A PhD is simply not enough

I was recently clearing out some files and came across this piece I put together when I was doing my PhD. I have a vague recollection of it being published somewhere, but can’t remember where! I’m posting it here as I found it, without any updates – I think my motivations have changed a bit since writing this! But still some good messages in there for PhD students today.

“So what is it you do?”

– “I’m doing a PhD in chemistry”

“Wow, you must be really smart!”

How often have we heard this conversation? Indeed, how often have we been the subject of it? And how near or far do you think it is from the actual truth? Whilst there still remains some general belief that completing a PhD means that a candidate is on par with Stephen Hawking or on a guaranteed joyride to fame and fortune, we must in full honesty face the sobering fact that a PhD is simply not enough. Things may have been different 15 or 20 years ago, when the qualification was certainly more specialised than it is now, but today it seems that everyone and their dog who is in any way serious about their subject will have one.

So what does this sad (but unfortunately true) reality mean for us? When carrying out that same old reaction for the hundredth time, jumping through hoops for an interminable supervisor or ploughing through seemingly endless data, whatever form it may be, tirelessly trying to make that significant contribution to the field, one must inevitably ask the question: is it all really worth it when a fruitful career is still far from being a certainty? After all, 3 years (for those who are optimistic) is not exactly a bit of spare time, and when stacking that up with undergraduate study, we should surely be in the same boat as the lawyers, accountants and ‘real doctors’ should we not?

Well the ultimate answer is simple and in fact every PhD graduate already knows it because we are constantly reminded (or certainly should be) from as early as pre school age.  The bottom line is: you have to stand out from the crowd. This vital sentence should not be forgotten, personally I would recommend a post-it note on your computer, a personal message on facebook, or anything that will keep this message simmering in the mind. Yes, a PhD will help you along the way, but not to the extent that it can solely be relied on.  What qualities and experiences are going to separate you from the hundreds of others who will undoubtedly be competing for your dream job? You can bet your case award that they are thinking about this now, so you should be too. And with the state of the current job market adding to the fun, the time for messing around is long over.

So bearing all this in mind, what sorts of things can be done to boost our future opportunities? Disseminating your research to as wide an audience as possible, engaging and socialising with your peer groups, obtaining any kind of teaching or training experience available – all highly relevant and certainly worthwhile endeavours. But why not dig a little deeper than that? Remember, we are trying to stand out from the rest. How about trying to pick up some skills which will make us more rounded in general and ultimately, more employable? Take up a foreign language, be an ambassador for a local school, spend some time studying abroad, there are many, many opportunities around. You will be surprised at the amount of encouragement and support available if you show an interest.

Of course the common trap to fall into is immediate over-enthusiasm and signing up for absolutely everything available. Not only can this be detrimental to your PhD project (yes, that is what’s supposed to come first), but it also makes it very difficult to dedicate yourself to one particular extracurricular activity hence decreasing its eventual value.  We are looking for something tangible for your CV and it does help if you have a genuine interest! Time management of course is everything, and my advice would be to explore such opportunities certainly no later than your first year.  By doing this, you will be able to successfully obtain a good balance between technical and personal development before the stress of the PhD programme appears to swallow up the entirety of your life. It’s worth mentioning here that our first year is often regarded as merely an extended ‘training period’ and it’s the subsequent 2 years which contribute to the actual thesis.

This brings up one final point, which again has been constantly reiterated but is nonetheless vitally important: never underestimate the power of communication. If you have burning questions that need answered, you can be 99.9 % sure that someone else has the same ones. Unfortunately, the world does not revolve around your exclusive research group (sorry!) and speaking to other researchers can be extremely beneficial. Who knows, it may even help your work at times and it will definitely help you through the more stressful stages in the process. Together and united, we can eliminate that unbearably lonely place which has, and still continues to be, a harsh reality for many researchers across the world.