In Italy a company sees a PhD like a waste of time, it's not considered as an added value.
Try a more innovation oriented company, or a smaller company. It is true that many people dont see the value, but that doesnt mean there isn't any.
I'd like to know where the researcher job is remunerative
In the UK for PhD it is a fixed (with some variation) salary (stipend) of about £13k per year tax free with several expenses (eg conferences) paid. Other postgraduate schemes (eg EngD) are much higher.
A PhD is mostly useful if you want to become a researcher or get into academia.
I tend to agree, with enough expeptions to justify a broader definition. Some do it because they cant find a job at the moment, to get a higher starting salary, improve their career prospects, get into research in a company, discover something new, just to see how it is, etc.
For example, the pay offered to a fresh PhD graduate is not much higher than a bachelor graduate.
Really depends on how you 'sell' your PhD and to who. I have seen a boost from £23k to £32k. This is significant, but it will rarely happen.
The reason Ph.D's aren't worth that much straight off is because all a Ph.D means is that you made a contribution (via a thesis project) to science/engineering/arts in a sub-field of a sub-field. Outside of their thesis area a Ph.D isn't likely to know any more then any random graduate student.
For some students that just do it because someone told them, yes, that would be correct. It is what you make of it. The potential skills, knowledge and understanding you can gain is huuuge. Dont forget, sciences are interelated. If you want to really know how to solder you need to study intermetallic bonds. Its what you want to get out of it.
A Ph.D can be a downside in the corporate world as many HR folk will see you as overqualified and hence more likely to leave for a better job
True, you need to speak to a different person or sell your PhD differently, like '
My PhD prooves I can conduct research and I will use those skills to develop product x and technology y. I anticipate this to require a long time but the economic benefits will be enermous'.
I'm not trying to offend anyone but that's what a professor in UK said: "A donkey also can get a PhD!"...
Thats how that professor got his PhD, and he had other donkeys as supervisors.
I'd say PhD is scientific research route and electronics is mostly an applied industry route not academia. You will more likely end up flipping burgers when following academia route.
It can be. Depends what you want. If you want to be in the development team of a new high speed fet or an ultra low noise amplifier for satellite communications you are doing research, you might as well get a title from it.
Like somebody said before you can work on something that is usually very up to date, that you (supposedly) really like, get paid in the process and most of the time also get paid to go around the world to attend conferences and workshops. It doesn't get much better than that from my point of view -
Life of celebrity... You are greatly mistaken. World is coming back to its senses. There are just very few truly bright ones who deserve paying for playing around with ideas. For great majority however the party is over.
There are ample examples where supervisors really do see value in a project and in the researcher and they do want to use the funds from the university and/or sponsors. Key words: Supervisor, project, researcher, university, sponsors.
I have one friend, who graduated from electrical engineering school at San Jose State that went to San Francisco State for a MA/MSci. in electrical engineering. He could not find a job and have lots of spare time and live with parents, so why not? If you wrote a thesis about an electrical device, circuit, or electrical material, then an employer might hire you for your speciality, otherwise, you will wait in line like the rest of us for a job. A Ph.D or even research experience makes you very specialized, but it will reward you with a job only if that business happens to need your speciality.
Your friend failed to sell his PhD appropriately or he was unlucky enough to be considred by short-sighted people in the company. If you work hard in your PhD and produce results, you are allowed to say that the PhD prooves you can do research (and development), and that is independant of what you did you PhD on, which could be 'textiles' for an electronics company that develops 'smart clothes'.
There are a host of preconceived ideas out there throughout industry based on individual experience. Usually the perception is that if you have a PhD you are not a practical person or you are not big picture.
That is true, and this is the fault of some supervisors offering 'blue-sky' research (no application) and also the student for taking on that PhD. But it is not the fault of the PhD concept.
I met a PhD candidate several weeks ago. He was in his 3rd year pursuing a PhD degree related to electrical/electronic engineering. He asked how to use a Tektronix TDS2024B. This, however, did not shock me. He then asked how to measure the (floating) induced voltage across the secondary winding of a transformer using the scope. I showed him... Then, he asked why both the probe signal tip and the GND tip must be used and placed across the secondary winding terminals to measure the voltage... I was ---
thats the very thing that made the stereotype gregariz mentioned above. usually this type of people are bookworm who when finished their degree directly attend their phd, with no hands on experience. the stereotype for parents (who are not involved in engineering) is that you have to finish your study as high as you can first, then later go to work.
Thats never a bookworm. All the skills, rules of thumb and practical know-how is covered in textbooks. I repeat, all the skills, rules of thumb and practical know-how is covered in textbooks. That is just someone that doesnt care, is not enthusiastic and would rather be doing something else.
But there are diamonds in the ruff amongst all degree levels including the PhD level. I think that's the point. I always make a point to ask new engineers what their hobby's and interests are and this usually gives me some clues.
Very true, and you must focus on those.
the "PhD candidate + scope" case
Have you seen PhD graduates not knowing how to solder? The spectrum of students you can come across cannot be covered with a log scale.
Although it's normal to expect something more from a high level student/graduated, it's not fair to compare the best of non-graduated technicians to the worst graduated engineers.
Spot on.
Things to remember is that you can do whatever you want with your PhD and make it work for your benefit. The PhD is not a ticket to a higher paid job, but it will most likely lead to a higher starting salary. Very important is to find a supervisor that knows the subject, is good to work with, listens to your ideas, and most importantly, respects you and your work. Also make sure that the subject excites you, otherwise the PhD will be very hard. If you are unsure about doing a PhD at a particular university on a particular subject with a pacticular supervisor, ask other PhDs in later years in that university, they should be able to offer great and valid advice. Worst case scenario, you start your PhD and you wondt like it. You can always exit the PhD but make sure you have ver very good reason as your future employers will interrogate you about that decision.
Good luck and if you need more specific advice about UK PhDs and Engineering Doctorates (in particular at the Univerity of Manchester) I can help (on the forum so that others benefit too).
Alex