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View Full Version : is what katz say right for university jobs in engineering too?


gholamghar
Jul11-09, 05:14 AM
hello
i was reading JONATHAN KATZ topic about not becoming a scientists here:

http://wuphys.wustl.edu/~katz/scientist.html

what he says is just right about university jobs in math and physics or it is right for university jobs in engineering too?
i mean if someone gets his Phd degree in mechanical engineering and wants to go for university job he will have all the hardships Katz says?

thanks

fleem
Jul11-09, 07:08 AM
hello
i was reading JONATHAN KATZ topic about not becoming a scientists here:

http://wuphys.wustl.edu/~katz/scientist.html

what he says is just right about university jobs in math and physics or it is right for university jobs in engineering too?
i mean if someone gets his Phd degree in mechanical engineering and wants to go for university job he will have all the hardships Katz says?

thanks

Yeah, pretty much spot on. The advice I always give is: Get a good paying occupation first so that you can learn science later. If you don't have a good (high paying) job, you may not have the time and money later to finish learning what you love--so you'd have neither high pay nor the education you wanted. And a little extra money is nice for other things too.

Choppy
Jul11-09, 02:27 PM
I've seen this link posted here before. This essay is based on a single professor's personal opinion, and there are many who disagree with him. He makes assertions such as: "there are hardly any industrial jobs in the physical sciences" without backing them up with any data.

There are truths in what he says. Academia is very competative. There is no guarantee that if you make it through graduate school that there will be a professorship waiting for you at the end. It's difficult to live on a typical post-doctoral salary.

However, I don't think the situation is that bleak.