I have 15 years experience in research/policy and am now in a well paid non-academic (public sector) job. I have no desire to move into academia, but I am passionate about my topic of interest, and would love to immerse myself fully in it by doing a phd.

In your experience/knowledge/from what you have seen - will the extra qualification be an advantage, helping me get a job as good or better then the one I already hold? Or will employers see taking 3/4 years out of work as a 'problem' and only offer me much more junior positions than I currently hold as a result?

Am I completely mad to be thinking about doing this in my 40s?

You say you want to increase career chances, do people higher up that you in the career ladder have phds?

You have a lot of experience, I don't think a PhD can ever be better than that but maybe if you think you are being held down for not having one, it would be a good idea. Possibly consider doing it part time?

In my experience? No... not at all. I have a PhD in Computer Science - whilst writing up my thesis, my company were very unsupportive... now I have it, they don't give two hoots, no extra money, no recognition, nothing. I'm currently job hunting in the same industry and have found once again, that experience seems to matter so much more than qualifications. I got told that one of the reasons is that employers don't always understand degrees, that they have changed a lot in the last few years (with all the media saying they have got 'easier') so for employers it's easier to look at the experience than to try and understand your degree.

In some cases, a PhD is also viewed as a negative thing.. when my friend graduated he couldn't even get an interview - he took his PhD off his CV and replaced with 'Postgraduate award' and suddenly got numerous interviews and a job within a couple of weeks - and even that company asked 'why do a PhD if you don't want to work into academia?'

It's not all doom and gloom as I don't regret doing mine at all - but then, I didn't do it to increase my job prospects. On the other hand, my partner also works in IT and he *only* got his job as he had a PhD... and most people in his companies have PhD's... and he's on £10K more than me! Sooooo, guess it just depends..

PC_Geek, it depends on the industry you are thinking about. I started a PhD with no intention of staying in academia (my supervisor knew this from the start - hence I got an Industrial CASE award). In the pharamaceutical industry, it is hard to progress up the ladder without a PhD (I'm not saying it cannot be done) but all the managers I ever came across had a PhD.

longbaygirl, it depends on your specific industry and which country you work in. For instance, governments or NGOs/other international organisations positions will often seek out PhDs with specific specialist knowledge and the ability to write research papers to a high level. Also many sectors of the science, eg. the pharma industry, employ loads of PhDs (and they tend to get better pay...I know someone who works in HR in that field).

I'm in the law field, and although a PhD isn't necessary to practice law, I know that many who have attained a PhD have acquired very good jobs, and seemed to have shot up the ladder in their niche areas. It's also give them the flexibility to do other things.

As H says, do people higher up the ladder in your field have PhDs?

Many thanks for all your replies.

Interesting question with regards to the extent to which those above me have Phds.

In the specific organisation I am in now, no, very few (if any?) have it. More emphasis/credibility is given to 'technical' qualifications.

However, looking across a number of similar organisations in my field, any of which I would be keen to work in, then yes, most of the senior people have doctorates.

Anyway, I'm assuming I could find a funded place/supervisor to take me even if I am prepared to walk away from 60k + benefits?

In my industry IT/computing experience is king. Formal qualifications beyond a bog standard degree (unless its professional ones like Cisco or Oracle) don't really count for much.

longbaygirl, why not do it part-time and keep the £60k job? I know quite a few people in their 40s/in established careers who opt for the p/t route. You can do a part-time PhD virtually anywhere (with the exception of Oxford and Cambridge, and maybe one or two others).

I think my chances of finishing are non-existence if I go the p/t route - but it is worth investigating.

Ta