By Yehia Massoud
I have been always asked this question:
Should I pursue a PhD ? or Is it really worth to get a PhD ? or should I get a job now or apply for PhD ?
Here are Top 5 reasons to pursue a PhD
1. Diverse Career Opportunities
Though many still associate PhDs with academia, the degree can lead to a variety of careers in industry, government and entrepreneurship. Often, advanced positions in fields of academia, research places, and some industries require a PhD. Outside academia, it is increasingly prized in the consulting, government and technology sectors. Having a PhD signifies expertise, but it also shows that you can solve and work through tough problems and can think independently, which are characteristics employers want.
2. Pursue Your Passion in Depth
A PhD allows you to fully immerse yourself in a subject you genuinely care about. Unlike in undergraduate or master’s studies, a PhD lets you enter a space not fully discovered yet, introduce your original ideas and become an expert in the field of your choice. That’s an ideal path for people who live for intellectual curiosity and enjoy solving tricky problems.
3. Advance the Knowledge
As a PhD student, you can make new discoveries and innovations in research. Be it developing new technologies, tackling societal challenges, or investigating historical discoveries, your work has a profound potential to influence the future. There is nothing that matches the thrill of achieving something that will outlive the individual, be it a step forward in human knowledge.
4. Develop Advanced Skills
The path to a PhD gives you a host of transferable skills. These include: Project management (i.e. managing long-term projects and meeting deadlines); Communicating: Writing published academic papers, presenting findings and teaching; Relentlessness: How to overcome hurdles and obstacles on your research journey.
5. Master your Problem Solving Skills
Through something like a PhD, you are encouraged to look at problems from different angles, find creative approaches and solutions. Such a perspective can be employed across multiple disciplines, rendering you an asset in either academic or non-academic atmosphere.