Deciding to apply based on Graduate School Outcomes

[fizza.ahmed]

What does a PhD or Masters open up your career and trajectory to be like? What are key differences in terms of the paths that open up for students after them? Having answers to these questions will help me decide whether I should consider applying at this stage in my career.

[ihsanqazi]

After completing a master's degree, graduates typically follow one of two paths.

One is entering the industry, and it's the path most often taken. Here, those who have excelled academically and enhanced their skills beyond the Bachelor’s degree can expect higher average salaries. The second pathway is, if you have done a Master’s with a thesis and found your interest in research then you can pursue a PhD. A smaller fraction of students also take the leap of launching a startup and building something from scratch that they are passionate about.

Concerning PhDs, it’s important to dispel the myth that they lead solely to academic careers. In reality, many PhD holders find opportunities outside academia. For instance, at tech giant Google, nearly one-third of the workforce holds PhDs, reflecting the company's emphasis on solving future challenges—an ability that PhD training enhances. PhDs are adept at navigating uncertainty and devising innovative solutions to complex problems. This skill set is also valuable in entrepreneurship, where understanding and managing uncertainty is crucial.
I have seen many people who did extremely well in their PhDs and ended up being entrepreneurs.

A general piece of advice I would like to add is the importance of embracing life-long learning. Regardless of your career path, dedicating 15-20% of your time to learning is vital. The skills you acquire today might be obsolete in just a few years, so the ability to learn, unlearn, and relearn is essential. This was highlighted recently when over 100,000 skilled employees from top tech companies were laid off. Those who had continuously invested in their learning were better equipped to secure new opportunities in diverse industries. Specializing too narrowly can pose a risk if industry dynamics shift, underscoring the importance of continually updating your knowledge and skills across a broad spectrum.