Western Cape). Although I am still learning a lot as well.
On that topic, is working for a conservation oriented NGO in your country better than working for the efforts of a conservation NGO in another country?
@@Shasen589 That really depends. If you want a higher salary, working for a European or American NGO would probably pay better (but also higher cost of living). But for real field experience and actually working in nature, a local NGO in the area where you are working is often best. In my case I would have loved to work in Namibia, but working with the Cape leopards was an opportunity I could not pass by (I also had no guarantee that I would find a job in Namibia again).
Andy, thank you. I was so focused on my phd that I did not think of life afterwards. My phd was in Health Science.
I am in the process of accepting PhD program offers and I couldn’t stop thinking about what will I do after. As a first generation stem student this helped a lot. Thank you very much for to help
Essentially living on campus and teaching, or somewhere in government or public sector is one of main goals~ Cheers for these videos and sharing experiences and qualified advice ^^
So when are you running for the local school board? ;-)
@@schmetterling4477 In further honing in on where most impacting and efficient as per feasible with my schedule and present inundation ^^;;
@@ryvyr That's the local school board. It's just as hard to get on there as running for president but it pays nothing and you will have to vote for a few book burning programs to get elected these days. :-)
Speaking specifically about STEM PhDs: I know people who have 1) taken the patent bar exam to become patent agents; 2) further trained in project management and taken project coordinator roles; 3) made the transition to business development to facilitate new collaborations/deals; 4) went into investment banking and then to venture capital; 5) started own business offering niche technical services
Do you even need a Ph.D for these roles in the first place?
@@AdiPrimandaGinting not you need, but they want phd as employees
I just finished my PhD in physical sciences, and I thought a transition to electrical engineering in industry should be straightforward, but now I am finding that electrical engineering goes much deeper than I realized, and I am missing a lot of the knowledge that comes with an EE degree even at the bachelors level. The people at CERN working on producing better electronic detectors for particle physics aren't physics PhDs but electrical engineering PhDs. It would be an EE that can design complicated microelectronic integrated circuits with 50 million transistors. I am not sure if restarting and getting an EE degree is worth the time. On the other hand I'm not sure wtf I really learned in my PhD other than the detector technology currently available is not good enough to perform the measurements we want.
Investment banking is amazing
Thanks for your video. It was extremely helpful during my transition. Couple of other career options to add - a) consulting, b) equity research.
How can we start consulting as a career after phd in science? Your advice would be much helpful
Excellent list. I would only add finance and consulting specifically under the corporate header.
Absolutely agree with all of these, whether you have a PhD or just a plain masters, like myself. I got to know a few of the PhD. students in my department and I was sad to see so many of them fail after they had finished. Yes, it was a liberal arts department, but I feel like the mistake a lot of them made was assuming there would be a related job open for them when they finished. You're right. I feel like PhD and even Master's students need to be networking constantly throughout their program. Definitely a mistake I made was leaving this to the last minute. No, you may not have a job waiting for you when you finish, but there will be people on your team who will be there to help. Also, look into associated fields. So, I got my master's in Museum Studies, which gets a bad rap, but if graduates don't make it into the museum world, you can always work in associated areas, ESPECIALLY in Europe and the UK. I met several people who did my program who worked in for profit luxury hotels, etc., who constantly used their skills in that field. And you can always then transfer back into your original field later.
Sorry, I've been with a 4 year old all day.
Valuable and valid information. Thanks for posting.
Thank you so much Sir..
I am going to receive my phd within 3/4 months. Right now i m really confusing regarding career transition..This vid is helpful...
Thanks Andy for your videos. I finished my phd at Unimelb more than a year ago and was offered a postdoc at Monash straightaway. I joined reluctantly as I was super stressed out throughout my phd research doing unknown stuff all the time. In this past year as a postdoc, it has been more of the same. Everyday feels like a new challenge, things never work out as planned and take way more time, and I always lose my focus on the overall project goal for this. Even now, I feel like I don't know enough of anything and this feeling just eats me up everyday. Like you, I love to teach and have had really great experience teaching. And it was the reason for which i wanted to do a phd in the first place (yes, talk about being naive). But tenured track lecturer positions are so hard to come by. And even then, the applicants are judged on the basis of not how well they can teach, but what is their h-index, or whether they have connections within the department offering the position. I am honestly thinking of making a switch to the industry now, as I don't think I have enough passion to be a successful academic. Only question I still have is that, should I still wait a little longer and weather the storm? Or is the storm only gonna get stronger, and leaving early saves everyone time and money. I would really appreciate if you could answer that based on the context that I provided. Sorry for the incredibly long comment. Cheers!
i totally relate with this..and being on my second masters degree...it's challenging..you really gave words to all the thoughts in my head.
I wouldn’t recommend doing a second or third postdoc. Postdocs rot on the vine if they are postdocs for too long, so it’s not helpful for getting academic positions, and that’s supposed to be the main reason to do a postdoc.
You can apply for tt academic position from a permanent position too, as long as you’re publishing. Government national lab jobs for example are a great launching pad for that. You get paid a real wage while applying, have decent job security while you’re applying, and you come across as a professional willing to take a salary cut for personal passion, rather than a desperate, impoverished postdoc skittering around for scraps.
There are really only a few reasons I would recommend doing a postdoc:
1. To learn a skill you feel you’ll really need.
2. To network.
3. To upgrade your pedigree (eg., going from a lower ranked graduate program to a higher ranked postdoc)
4. To satisfy the pre-req to apply to tt positions.
5. To bolster your publication record.
There are probably other reasons to do a postdoc, but if your reason isn’t on this list you should at least think about it. Some possible bad reasons:
1. Because you don’t know what you want to do next.
2. Because it’s a familiar environment.
3. Because you have a girlfriend/boyfriend in town.
4. To take a pit stop to have kids. There are better setups for having kids.
Another option to consider:
Data curator / data scientist / informatics / software coding / database management
Thank you, your talks are quite inspirational !
Thank you Andy for this video. Your efforts and insights are truly helpful. Much needed video right now for me.
Another great video. thanks for sharing. I had similar experiences after my PhD
You so funny. I love listening to and watching you.
Hello Andy, thanks to your advices I finished my Phd, one konth and half before. And I am now on this position which I feel lost looking for job. Even that is very specific field.
Many great observations, well analyzed!
Feeling motivated and another angle to really think over after PhD
I am going to do my PhD next September, a bit unsure todo it parttime or full time, will have an online meeting with the program director on 5th January. Came across your videos and love them. Thank you Andy fro the good job!
A good book (although USA centered) is "the professor is in" ; this book also has a chapter on leaving academia which might be helpful
All the best for your future marketing goals.
Just got my PHD this was very helpful
I'm pleased it helped! I wish you all the best going forward with your career!
I never did a post-doc. I’ve viewed that setup as underpaid slave labor to enhance the careers of the same Richard-heads (keeping it clean today!) that hassled me as a graduate student instead of my own. I’m now happy as an American 🇺🇸 expatriate in Taiwan 🇹🇼 and doing a blend of university teaching and private teaching (mostly online English as a Foreign Language). But that’s me and I’m sure that others see postdoctoral work much differently than I do.
`Could be a little bit different" when discussing non-STEM PhDs: Both my wife and I have non-STEM PhDs. If you are not in the top 5-25% of PhD grads based on publication metrics (based on field), it will be nearly impossible to get that tenure-track position. And there are not that many high quality career opportunities other than tenure-track positions outside of STEM.
To clarify, the PhD itself doesn't open any new doors to high quality career opportunities in non-STEM.
@@chuckehlschlaeger2272 I think nursing is different even if it is non-stem
This is helpful! I am having second thoughts about doing a Ph.D. (being scare). But I really want to do it! I guess is like you said, about time and money and being lonely in the process. Also, being brutally criticized your research LOL.
Please may you make a video of how to write a critical review article ???)) pleaseee I like the way of how u are explaining , you would be a good teacher
Great vid! thanks for posting
i really enjoy your content pls dont stop
Please also make a video on how to become a university professor and academic researcher. And how much hurdles one face if he/she is more attracted towards university position?
It includes a lot of what I have thought anout for a long time… i am three years into industry after my phd working a s researcher, and i find the need to fill the gaps in business knowledge and basic engineering skills. Life is a continuous learning process
Thank you so much for your video and that is helpful for me!
You are very welcome! I'm glad that it was so helpful for you.
Thanks for your valuable information
I want to leave academics after my PhD. But I feel I have no good set of skills. I do not know what and where should I go. Can you make a video on something like that?
It's it crazy that you can finished the highest degree in your field and not have skills for jobs?!? I'm reflecting on this with my PhD in Education.
Observe your self once again, you must have a lot of skills and abilities .......
@@emailtojanjua1 my strongest skill is to critique 😂 (company wants constructing guys not terminators
I doubt that. You have presumably gained plenty of research, writing, presentation, and other communication skills! You just have to learn how to sell those skills outside of academia
Well, go back and reexamined how you really got the PhD if you are this dumb!!!
How About going from phd to lecturer? Not every field requires series of postdocs to apply for an lecturer or senior lecturer position. In fields where work experience is essential (nursing) you can go straight from PhD to lecturer position. You can’t do endless postdocs as you would most likely loose nursing registration anyway. X
Great video!
would you make another video in full detail about the Intellectual property career path?
Im very interested in that path!
Much appreciated
great listening to you... nice
Thanks a lot for the advice
Hello Andy! I'm 31 yo guy, from Brazil, almost finishing my phD in biochemistry. Since I can't see any good job opportunity here in my country, I'm starting to learn statistics and programming. I hope to start a new career as a programmer. Ty for the video, I love ur contents. Cya!
@Anurag Chakraborty You are clearly spamming the internet, kid. Now that's quite an achievement for an engineering PhD who can't get a job in a world that is desperate for engineers. ;-)
Yeah, that's really smart. Any 15 year old nerdish kid can do programming better than you, already, and even the statisticians with a PhD are having a hard time getting a job. Why in the world did you learn biochemistry if you don't know how to get a job in one of the world's fastest expanding fields? So what if you can't stay in Brazil? You get a job in the US or Europe or wherever else they are hiring.
I did a phd in pure mathematics from a tiny, unimportant university. I am trying to find a way to work in industry but I have no idea where I can get work. Pure math is pretty worthless when it comes to finding work in industry.
what about the banking sector or data analysis sector? I've come to know that there people need lots of mathematical modeling skills.
@@mrinmoyroy269 I appreciate the response. I am considering these directions along with programming. Unfortunately my pure math background involves no data analytic training and I have never done anything in a bank so to get a job in those directions is a challenge.
Why not teach?
@@tosin_davidson isn't it funny that one spends all that time to get a degree and the only option is to teach? But teach where?
That is a really interesting dilemma. Not sure how I would feel personally going into a teaching role just to know those people you’re teaching aren’t going to get a job just like you didn’t. Question. What were you thinking at the time? Where did you think a PHD in pure math was gonna get you? Was it more about the prestige and status on of the title? Or what were you thinking?
- I understand this sounds assholely, but it’s not meant to be. Just genuinely curious.
Thank you sir
as someone near the end of his electrical engineering Ph.D. period, I feel getting a Ph.D. may not be the best decision for someone who is not going to remain in academia. you can always learn more and grow faster in the industry world.
depends: the reason why after working for 5 years I decided I want to do a PhD is because there are a lot of things that the industry doesn't try because no one has really researched it and created a product/service yet. Same with my masters: after 3 years working I realized there was a gap I could cover by studying something that people in my field don't usually study. Now what I notice is a lack of knowledge at a particular area.
With the more study aspect, I'm not sure if I'll ever stop learning or studying something. For the first time in my life after undergrad, I haven't been studying much at all. I felt like it was making me insane going through each day not challenging myself in learning. I can't stop. The means through which I learn just changes I suppose. It makes me wonder what would happen after my PhD. Would this scenario repeat itself?
I am lost. Researchers' positions are rare, and the requirement is high. When I apply for a junior position in my field, they say I am overqualified; however, when I apply for a senior position, they say I lack experience. I am in a post-PhD limbo.
2020 showed us that the world need PhD's.
Who else would fight coronavirus, understand how it works and create vaccines? PhDs are heros and will continue to be so as long as humanity demands new techology.
but they aree paid less and it´s stressful at times.
@@timsy6869 It is true unfortunately, for that reason I respect them even more.
Is that true? I thought it was the pharma companies who were inventing the vaccine? I also read somewhere where more patents were filed from industry than academia.
@@WhoIsJohnGaltt oh Yes, Pharma companies do research from scratch. They do not rely on a single article from academia. Also, there is not a single scientist working there holding a phD. If there are some, four years studying like crazy, and making research in the university lab was totally useless in their career. Companies will teach scientific method and advanced research skills for newbie employees.
@@augustodutra3839 yeah I’ve been a little skeptical about the actual contributions of PhD research to the world. I think I’m seeing a trend of more helpful things coming from industry research than academia.
Thats great bro, you are a great scholar and video grapher, why did you have that beard so long? haha
How to become a teacher in a college after PhD ? What are the steps ? Could you guide me?
Look for positions and consider moving, or limit your search to your area. Put in applications, develop the materials they ask you for, go to interviews. Same as anything else, but the application and interview process is vastly different depending on the university.
@@christinegreen3974 thank you for your inputs. I'll be sure to look into this.👍
Hi, were you able to get a teaching professor position at college? Can you share your experience?
in my group I think that 100% of the people have gone on to industry. We work with companies that recruit directly from our group. I don't think my advisor has even suggested a postdoc. It apparently also helps bring in more funding because students leave and go to companies and sometimes create industry funded collaboration agreements with the group.
I have 3 months to find a job, and I have made very few connections throughout my PhD and I'm gonna do a post doc just to buy enough time to escape (I'm an international student). Life sucks
Way you had some chill jazz turns on your older vids!?
Money Money Money! That's the only reason I would spend that long in school!
What if I'm interested in going into Clinical Research, specifically thereputic R&D? Is a clinical postdoc a good or bad idea then?
I have some ideas about what to do after my phd
post doctoral
research manager
project manager
still undecided
Hey, thank you for such an informative video. Looking good opportunities post PhD is really an important matter of concern coz thats gonna decide how rewarding your whole life would be.
انا ابحث عن منحه لما بعد الدكتوراه فى استراليا فى التنميه الاقتصاديه
Thank you for such a helpful video Andy. I am a PhD candidate doing research about Mandarin acquisition. What I really want to do after PhD is to work at a university, I just quite like university as the working environment. But is there anything else in Uni I can do other than a lecturing role in a language department where has a Mandarin programme? I'd hope to hear some of your suggestions.
Research university? If you can't get tenure at a research university, you are lower than the door matt. Even the students will be looking down on you because they know that "she couldn't get tenure". Why in the world do you want to do that to yourself?
@@schmetterling4477 Because not everybody is obsessed with what other people think of them.
@@eylam9690 Yes, but rational people aren't getting themselves into door mat positions that pay zilch, have long hours and no future. They move on. :-)
About a decade ago I read a University Affairs magazine article in which a man stated that in his field, it was very common for people to obtain a PhD and then take a job as an administrator. The PhD was a kind of badge of honor and authority and a way that they could find out what was going on in their field. This really seems like a waste of research training and skill development to me. Has anyone else heard of this kind of thing?
I was waiting for startup 😟☹
I’m in the process of applying for a PhD in second language research and all I wish to do is be a professor. I am already a highschool teacher but i want to move up. What are the odds of making it as a teacher?
What is so crazy to me is how they can expect you to do a phd, best case you are on your late 20s, then doing a post-doc for a few more years, I WANT STABILITY, I want to start looking for a place to finally "live" in, not fear about not knowing where I will work next year, or were I will live, and in my 30s is when I will take the final decision of having a kid or not, and I would basically be in the same position as those bachelors who are getting their first shitty short-term jobs.
Yeah im doing my masters, look into getting into industry, if I cant then Im doing an industry phd and getting outta here, I want to do research but Im a person first, researcher second
How about working for nonprofits?
For people who are considering to take a Ph.D: if they want to work outside academia, other than RnD. It seems to be almost pointless to take a Ph.D. It is better to directly go to the jobs without a Ph.D.
However, if you have completed a Ph.D, you have to do this if you don't like academia and RnD, in other words "a career shift."
Any guide for post doctorate for me ? I am done my PhD in chemistry please guide me
Andy, before two weeks, gave one interview in Germany and the supervisor interviewed me for around 1 hour and it was like a discussion. I think he was in a positive mood and last told me 'see you'. Still, he has not been mailed to me. What do you think? will he hire me?
what are other options after phd , if i dont want a post doc and teaching
I loved my PhD, but mostly because I love research so much. Academia, not neccesarily. I am trying to find a research job outside academia.
I do LOVE the argument of academics regarding academic freedom. 'Yeah but there you can study whatever you want to!'. Do you, really? If you get funding, maybe? The competition drives me nuts. 'But you can work whenever you want!' Yeah you work NON STOP.
Cool movie! also think that you will never be able to get a good career advice at the university - with the university career centers, it's the same as with startup accelerators at universities. Yes, you can get a advice from them equity-free but how many successful corporations started there? I never heard of any.
Can I go back for masters degree after getting a PhD??
Note:the masters I want to obtain now is in another field.Will I be given visa?my target country of study is the US
What about becoming a quant after phd in maths
Plz answer somebody bcoz i need guidance
The reality is that Postdocs are opportunities that don't reach everyone. I've had no Postdoc opportunities. I would have jumped on one in a second.
Very nice video, eagerly waiting to submit thesis.... Facing troubles on multiple fronts, unusually lot of time spent and can't leave now..... really tough to do PhD with job as prof, less of research and with a very busy supervisor....
This needs to be condensed. As and aside...You don't need a PhD to apply for a grant. And networking should be genuine. You just said meeting people you don't really like. Proves it's all about the $$$
After watching this video, I sensed that doing a Ph.D. is a mistake, and after doing a Ph.D. you have to try to make for that mistake
Sir can I get to know where are you working now?
Looking for post doctorate sir
just go to industry as soon as you graduate from your desired degree. Being an academic is boring and takes away from living life. You won't be able to travel with your corp friends, enjoy networking events with big shot c-suits, and you will be missing out on a lot of money.
could you invite one of your friends who got into goverment positions to your channel and make a video with them? id be very interested to hear more about it!
What about opening a bakery? 😅
Could a PhD be useful to found a start-up?
It certainly felt like it helped me!
Sure. Except... that's not what you need to be founder. You need business acumen. Do you have business acumen?
You're awsome
I am a 19 year old, aspiring to enter the field of Academia of pure science, I have no idea about so many things! Where can I contact you?!
what are other options after phd , if i dont want a post doc and teaching? , I dont want to study more then what should i do? after phd?
Please share in Hindi also