[dragracer567]

I bet this a common problem faced by many young people these days (though not exactly similar). I am 25 and I presently work in a company in Dubai where I have been working for about a year and a half now. I am generally satisfied with my work though it could be a quite mundane and unfulfilling at times (its my first job so, maybe I'm expecting too much here). My boss and colleagues are extremely happy with me and its almost certain that I will get a raise and more responsibilities in 2021. I should also mention that though we had to take some salary cuts for about 2 - 3 months, the company readily supported us through the pandemic and paid our salaries within the month despite taking a massive hit in finances due to the pandemic.

Now, here comes the dilemma. I have been accepted into an European university to do my PhD with a decent stipend. The professors were especially impressed with my proposal and work plan. Now, the topic I submitted for the PhD is something I am especially passionate about and since I did my master's in Belgium, I would really prefer to live in Europe as compared to Dubai (nicer people, better working conditions, better social life etc). Now I have made a pros and cons list to make the case for continuing my job or go back to university to do my PhD.

Here goes

Continue working in my current company:

Pros

1) Supportive colleagues and boss.
2) New company and I am one of the first employees, so decent chance of upward mobility.
3) Close to my parents who live in neighboring Oman. Could visit them once a month over weekends (not during COVID offcourse).
4) Stay in the corporate sphere which in the long-term may give bigger incomes.
5) Indian food is so easily available in Dubai. I bet there is no form of Indian food which cannot be found in Dubai.

Cons

1) Upward mobility not guaranteed. New company with few projects (new ones are still on paper), family business (so upper echelons are closed off), struggling Dubai economy.
2) Some issues with my boss during the initial days. However, these were solved through frank dialogue.
3) Plateauing experience, I haven't learnt anything new in the past 6 months.
4) Impossible to move into academics/research from corporate after a while due to unique requirements (publications etc.).
5) My field requires good regional experience, so high chance I will be stuck in the Gulf (with no PR or citizenship options).

Go back to university for PhD

Pros

1) A PhD degree opens up multiple new work opportunities.
2) Ability to move back into corporate if I wanted to.
3) I love the topic which I proposed and I am very eager to work on it.
4) I love Europe since I already lived there for 2 years (for masters). Also, good chance of settling down there if I get a job after PhD.
5) Better work-life balance and social life though PhDs can be extremely stressful and challenging in itself (but I like the challenge).

Cons

1) Higher cost of living in Europe (+taxes!!) though rent is actually more expensive in Dubai.
2) No significant increase in income for 3 years (atleast).
3) Need to find a job after PhD.
4) PhD could end up making me a highly specialized researcher without sufficient experience in other allied spheres (depends on my career path after PhD).
5) Can visit my parents only once every 6 months.

So, as you can see this is as much about the place (Dubai vs Europe) as it is about PhD vs continue in present job and hence quite complicated.

My heart says PhD but my head is divided. So, I would love to hear the perspective of Team-BHP community. Is there anything I am not considering in all this? What do you think I should do?

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

Going by what you have listed in Pros and Cons for both options, I would go ahead with the PhD option in Europe, I'm not sure which country it is, but if it is among any of these, I would choose it eyes closed - Germany, France, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy.

A corporate job in Dubai (or wherever), you can have it any day, even after your 3 years of PhD.

Spike

PS - I did my Masters in Aachen, Germany, so I can vouch for the PhD options in Europe, specially in Germany (not that others are inferior).

[ecenandu]

I second Spike, go ahead with the Ph.D. option, the job prospects, career growth in the middle east is going to be tough, that is my hunch.

I was once in a similar situation like yours, done my Masters in Sweden, and had an option to do a Ph.D. But due to some personal reasons, I couldn't continue there. Luckily, I ended up in a job that I am passionate about in the middle east. If I had a second chance, I would definitely opt for the Ph.D.

You have clearly mentioned the pros and cons of both the options, my suggestion is to take up the Ph.D.

[aargee]

No brainer!! You can get that PhD both at 30 & 40, but here's the big deal!! But you get an edge of 10 years for making more money, more knowledge, more connection, more exposure. Go, get that PhD yesterday!!

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by dragracer567

My heart says PhD but my head is divided. So, I would love to hear the perspective of Team-BHP community. Is there anything I am not considering in all this?

The professor you work for, the area of research, your interesting in doing research are important factors. These decide what you end up doing after your PhD. So you have to do your homework before entering.

Also doing a PhD is a long haul grind (approx 5-6 years), you need to keep your motivation levels up for longer timeframes.

Academic life is slow, after couple of years on job its going to look even slower than you experienced in your Masters days

One thing for sure, please don't think PhD as a means to satisfy the location preference.

[itisravi]

There is no guarantee that the job after your PhD will always offer upward mobility, perfect relationship with your co-workers, learning opportunities etc. These things are not related to your qualifications at all. If you are not passionate about academics, you could just look for a new job (in the field you aspire to change to) in Europe, even if it comes with a pay cut or a lower designation.

[ninjatalli]

Easiest decision - PHD.

Education is the #1 reason we all are where we are (family money might be for a limited few). As long as the area of focus is what you are interested in and has a decent probability of opening up the options available to you, you should always go for higher education.

You can always come back to the job options you are leaving on the table - retain your existing relations and make sure you don't burn the bridges during your education period - that and your experience will always be something you can depend on if the post-PHD option doesn't work out.

[Cessna182]

Take the PhD. You might struggle a bit after completing it, but it will pay off in the long run. The most important outcome of a PhD is the ability to create knowledge and that's perhaps the most useful skillset in the future translatable to many industries.

30 is very young in this day and age. People are not going to retire at 60 like in the past- many countries now have retirement at 70+ and that's just going to go up with time. It is totally worth investing 4 or 5 years into a program that teaches you so many managerial, technical and presentation skills. You will present before world authorities in your field and every detail of your work will be scrutinized to an extent where you will find even the best corporate presentations worthy of improvement.

Academia is not just theory- it is the engine of innovation. Learn from it and move on. The world will change very drastically in the next 30 to 40 years that you'll be working. The ability to have a formal training in research and innovation and the perseverence and rigor for analysis that a PhD provides will prove invaluable.

[R2D2]

I am a PhD student myself and in my early 50s. You are only 25 so unless you REALLY, and I stress on this, REALLY need that degree to boost career prospects in a tangible or intangible way, for example research in a particular field, concentrate on work experience. Your masters degree will suffice for now.

Remember there's no age limit to when you can do a doctoral degree, I worked for nearly 30 years and chose to do it a couple of years ago. The experience I gained with corporates is invaluable for my degree. A PhD takes anywhere between 3-6 years with mostly thankless work with all of this depending on your guide. Remember your career (and working lifespan) run against a clock that you cannot turn back.

You are the best judge of your situation but my vote goes to continuing to gain professional work experience and of course earning money as much as possible. There are some students in my batch that continue to work whilst pursuing this degree. Please check with the University if working is an option whether in the ME or in EU.

[Miyata]

Few of my friends largely from 3 firms (GE, Amazon, and Bosch) found their careers not moving much ahead without a PhD. They were all with masters.

So these guys went to the USA. Got their PhDs in computer science / statistics / and the like and are back happy moving ahead in their careers.

If you have already identified the faculty member for a PhD, look through his / her publication and patents profile as well. If it looks healthy; if your advisor is well known in the field; the past students from the lab are well placed; etc...your PhD is more likely to aid your career growth.

If the above mentioned parameters seem not too good, you may be better off continuing your current job or alternately, pick another PhD advisor.

[androdev]

Go to Europe. Don't do PhD.

You seem to be looking for a fast lane and PhD isn't one.

[J4J]

When it comes to PHD, the main (for me, the only) selection criteria is the guide.
I've seen PHD making and breaking people's life. It all depends on your guide.
Don't blindly go with just the Country/University's name.

Do a proper research on your guide, the average time PHD degree is awarded, current projects etc... If possible, get in touch with some existing students under the guide for a frank opinion.

Now, you are an experienced professional. First two years of your PHD will pass very quickly, post that you will be totally under the mercy of your guide. Getting a job(If you feel like coming back) at same pay/level(as you are today) will be difficult. My professor always used to say: "Don't come for PHD thinking that it may finish in 3 years. You must be ready for a long time."

At times your guide may leave you due to any reason(personal or professional) and you may need to hunt for other guides in between.

I would suggest you to do a proper analysis. If the guide is good then definitely go for it. It will be a very good learning experience.

[landcruiser123]

Hi dragracer567,
A fellow youngster here who is the same age. I think we've very similar paths as we both have MS degrees and are working at our first jobs which we sometimes find boring. I've discussed with some friends about a Ph.D. and they have 2 basic questions:
1. Where do you want to be 10 years from now?
2. How will a Ph.D. degree help you get there?

After the conversations, I'm convinced that a Ph.D. won't help me get where I want to be in 10 years, and have decided to get an MBA 2 years from now. If you are passionate about research in your field, by all means, go ahead and do the Ph.D. This is the right age where you have the energy & time to maximize your learning and specialize in a field. Learning is a life-long process btw...

The caveat of doing a Ph.D. is that some universities (at least in the US) have their programs structured in a way that they train their students only for life in academia after the Ph.D. You must do your research on LinkedIn on the paths many former students have taken and make sure your program aligns with your goal. I'm guessing you want to find a research position in a company after your Ph.D.

Originally Posted by dragracer567

I am generally satisfied with my work though it could be a quite mundane and unfulfilling at times (its my first job so, maybe I'm expecting too much here).

I'm reading Bullsh*t Jobs by David Graeber and I'd suggest getting a copy.

Continue working in my current company:

Pros

1) Supportive colleagues and boss.
2) New company and I am one of the first employees, so decent chance of upward mobility.
3) Close to my parents who live in neighboring Oman. Could visit them once a month over weekends (not during COVID offcourse).
4) Stay in the corporate sphere which in the long-term may give bigger incomes.
5) Indian food is so easily available in Dubai.

I won't mince words here - I think you should look at the bigger picture & beyond the comforts you have now.

This is the age where you can take some risks and get out of your comfort zone if you don't have any constraint (like taking care of aging parents or other financial commitments). A little compromise for long term gain can be worth it.

Cons

1) Upward mobility not guaranteed.....
4) Impossible to move into academics/research from corporate after a while due to unique requirements (publications etc.).
5) My field requires good regional experience, so high chance I will be stuck in the Gulf (with no PR or citizenship options).

I don't know too much about your field, but you need to think about the glass ceilings you may hit in 10-15 years. If you want to move to Europe or Canada or whichever country at the age of 35 or 40, it might be more difficult than as a young immigrant.

Go back to university for PhD

Pros

....

Cons

1) Higher cost of living in Europe (+taxes!!) though rent is actually more expensive in Dubai.
2) No significant increase in income for 3 years (atleast).
3) Need to find a job after PhD.
4) PhD could end up making me a highly specialized researcher without sufficient experience in other allied spheres (depends on my career path after PhD).
5) Can visit my parents only once every 6 months.

Again, look at the bigger picture. A little compromise for long term gain is worth it IMHO unless you have some constraints on the personal front. Only you can decide for yourself whether you want to be specialized and how much is extreme specialization going to help you. About the family & parents- with remote work - I'm sure you can work out an arrangement where you can meet your family often or they can stay with you after a few years. Unless you need to be around to take care of aging parents at the moment, I'd say this is not really a con.

Good luck! Feel free to PM me if you want to specifically talk something through.

Remember,
The Ph.D. is as much about the journey as it is about the destination.

EDIT: Also try exploring options for an industry-sponsored Ph.D. I knew a friend who was doing such a program sponsored by a pharmaceutical company in Boston.

[dragracer567]

Originally Posted by SPIKE ARRESTOR

Going by what you have listed in Pros and Cons for both options, I would go ahead with the PhD option in Europe, I'm not sure which country it is, but if it is among any of these, I would choose it eyes closed - Germany, France, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy.

PS - I did my Masters in Aachen, Germany, so I can vouch for the PhD options in Europe, specially in Germany (not that others are inferior).

Thank you. Right now, the topic is supposed to be done partially in The Netherlands and Portugal. But yes, Western Europe is a good place for PhDs. Also Aachen is a beautiful place (just a couple of KMs from the Belgian border).

Originally Posted by ecenandu

I second Spike, go ahead with the Ph.D. option, the job prospects, career growth in the middle east is going to be tough, that is my hunch.

I was once in a similar situation like yours, done my Masters in Sweden, and had an option to do a Ph.D. But due to some personal reasons, I couldn't continue there. Luckily, I ended up in a job that I am passionate about in the middle east. If I had a second chance, I would definitely opt for the Ph.D.

Thank you. Infact, one thing that haunts me is that I will not be able to get such an opportunity again in 10 years given the additional responsibilities or the state of my career during that point of time. My boss is also yearning for a PhD but he just cannot enroll in one right now because of personal reasons.

Originally Posted by narayans80

Also doing a PhD is a long haul grind (approx 5-6 years), you need to keep your motivation levels up for longer timeframes.

Academic life is slow, after couple of years on job its going to look even slower than you experienced in your Masters days

One thing for sure, please don't think PhD as a means to satisfy the location preference.

Very true and this is exactly what I needed to hear from someone. The funding for this particular PhD is limited to 36 months with option to extend for another 12 months. But still, 4 years is still a significant period of a person's life (especially someone my age) and I have seen the toll PhDs can take on a person. Right now, my main motivation is the work itself which I am really interested in but as many other Bhp-ians put it, I need to do more research on the professor and future prospects as well.

Originally Posted by Cessna182

Academia is not just theory- it is the engine of innovation. Learn from it and move on. The world will change very drastically in the next 30 to 40 years that you'll be working. The ability to have a formal training in research and innovation and the perseverence and rigor for analysis that a PhD provides will prove invaluable.

Indeed. I don't know why there is a general contempt towards the academia field in the corporate sector (I am basing this on the viewpoints of many people in my company).

Originally Posted by R2D2

I am a PhD student myself and in my early 50s. You are only 25 so unless you REALLY, and I stress on this, REALLY need that degree to boost career prospects in a tangible or intangible way, for example research in a particular field, concentrate on work experience. Your masters degree will suffice for now.

Remember there's no age limit to when you can do a doctoral degree, I worked for nearly 30 years and chose to do it a couple of years ago. The experience I gained with corporates is invaluable for my degree. A PhD takes anywhere between 3-6 years with mostly thankless work with all of this depending on your guide. Remember your career (and working lifespan) run against a clock that you cannot turn back.

You are the best judge of your situation but my vote goes to continuing to gain professional work experience and of course earning money as much as possible. There are some students in my batch that continue to work whilst pursuing this degree. Please check with the University if working is an option whether in the ME or in EU.

Again, something I needed to hear. This is exactly the reason why I haven't jumped into accepting the PhD. I will certainly do some self-introspection before making any decision.

Originally Posted by Miyata

If you have already identified the faculty member for a PhD, look through his / her publication and patents profile as well. If it looks healthy; if your advisor is well known in the field; the past students from the lab are well placed; etc...your PhD is more likely to aid your career growth.

Originally Posted by J4J

When it comes to PHD, the main (for me, the only) selection criteria is the guide.
I've seen PHD making and breaking people's life. It all depends on your guide.
Don't blindly go with just the Country/University's name.

Do a proper research on your guide, the average time PHD degree is awarded, current projects etc... If possible, get in touch with some existing students under the guide for a frank opinion.

Now, you are an experienced professional. First two years of your PHD will pass very quickly, post that you will be totally under the mercy of your guide. Getting a job(If you feel like coming back) at same pay/level(as you are today) will be difficult. My professor always used to say: "Don't come for PHD thinking that it may finish in 3 years. You must be ready for a long time."

Thank you. I must confess, my research on the faculty members haven't been particularly extensive. I will certainly do an extensive research on the guide before making any decision. Timing for this PhD is limited though, there is no funding option after 4 years and I believe European Universities generally prefer shorter PhDs (based on what I know from my University in Belgium and what I heard from ERASMUS students).

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

Hi dragracer567,
A fellow youngster here who is the same age. I think we've very similar paths as we both have MS degrees and are working at our first jobs which we sometimes find boring. I've discussed with some friends about a Ph.D. and they have 2 basic questions:
1. Where do you want to be 10 years from now?
2. How will a Ph.D. degree help you get there?

After the conversations, I'm convinced that a Ph.D. won't help me get where I want to be in 10 years, and have decided to get an MBA 2 years from now. If you are passionate about research in your field, by all means, go ahead and do the Ph.D. This is the right age where you have the energy & time to maximize your learning and specialize in a field. Learning is a life-long process btw...

I won't mince words here - I think you should look at the bigger picture & beyond the comforts you have now.

This is the age where you can take some risks and get out of your comfort zone if you don't have any constraint (like taking care of aging parents or other financial commitments). A little compromise for long term gain can be worth it.

I don't know too much about your field, but you need to think about the glass ceilings you may hit in 10-15 years. If you want to move to Europe or Canada or whichever country at the age of 35 or 40, it might be more difficult than as a young immigrant.


Again, look at the bigger picture. A little compromise for long term gain is worth it IMHO unless you have some constraints on the personal front. Only you can decide for yourself whether you want to be specialized and how much is extreme specialization going to help you. About the family & parents- with remote work - I'm sure you can work out an arrangement where you can meet your family often or they can stay with you after a few years. Unless you need to be around to take care of aging parents at the moment, I'd say this is not really a con.

Good luck! Feel free to PM me if you want to specifically talk something through.

Remember,
The Ph.D. is as much about the journey as it is about the destination.

EDIT: Also try exploring options for an industry-sponsored Ph.D. I knew a friend who was doing such a program sponsored by a pharmaceutical company in Boston.

Thank you very much for your very balanced views based on your experience. I am cautious by nature but this is what has held me back. And you are indeed right, if I come out of my comfort zone, there are indeed much fewer cons. Visiting my parents isn't exactly a problem since I used to visit them every 6 months during my Bachelors and Masters as well. I will certainly PM you if I need to specifically talk about something

[Cessna182]

Originally Posted by dragracer567

Indeed. I don't know why there is a general contempt towards the academia field in the corporate sector (I am basing this based on the viewpoints of many people in my company).

This is because most Indians don't understand or appreciate academia or innovation. If you look at corporate budgets of the largest companies in India, many times more money is paid to consultants to design strategies which the managers were supposed to design, than to scientists. The consequence is for all of us to see- even a pencil gets imported from China. We revel in fake pride about some guy becoming a CEO of a foreign company and all alumni of that institute bask in his or her glory.

India is a trader's and services economy and there's no real innovation outside a few government research labs in atomic energy, biotech and space research, and a few corporates. We depend on others even for basic stuff like servo motors and simple transducers.

A country where a good PhD with great research, communication and management skills gets paid less than an uber driver in the industry can never become a developed economy. It can have the illusions of grandeur and prestige in a large amount, and a contempt for intellectual activities, like we do.

China invested over USD100 billion over the last few years into their research programs and many talented Indian students now work in China rather than in India because even the PhD stipends are not paid in full or on time here. Every year, the Chinese government invites its overseas PhD students to return and develop the cutting edge tech in semiconductors, renewables etc. My own friends got this invite. They are paid handsomely and most of the companies you see today were built by the research efforts of these PhD folks. The tech may be stolen, but it takes a lot of intelligence to even build a laptop with stolen tech.

If this anti-intellectual boasting in India continues, we are in for deeper trouble in the next few years.