I don't think that this is necessarily a good thing. I mean lets say that person X takes a fully funded PhD studentship (like the one that I got), not because he/she loves the subject and wants to advance it, but with the intention of using it as a stepping stone to "consultancy" or "university management". That would deprive someone who has a desire to actually research and contribute. In that case, the whole raison d'etre of the PhD is undermined, and fairly pointless in my eyes.

What do others think?

Sometimes I think I would quit if I had the guts to be honest.
It's all very disappointing.

But I blame myself too. I don't recognise myself when I work, I've become unreliable with deadlines, I'm never happy after a day's worth of writing, and I'm never looking forward for the next day.

A professor told me that a PhD is 5% intelligence and 95% patience.

o.stoll - the current rate of salary for a newly qualified nurse is ~£19,000. Compare that to a job I would have got having the PhD I dropped out of - £11,000 (if I'd been lucky).

Do you think salary is the most important thing? Happiness and job satisfaction are way more important in my opinion.

not a chance would i do it again - cost a bomb, temporarily lost my social life, made me cry loads, no excellent job prospects afterwards, and a life time of a badly paid academic. All for 3 years worth of unneccessary study and to have 'Dr' in front of your name! I would instead work as a researcher for 3 years and buy the title of PhD from some random internet university for £50!

@ badhaircut: nail on head, imo. Need I say more?
Jay2007's professor comment backs that up. 5% ? pmsl (incredulous).
@ hatethelab: Quite. I suppose academia is now (has been for a while) a money-spinner for the lucky x percentile, something o.stoll applauds (no judgement intended.)
@ phder: The 'buy the Dr title for £50' comment made me laugh, class!!
Given the consensus from contributions to this thread, however, £50 would appear to be a touch pricey; maybe £4.95 would be more appropriate

I just wrote a really long diatribe on this subject but everyone else has alredy said everything I was going to. I deleted it. If you want to teach undergraduates on temporary contracts for no money do a PhD. This is the truth. There are so many PhD's now that you are superfluous. Run run as fast as you can.

Wow this is a popular thread!!! And sums up everything I've been thinking recently :)

I feel like I'm caught up in this weird little academic bubble, where the PhD is the be-all and end-all of life... but I've started to notice that nobody outside of the 'bubble' gives a crap about it... In fact jobwise I think you're worse off if you do have a PhD - the only place you're better off is in academia, where non-existent jobs are dangled in front of you like a carrot!!!

I'm really questioning at the moment what my reasons are for continuing with research that I have no interest in... and if I'm honest with myself it's probably because I'm caught up in the whole competition of it all... I think I got hooked on getting good grades during my undergrad degree and just want to be the best/get the highest qualification possible but I don't actually have that much interest in my area of research :(

The only good reason to stay at the moment is that I can't find a good enough job to make me want to leave!!!

I think this thread reflects the inability of posters like Matt to properly research their options before starting and after completing their PhDs. If you knew you were unlikely to get a well paid permanent academic job immediately after finishing your PhD then what are you complaining about. A quick look through THES or jobs.ac.uk makes it obvious how few academic positions arise in most subjects. What is your point? Do you want the state to invest large amounts of money so people can research what they like on permanent research contracts at high wages regardless of its use to society? Is that what people pay their taxes for? I'm sure lots of people would like the state to fund their hobbies and interests but we don't live in that Utopian world. However, with planning one can find careers in industry where research skills will be be used to some extent and are valued.

Equally, with planning you can choose an area of academic research for your PhD where there is a reasonable supply of academic jobs and posts because it is useful to society (e.g. research on environmental change and protection). Or you can use your PhD as an opportunity to research an area where you would like to set up a new business in or indeed a social enterprise since you don't seem that interested in making money! Stop moaning and get on yer bike lol!

If I could make another point it would be that I really would recommend to people starting a PhD to get a couple of years work under their belt in the real world first. Then they will appreciate the PhD experience more and have some work experience to fall back on if their PhD doesn't deliver the academic job they want. Experience of the world of work (be it charity or business) can also help researchers more easily make useful research contributions that are valuable to the outside world.

While I see Commonsense's view, I would challenge the following:

" If you knew you were unlikely to get a job then what are you complaining about."

As I have mentioned before, very few people talk about the job market. From your days at uni you are surrouned by lecturers, and supervisors obviously dont want to scare away potential research fodder, so they dont state it.

"A quick look through THES or jobs.ac.uk makes it obvious how few academic positions arise in most subjects"

You can't judge a job market soley by the situation vacant column. For example medical doctors are hardly ever advertised, but most find work.

Cont'd

"Do you want the state to invest large amounts of money so people can research what they like on permanent research contracts at high wages regardless of its use to society?"

Um, yes. Because thats the nature of research. You dont know what research will be applicable at what time. I believe most research DOES benefit society in some way. Obviously, there has to be some guidance, but I feel research is woefully underfunded in this country (cf. the US). Remember, we are currently in a pointless war in Iraq/ afghanistan which costs billions. How much research would that have funded.

Cont'd

"with planning you can choose an area of academic research for your PhD where there is a reasonable supply of academic jobs and posts because it is useful to society"

The nature of science is that it rapdily changes, so topics that may be hot and employable today could be obsolete by the time you submit. Think of all those sexy biotech start ups that went bust. Your specialised training could be irrelevant by the time you agraduate.

"I really would recommend to people starting a PhD to get a couple of years work under their belt in the real world first. "

Agreed, but this presupposes too much. Its always harder to come back to education once you start earning a salary. It also assumes that you will be able to gain relevant work that will maintain your interest.

@ Rosy "if I'm honest with myself it's probably because I'm caught up in the whole competition of it all.."

I think this is a huge part of it. Talented, achievement oriented undergrads that want to make their parents proud, show they are the best, try to obtain some elite accolade, make up a huge proportion of the PhD ranks. I can see PhD students that have been in competition mode their whole life and gauge their lives on "How I compare against others/ how can I make myself better?" rather than "What makes ME happy?". In these cases, image is everything and its even harder to quit, because many have never faced failure before.

Then there is the reaction when these people are reunited with less talented former uni colleagues that didnt do postgrad, but are paid more than they are, have better prospects and security, and are at a further stage of life.