PhD's in the Industry?

Taylor Flagg asks: "I'm about to finish up with my bachelor's in Computer Science, and am looking into graduate school options. My advisor is persuading me to go right into the PhD program but I know I don't want to be stuck lecturing for the rest of my life. Are companies in the industry hiring PhDs, and if so, what are their roles and is anything different expected of them (aside from making more cash)?"

Comments

Something Good

[XsynackX]

After reading this post, I went on the Google to check for some reasons on why to get a CS PhD. I came across a really nice article you might like called A Graduate School Survival Guide.

It's by a guy who got his doctorate and he discusses reasons to do so or not to do so. Hope it helps!

Re:It will probably do you more harm than good

[Brandybuck]

There are exceptions out there? some shops are very focused on the sciences, and a PhD would be considered the norm.

That's the key right there. If you've got a PhD, don't go applying for web development or desktop administration. On the other hand, my company is hiring PhDs right now to program digital signal processing. We make embedded medical imaging systems, and we've even hired MDs to do SQA testing! My immediate boss has a PhD from Brown. With only a bachelors degree, and a bachelor of *arts* at that, I feel like the dumb guy at my job.

Re:phd vs CCIE

[mnmn]

Consider the amount of time and effort required to get a doctorate versus a properly earned CCIE. Theyre about the same.

Sure, this being IT, youll find 20 year olds with the CCIE, just as youll find 14 year olds with the MCSE, but the PhD needs you to go through the course of time. Youre right about the dumb PhDs and smart cisco guys too.

The thing is, cisco has really been jacking up the difficulty of their certs increasing their value, and in the market, geeks truly obsessed in their own fields head more for certs and a portfolio of programmed applications than a masters and a doctorate, which also increases the worth of CCIE for instance; their holders are smarter for OTHER reasons.

The one reason why they cant be compared is the doctorate is supposed to cover multiple subjects and is a general term, while the CCIE is very specific, vendor specific even.

Re:Not a good reason to do one.

[GreatDrok]

How'd you work the BS->couple years->MS sequence? I've considered doing the same thing, but I'm worried that I'm too far gone from undergrad and won't be able to get the requisite academic reference letters. (that and I was rather quiet at the time)

When I finished my BSc I had no idea what I wanted to do. The field I was in was in serious decline rather suddenly so I ended up drifting about trying various jobs. I hadn't done well enough at my BSc to qualify for a grant to go onto postgraduate work so I had a problem.

A couple of years of work gave me a strong work ethic I hadn't had as an undergrad and I also had enough of a credit history that I could qualify for a loan to pay for my MSc myself. It was still a struggle but I managed it and really enjoyed it. The MSc got me back on the academic track and got me a research assistant job at a really good university. A couple of years working there plus the MSc finally qualified me for a grant to get on a PhD and by this point I knew I really enjoyed doing research and (I hate to say this) found the PhD surprisingly enjoyable and easy.

I postdoc'd for a couple of years afterwards and then went into industry where I discovered that a PhD was required but also those who didn't have one but had a business background looked down on me as a bit of a dangerous egghead. Another industry downturn and I am looking at getting back into academia again. I know this looks like I am a terminal drifter but the moves have always been forced on me and I have always taken them as a challenge to expand my capabilities.

Funny thing about when I tried to get back into academia originally, I had two references, one academic and one from my previous boss. The academic one basically said I was a waster and they shouldn't take me on. The reference from my previous boss which was of course based on an older wiser me said I was very hard working and they wouldn't hesitate to employ me again. I got in on the basis of that although they did comment on the academic reference being so bad. I would be surprised if only your academic references mattered.

One man's experience....

[neep]

I'm not a PhD, but I did get the opportunity to help recruit for a Fortune 500 company for several years. We had a number of PhD grads talk to us, and not one made it past the screening interview, because their interests didn't match our needs. PhD's gave the impression of desire in research and more esoteric computing activities - very valid, but not what most companies need. Combine that with the fact that most wanted more money than their backgrounds appeared to merit, and it was no-go. Most companies need someone who have a good understanding of the basics, an area or two of focused knowledge, and the ability to execute, all at a reasonable price. PhD's often don't fit that bill.

That said, I have to agree with a few posts above - you should go with what you love. If you want to do the research and high end computing - do it. But do it because you love it, not as a career advancing step, because it may not help.