Re: Grad school vs. the world

[Stephen Bernhardt <sbernhar -at- NMSU -dot- EDU>]

Susan

Stuart says some good things below.  I work closely with the PhD program
at New Mexico State and I think people need to understand what a PhD is
and why they want one.  It is a huge commitment of time and money and
psychic resources.  It surely ought to position you for careers that
cannot be attained through experience in the workplace or a master';s
degree.

I'd say a Phd is first for people with true research interests, people who
want to study problems in disciplined ways.  They might do that research
in a university or in a corporate research setting.  Comapnies like Apple
and IBM, Microsoft and ATT or other Bells all depend on people who
understand communiction based research.  I also see a Phd as the
appropirate credential for certain kinds of consulting and training, esp.
if you are independent.  Some of my friends make a very good living doing
contract training ($200-500 K/year) and consulting and they couldn't do
that without a Phd.  But they are also very smart, very savvy about the
presentation of self, and able to market their knowledge and skills.

I think I have the greatest job in the world--university professor in a
research institution with strong writing programs.  I couldn't do it, of
course, without a PhD.

Steve Bernhardt


> Susan Slattery writes:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I guess we've exhausted the grad school topic--but I have a related
> query.  I'm wondering how everyone feels about the appropriateness
> of a Ph.D.  I'm in the process ot applying to several programs.  I'm
> finishing up a master's this Spring (I have years of dat aprocessing
> experience in user support and programming, some tech writing, and
> teaching).  Research and theory involve me, but am I closing doors on
> most job opportunities except for teaching?
> ---------------------------End original message-------------------------

> Susan - I don't think you're necessarily closing doors by pursuing a PhD. In
> some ways you're opening up possibilities for consulting, research relating to
> workplace writing, and managing work groups. Your degree may not position you
> real well for contract writing: there are perhaps other, more useful ways to
> prepare for that kind of work. Since I'm half-way through a dissertation on
> hypertext I'll give you some personal advice: know *why* you want to pursue
 the
> degree before you do so. Like most things worthwhile, it's a big commitment.
> And it's not necessarily needed, or even desirable, for a lot of work related
> to technical communication. A PhD, I think, will situate you for certain kinds
> of work in our field. Just be sure that's what you want.

> Stuart

> Stuart Selber
> Michigan Technological University