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 To PhD or not to PhD

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aleluya
post Aug 24 2015, 11:53 AM

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From: kay eel


Think of Phd as something to drive your knowledge and contributes to the society. If you have enough money for yourself as well as future plans; then go ahead.

When you got commitment such as family and etc, it's hard for you to do it.
TSGeminist
post Aug 28 2015, 10:13 AM

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Hi All

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I have more or less decided to accept the offer. The university and my company will need to negotiate the finer details of the funding, including IP rights etc.


cheahcw2003
post Sep 1 2015, 11:20 AM

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QUOTE(Geminist @ Aug 28 2015, 10:13 AM)
Hi All

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I have more or less decided to accept the offer.  The university and my company will need to negotiate the finer details of the funding, including IP rights etc.
*
Wish you all the best.

haturaya
post Sep 17 2015, 07:14 AM

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QUOTE(Geminist @ Aug 28 2015, 10:13 AM)
Hi All

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I have more or less decided to accept the offer.  The university and my company will need to negotiate the finer details of the funding, including IP rights etc.
*
Go for it. It's a life changing journey. You'll cherished it for the rest of your life. Something that cannot be quantify in monetary term. thumbup.gif

Did mine a couple of years ago (PhD in Electronic Engineering).
blackangel
post Oct 17 2015, 10:51 AM

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Dear TS,

After reading your story which is similar to mine, I see that my case is easier to decide. Likewise, I am currently being offered a funded ECE PhD in a top ranked (>20) american university. I am now 28 which by the time the program completes, I am 32-33 yrs old. I am also hesitating for a few reasons:

- too old to start a family (currently single), had a virtual solution biggrin.gif
- far away from my family
- phd project is restricted to the funded project

For the good sides:
- the advisor is an IEEE fellow with great research record.
- academically well known research university
- full time and funded

Career wise, I assume I will be employed somewhere in the USA/UK/Singapore upon graduation since boleh-land basically values very little of the PhD's. Assuming I graduate, don't think its an issue to secure a job given the reputation of the university in that nation. Although I don't have to work part time like you, all the obligations essentially make it to be similar to yours since an american university requires TA/RAship with loaded course work even for a PhD. Not to mention I have to prepare for PhD qualifier before being a "real" phd student. Publication is almost certainly an implicit requirement although I do enjoy it very much. I am currently completing my master with a conference pub and a high impact journal under review.

Whats actually holding me back is the support of family and being close with them. My research interest and desire are actually above all those career things. Given my experience in my research intensive master, I would say the hard work and pressure do not come from graduate study but being alone and sucking up all the ups and downs along the way.

As for starting a family, it is very common to meet your partner and get married while undertaking the phd. At least I have known a few persons who did that. Basically, you have to find one most disturbing reason of yours and try to overcome it. For me, its not being close enough with my family.

This post has been edited by blackangel: Oct 17 2015, 10:55 AM
TSGeminist
post Nov 16 2015, 07:17 AM

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Hi All

Following on my previous post, there has been some changes to the situation. While my company is still sorting out the paperwork, a different startup heard about this and approached me. Essentially the startup offered to fully cover the tuition fees but the total amount is less than what my company offered because the offer includes expenses + conferences costs etc.

Note that the startup is unlike the IT world. It's currently making a healthy profit and is not reliant on external sources of investment.

So in summary:

Startup Pros
* My research is interesting to and aligns with the work of the startup, but the primary reason is they wanted me to join them.
* Very flexible working arrangement, i.e. remote work from home and not fixed hours + some shiny new gears (engineer here!)
* I know the startup and the people well, so for a start I know they will do what they reasonably can to help me, i.e. I wouldn't be immediately tossed aside.
* Offered profit sharing

Startup Cons
* It's a startup so the company currently has a good 1 year workload projection but not beyond that. (Note the tuition fees will be paid upfront).
* I might burn bridges with my current company if I were to leave after all the effort they put in.
* The funding covers tuition fees only so I'll have to make up the rest via different funding. The startup tentatively suggested depending on financial performance they could cover those too.

Company Pros
* Funding is twice as much as the startup.
* Big company so better prediction with workload.
* Big company with a number of experts in there that I can more easily tap into.
* Maintaining the current reputation and relationship I built.
* I wouldn't burn bridges.

Company Cons
* Standard work arrangement, i.e. 9-5 office work.
* Salary offered is ~18% less than the startup.
* No profit sharing scheme.
* Less flexible than a startup due to the size of the company.

Personally I'm leaning towards going with the startup, provided I don't burn bridges with my current company. Can anyone think of anything else? Any opinions and suggestions are very much welcomed and appreciated, many thanks!

dreamer101
post Nov 16 2015, 10:48 PM

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QUOTE(Geminist @ Nov 16 2015, 07:17 AM)
» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

*
Geminist,

It is a tossed up. But, in general, I leaned more towards places that really want you and will do anything to get you. Hence, the start up.

Dreamer
10y6ms2016
post Dec 25 2015, 07:19 PM

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Id say go for it. I was planning to do same as what u got offered now. If I just not wasted my time doing nothing with my life for years aftergraduation , I wud have chances to get sponsor by company i suppose be working. 3 yes b nothing. 34 , 31 not much diff these days. I think the timescale wud b depend on ur supervisor. I did a rubbish master research, I know because im quite perfectionist student, but i got really
ddistracted the final years. And still my supervisor let
me pass just as anyone else. If the supervisor accept u
with ur working condition like that, chances he really
don't care what ur research result will be and ur time
scale will be llike the normally other students. Sometimes, they already can handle, or like doing their research on their own, they just need student to fill the quotas for the grant money. But still u need to show some effort and mmake ur rresearch presentable
joshuawhlam
post Jan 10 2016, 11:14 AM

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QUOTE(Geminist @ Nov 16 2015, 07:17 AM)
Hi All

Following on my previous post, there has been some changes to the situation.  While my company is still sorting out the paperwork, a different startup heard about this and approached me.  Essentially the startup offered to fully cover the tuition fees but the total amount is less than what my company offered because the offer includes expenses + conferences costs etc. 

Note that the startup is unlike the IT world.  It's currently making a healthy profit and is not reliant on external sources of investment. 

So in summary:

Startup Pros
* My research is interesting to and aligns with the work of the startup, but the primary reason is they wanted me to join them. 
* Very flexible working arrangement, i.e. remote work from home and not fixed hours + some shiny new gears (engineer here!) 
* I know the startup and the people well, so for a start I know they will do what they reasonably can to help me, i.e. I wouldn't be immediately tossed aside. 
* Offered profit sharing 

Startup Cons
* It's a startup so the company currently has a good 1 year workload projection but not beyond that.  (Note the tuition fees will be paid upfront). 
* I might burn bridges with my current company if I were to leave after all the effort they put in.   
* The funding covers tuition fees only so I'll have to make up the rest via different funding.  The startup tentatively suggested depending on financial performance they could cover those too. 

Company Pros
* Funding is twice as much as the startup. 
* Big company so better prediction with workload.   
* Big company with a number of experts in there that I can more easily tap into.   
* Maintaining the current reputation and relationship I built.   
* I wouldn't burn bridges. 

Company Cons
* Standard work arrangement, i.e. 9-5 office work. 
* Salary offered is ~18% less than the startup. 
* No profit sharing scheme.
* Less flexible than a startup due to the size of the company. 

Personally I'm leaning towards going with the startup, provided I don't burn bridges with my current company.  Can anyone think of anything else?  Any opinions and suggestions are very much welcomed and appreciated, many thanks!
*
I would suggest you to stay in the existing company for PhD.

If you moved to new startup and new PhD at the same time, your lifestyle will be completely changed. You will lost all the familiarity and may need times to cope on such changes. Your existing company trained you and provided further supports to train you up to PhD level. It has doubt on your loyalty on the committed works with the previous employers. This may not be good impression for your future employer as well.

If you aimed for new startup for passion not money, it is worth go ahead.
amanda nordin
post May 23 2016, 04:09 PM

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QUOTE(aleluya @ Aug 24 2015, 11:53 AM)
Think of Phd as something to drive your knowledge and contributes to the society. If you have enough money for yourself as well as future plans; then go ahead.

When you got commitment such as family and etc, it's hard for you to do it.
*
iyup exactly correct. Actually i have my own goal but even im not further for pHd i can also be the best right . In case my dad asked and force me hmmm rclxub.gif
thesoothsayer
post Jul 21 2016, 10:49 AM

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QUOTE(blackangel @ Oct 17 2015, 10:51 AM)
Dear TS,

After reading your story which is similar to mine, I see that my case is easier to decide. Likewise, I am currently being offered a funded ECE PhD in a top ranked (>20) american university. I am now 28 which by the time the program completes, I am 32-33 yrs old. I am also hesitating for a few reasons:

- too old to start a family (currently single), had a virtual solution biggrin.gif
- far away from my family
- phd project is restricted to the funded project

For the good sides:
- the advisor is an IEEE fellow with great research record.
- academically well known research university
- full time and funded

Career wise, I assume I will be employed somewhere in the USA/UK/Singapore upon graduation since boleh-land basically values very little of the PhD's. Assuming I graduate, don't think its an issue to secure a job given the reputation of the university in that nation. Although I don't have to work part time like you, all the obligations essentially make it to be similar to yours since an american university requires TA/RAship with loaded course work even for a PhD. Not to mention I have to prepare for PhD qualifier before being a "real" phd student. Publication is almost certainly an implicit requirement although I do enjoy it very much. I am currently completing my master with a conference pub and a high impact journal under review.

Whats actually holding me back is the support of family and being close with them. My research interest and desire are actually above all those career things. Given my experience in my research intensive master, I would say the hard work and pressure do not come from graduate study but being alone and sucking up all the ups and downs along the way.

As for starting a family, it is very common to meet your partner and get married while undertaking the phd. At least I have known a few persons who did that. Basically, you have to find one most disturbing reason of yours and try to overcome it. For me, its not being close enough with my family.
*
Did you take the offer? Working under an IEEE Fellow gives you loads of opportunities to publish and network. Great opportunity for you to grab.

You can always come back once you're done. Still have some opportunities and areas where your skills are needed here. I decided to come back after my PhD. I would say I'm saving as much in Malaysia as an average engineer of my level and skill-set would in Silicon Valley.

I came back to be with my family as well. Of course, I always have the urge to leave once in a while to explore the world, but I'm quite satisfied here. It's not perfect, but it's good enough.



 

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