Career Advice: Is a PhD in Engineering/Machine Learning worth it?

vandaalen · 2018-05-10T07:51:56+00:00

Why the fuck would you even think about "SMV" when planning your career? Who gives a fuck? Is it something you want to do then go for it, or don't.

FullYorker · 2018-05-10T08:40:13+00:00

I'm doing my PhD and I use Machine Learning techniques.

If you want to do a PhD for having a higher SMV, don't do it. PhD is a hard and arduous road. You'll get depressed and it definitely isn't for the faint hearted.

You do a PhD because you like the topic and you want to get better at it by contributing to the available knowledge. That's all. The title does not matter at all.

its_meKnightSwolaire · 2018-05-10T12:55:45+00:00

Recruiter here.

PHD is great but a long road.

Are you interested in academics or do you want to be working sooner and making money?

RaughKee · 2018-05-10T13:03:45+00:00

Is this your mission?

If you are following your mission then your SMV will be fine. If you are being inauthentic to your mission then that internal discontinuity will negatively effect your external frame.

This sounds like a great opportunity in a burgeoning field. But it is a long road and there will be many nights where your projects aren't working the way you want them to. You need to want to be there.

MindFuktd · 2018-05-10T13:29:37+00:00

Don't pay for it. If you're truly PhD material, they'll pay you to study and research.

It's tough, and not like undergrad. Not nearly as many parties, drinking/smoking, and abundance of friends and activities as undergrad.

I just finished my Master's degree in engineering - I got into the field because I was more gifted in math than reading/writing. Well, I spent 6-months writing a 150 page BOOK (thesis) that was over 28,000 words. Takes at least a day, just to read through. PhD dissertation will be twice as long.

I was really unhappy, isolated, and depressed during my thesis. However, now that I know what I need to know, I'm looking at $180,000 jobs! Also, my advice would be to work a few years (what I did) so you have exposure outside of University to guage your decision.

Title	Career Advice: Is a PhD in Engineering/Machine Learning worth it?
Author	FullYorker
Upvotes	0
Comments	11
Date	May 10, 2018 7:41 AM UTC (8 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askTRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/asktrp/comments/8id55i/career_advice_is_a_phd_in_engineeringmachine/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askTRP/career-advice-is-a-phd-in-engineeringmachine.96826 https://theredarchive.com/post/96826

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