PhD in theoretical physics at “prestigious” university

[Dr Transport]

Maybe my post was too dark but the point is - working in academia is not some kind of holiday where you are paid to do whatever you want. It's normal job. Not that different from any other job out there. Getting permanent position is (yes!) much harder than getting permanent position in industry and you need to do a lot of stuff - teachning, writing papers and grand proposals outside of research. It pays less too. It has it's downsides.

Yes, a permanent position in academia is difficult, but you cannot say that an industrial research position is easy and in the US there is no such thing as a permanent position either. You are subject to lay-off at any time depending on the direction of the company you work for, for example, I had close to 15 years in high tech R&D, they walked in and said my project was done and gave me a severance package to get out in 60 days. So much for a permanent position after I brought in close to $50 million over the past 10 years. I'd like to see any academic institution get rid of a cash cow like that, my advisor brought in about 2 times his salary a year to fund both himself and me and he was let go and he was one of the more successful ones grant wise. Neither one of us is employed at this time, he has been out of work for 10 years and me a year.

 

[Rika]

In Europe when you are on full time position and work several years - you have 90 days. I'm not saying industry is soft and fluffy. Especially in R&D (which is very small and competitive in poor countries). But usually industry offers you much more than R&D - management, consulting, sales and other professional stuff. It's easier to make transition. Yes, you can get laid-off even on permanent contract so in that sense being professor is better. I can understand - if in US private sector is much less stable than in Europe academia seems to be nice place. Even in EU when you are professor or work in administration (you need personal connection for that usually) it's lower pay but more stability. But when you are tenure-track, postdoc or PhD student industry is better. What I want to say - if OP decides to do industry-oriented PhD in geophysics versus let's say PhD in cosmology he:

- can work both academia or industry in his field
- because he can do research that industry needs he can get more $$$ for his research
- he can use his professional connections from his pre-PhD times to establish himself within academia, R&D and industry general
- because his research is more industry-oriented he has potential to become cash cow for his university which means he has better chance for permanent position

More or less he has more possibilities, it requires less work and sacrifice, there is higher probability of sucess and what's most important - he doesn't need to throw his degree and professional experience away. Instead of rewriting his life he simply can upgrade it. I know it's not ultimate truth but those scientist that I know (in Europe) live well because they have strong connections with industry and their research is needed. Those who don't - not so well.

 

[radium]

I think the main takeaway from all of this is that academia is very competitive and it takes a certain type of person to succeed. Some people are just not suited to the lifestyle. Before you get a tenure track position it is very stressful and unpredictable and you really need to know that's what you want. I know several people who quit academia not because they weren't talented, but because they realized it wasn't the life they wanted. There's nothing wrong with that. For them I think it was a trade off between academic freedom/doing less applied research and getting a job with less freedom but still involving an area they found very interesting (and of course their salary was multiplied by a nontrivial factor). A lot of them still do research and use the general skill set they gained during their time in industry. I know or have heard of several former theorists who now work in industry jobs that they really love which they feel are compatible with the life they want to lead.

On the other hand, there are people who are very suited to the academic environment and who really enjoy. That's not to say it's alway easy for them. If you don't actively make an effort to find friends and other things that make you happy, academia can be very isolating even from a grad student's perspective. However, if you do and are meant to be in that environment you will thrive. Certain professors give me the impression that they wake up everyday (or at least most days) and think to themselves "I love my life". When I feel frustrated and discouraged it's always makes me feel better to interact with these people.

 

[Crek]

Your pay correlates with the value you provide to society. Theoretical physics usually provides nothing(beyond generation of knowledge) to anybody and the pay/demand reflects that. It's why there are fewer academic positions then academics, because most of what academics do is kinda worthless so only the most intellectually impressive get payed.

 

[Student100]

This thread is getting a bit out of hand, i don't think the OP was looking for advice on the merits of what he wants to do, only on how to go about doing it.

Its one thing to make sure he knows what's waiting for him, and to see what reasoning there is behind his choice, but another to keep bashing a field because "you" see it as worthless.

 

[StatGuy2000]

Your pay correlates with the value you provide to society.

At the risk of going off-topic...

Crek, what you state above is not necessarily true (like most things you have posted here on PF) -- one can look at the pay packages of CEOs of various corporations, and ask if their pay correlates to the value they provide to society at large.