Frugaling

Save more, live well, give generously

  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Popular
    • Archives
  • Recommended
  • Contact
  • Save Money
    • Lifestyle Downgrade
    • Save Money with Mindfulness
    • Save at Starbucks
    • Psychological Trick To Reduce Your Online Shopping
    • Best Freebies
  • Minimalism
    • 8 TED Talks To Become A Minimalist
    • We Rent This Life
    • Everything Must Go
    • Lifestyle Downgrade
    • The Purchase Paradox: Wanting, Until You Own It
    • Nothing In My Pockets
  • Social Justice
    • Destroy The 40-Hour Workweek
    • Too Poor To Protest: Income Inequality
    • The New Rich: How $250k A Year Became Middle Class
    • Hunter Gatherers vs. 21st Century Desk-sitters
  • Make Money
    • Make $10k in 10 Months
    • Monetize Your Blog
    • Side Hustle for Serious Cash
  • Loans
    • 5 Rules To Follow Before Accepting Student Loans
    • Would You Marry Me?
    • Should I Have a Credit Card If I’m In Debt?
    • $50k in Scholarships in 70 Minutes

Getting A PhD Does Not Guarantee Work

By Frugaling 18 Comments

Share This:

Getting A PhD Does Not Guarantee Work

As a doctoral graduate student in psychology, I can tell you that the following article is downright scary. To anybody that ever assumed that getting a PhD equaled a great job and benefits, think again. The market for obscure studies at a doctoral level is frighteningly small. Makes me think, sometimes more education isn’t always a good thing.

One attendee recalled scraping by on $9,000 a year. “I was exhausted by years of living in poverty,” she said. Her neighbor chimed in: “Amen, sister.”

An eavesdropper might have been surprised to learn what the group had in common: formidable academic credentials. Sitting at the table were a historian, a sociologist, a linguist and a dozen other scholars. Most held doctorates; a few were either close to completion or had left before finishing. All had toiled for years in graduate school but, by choice or circumstance, almost none had arrived at the promised destination of tenure-track professorships (the one who had was thinking of leaving). Now they found themselves at a gathering of a group called Versatile Ph.D. to support their pursuit of nontraditional careers.

That young Ph.D., Adam Capitanio, who completed his degree in 2012, had looked for an academic position for three years, focusing his search on the Northeast and applying for at least 60 jobs. He hadn’t received a single interview. Now he was working as an editorial associate at an academic publisher, trying to devise a long-term plan.

Read all about it in The New York Times.

Ever thought about getting a Ph.D.? What would you study and why?

Share the wealth:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Make Money

Comments

  1. Stefanie @ thebrokeandbeautifullife says

    November 8, 2013 at 1:41 pm

    I considered getting a PhD in psych as well after finishing my undergrad program, but my acting career took off and now I’m even more poor 🙂 But at least I don’t have any debt.

    Reply
    • Sam Lustgarten says

      November 8, 2013 at 3:04 pm

      That latter part is the important point – got out of debt and do what you love. 🙂

      Thanks for the comment!
      Sam

      Reply
  2. Emily @ evolvingPF says

    November 8, 2013 at 1:42 pm

    People are so down about the PhD job market, but nearly all the time they are talking about tenure-track academic positions. Like, 98% of PhDs graduating now don’t go into academia so I’m not sure why that kind of job is still assumed to be the desire of every PhD. My husband and I are both pursuing PhDs but neither of us wants to be in academia – frankly, it seems like a terrible job!

    I like to write on my blog about PhD students succeeding financially even while they are living on their grad school stipends, so all the doom and gloom from these types of articles is just not for me. I’m honestly not too concerned about my post-PhD employment because I’m keeping my mind open to a lot of options.

    Reply
    • Sam Lustgarten says

      November 8, 2013 at 3:09 pm

      Emily,

      That’s not a bad point. Frankly, I am not considering a job in academia, either. I think the NYT article generally just focused on the assumption of PhDs being an advantage in the workplace.

      Thanks for the comment and good luck with your program!
      Sam

      Reply
      • Lisa Tibbitts says

        November 14, 2016 at 10:54 am

        The article actually focused on getting PhD bound grads out of academia. There is not room for them there.

        Reply
  3. Adrienne says

    November 8, 2013 at 2:55 pm

    My fantasy PhD would have been in Linguistics. Noam Chomsky, Deborah Tannen – I could have been a contender! 🙂

    Reply
    • Sam Lustgarten says

      November 8, 2013 at 3:11 pm

      You can always apply! 😉 MIT is always calling.

      Reply
  4. Micro says

    November 8, 2013 at 6:02 pm

    I’ve always viewed a PhD as something you only get if you’ve been in the private sector forever or you plan to work for a university. Only companies that have had someone a long time are willing to shell out a salary that a PhD grad should be making. I think that’s why it can be so hard for new grads with little work experience to find a job. A company is on the line for a lot of money for someone with an unproven track record and only academic experience.

    Reply
  5. Marie says

    November 8, 2013 at 8:57 pm

    Suddenly, I feel so much better about having completed my formal education with only a BS!

    Reply
  6. Mel @ brokeGIRLrich says

    November 9, 2013 at 12:31 pm

    This is a depressing article, but I think it’s pretty common knowledge to anyone who has gone on for any graduate degree. I’d like to get my PhD in Performance Studies someday – mostly because I love studying it and think it would be a fascinating subject to spend 3-6 years submerged in, but also because I would actually like to be a college professor someday – but I can tell you right now that I’m well aware that it would be a difficult path to succeed in. I think if you’re going for a PhD in an arts or humanities subject, you just have to love it and hope that whatever you’re learning will wind up applying itself in your life somehow. There are other careers that benefit from getting a PhD besides just going into academia as well.

    Reply
  7. maria@moneyprinciple says

    November 9, 2013 at 1:34 pm

    Probably you are right that having a PhD doesn’t gurantee a job – particualrly if people try to get in academia. Having two PhDs and having been in academia for close to thirty years (I did get to the top as well :)) I can’t understand anyone who would want to do that – universities have become, and continue on this road, one of the worst employers around.

    I believe though that doing a PhD is not about the specific knowledge (not about the topic of your PhD); it is only a proof that you can stick to something for a long time, don’t expect immediate rewards, can cope with fear and uncertainty, have become a skilled researcher, can write and make yourself understood…

    Well look at this! This seems to be the list most people would say consists of skills and traits that are perfect for success in todays economy and society.

    Reply
  8. Simon @ Modest Money says

    November 10, 2013 at 1:34 am

    I wouldn’t be that much suprised by the PhD scenario…are there any guarantees for anyone in this economy even non-PhD’s? At the end of the day I thinks its far much better to keep one’s options open and certainly think way out of the traditional box and tracks.

    Reply
  9. Kali @ CommonSenseMillennial says

    November 10, 2013 at 6:37 pm

    This is a big reason why I decided to just stick with my undergrad degree (I have a B.A. in history). I didn’t think graduate school – for a Master’s OR PhD – would make me that much more likely to get a job, and certainly not any more likely to get a job that would allow me to pay back the loans I’d have to take out!

    Reply
  10. Yun says

    November 11, 2013 at 9:07 pm

    Sam!
    This is interesting! I’m gonna talk about this in my social class seminar later.

    Reply
    • Sam Lustgarten says

      November 11, 2013 at 9:25 pm

      Yun!

      Thanks for your comment. 🙂 Let me know how that goes!

      Sam

      Reply
  11. Barbara Friedberg says

    November 25, 2013 at 12:19 pm

    Sam, My husband is an internationally known child psychologist and PhD faculty member. I am training his students on the “business and branding” side of the profession. The degree definitely doesn’t guarantee a job, one has to know the business side and how to market oneself to become employed.

    Reply
  12. Bill says

    May 3, 2015 at 6:58 am

    I just found this blog and and reading oldest to newest and found this post interesting. This doesn’t surprise me at all. Just like undergrad degrees in the liberal arts fields I would assume it would be difficult to find work in those same fields with a PhD. Actually, probably more difficult because you demand more pay in fields where the skills are deemed less marketable. I haven’t read the NYT article yet, but I assume if people had PhDs in engineering and Computer Science and Accounting they wouldn’t have as difficult a time finding work since those seem to be the highest in demand fields.

    Reply
    • Sam Lustgarten says

      May 3, 2015 at 12:47 pm

      Hey Bill,

      Thanks for commenting and deciding to read through the archives! Really appreciate it. Hope you enjoy the rest of your tour. 😉

      You’re absolutely right that it becomes increasingly more difficult with a PhD, at times. With that level of qualification, most people throw you in the overqualified category if you cannot find work in your specified discipline. It’s a scary limbo!

      Sam

      Reply

Join the Conversation: Cancel reply

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Subscribe

Best Of

  • Was Albert Einstein A Minimalist?
    Was Albert Einstein A Minimalist?
  • Ownership Isn't Real, We Rent This Life
    Ownership Isn't Real, We Rent This Life
  • 5 Tricks To Save Money At Starbucks (Updated)
    5 Tricks To Save Money At Starbucks (Updated)
  • Dating As A Minimalist
    Dating As A Minimalist
  • 8 TED Talks That Will Inspire You To Become A Minimalist
    8 TED Talks That Will Inspire You To Become A Minimalist
  • What Won't You Do For Money?
    What Won't You Do For Money?

Recent Posts

  • How to Eat Healthy on a Budget
  • How To Live Stream Your Art
  • 5 Fun Summer Activities on a Budget
  • How to Pay Off Medical Debt
  • 5 Ways to Save Money Before a New Baby

Search

Archives

  • June 2023 (1)
  • May 2023 (2)
  • January 2023 (1)
  • March 2022 (3)
  • February 2022 (2)
  • November 2021 (1)
  • October 2021 (2)
  • August 2021 (4)
  • July 2021 (5)
  • June 2021 (3)
  • May 2021 (2)
  • January 2021 (2)
  • December 2020 (2)
  • October 2020 (2)
  • September 2020 (1)
  • August 2020 (3)
  • June 2020 (1)
  • May 2020 (2)
  • April 2020 (1)
  • February 2020 (2)
  • January 2020 (1)
  • December 2019 (1)
  • November 2019 (5)
  • September 2019 (4)
  • August 2019 (1)
  • June 2019 (1)
  • May 2019 (1)
  • April 2019 (1)
  • March 2019 (3)
  • February 2019 (1)
  • January 2019 (3)
  • December 2018 (1)
  • September 2018 (2)
  • July 2018 (1)
  • June 2018 (2)
  • May 2018 (1)
  • April 2018 (5)
  • March 2018 (6)
  • February 2018 (4)
  • January 2018 (1)
  • December 2017 (10)
  • November 2017 (3)
  • July 2017 (2)
  • June 2017 (5)
  • May 2017 (2)
  • April 2017 (8)
  • March 2017 (4)
  • February 2017 (3)
  • January 2017 (2)
  • December 2016 (2)
  • November 2016 (4)
  • October 2016 (2)
  • September 2016 (1)
  • August 2016 (4)
  • July 2016 (1)
  • June 2016 (3)
  • May 2016 (3)
  • April 2016 (4)
  • March 2016 (5)
  • February 2016 (2)
  • January 2016 (2)
  • December 2015 (3)
  • November 2015 (5)
  • October 2015 (5)
  • September 2015 (4)
  • August 2015 (6)
  • July 2015 (8)
  • June 2015 (6)
  • May 2015 (14)
  • April 2015 (14)
  • March 2015 (13)
  • February 2015 (12)
  • January 2015 (15)
  • December 2014 (10)
  • November 2014 (5)
  • October 2014 (6)
  • September 2014 (7)
  • August 2014 (12)
  • July 2014 (11)
  • June 2014 (12)
  • May 2014 (16)
  • April 2014 (13)
  • March 2014 (13)
  • February 2014 (9)
  • January 2014 (20)
  • December 2013 (9)
  • November 2013 (18)
  • October 2013 (15)
  • September 2013 (11)
  • August 2013 (11)
  • July 2013 (27)
  • June 2013 (18)
  • May 2013 (16)

Best Of

  • Was Albert Einstein A Minimalist?
  • Ownership Isn't Real, We Rent This Life
  • 5 Tricks To Save Money At Starbucks (Updated)

Recent Posts

  • How to Eat Healthy on a Budget
  • How To Live Stream Your Art
  • 5 Fun Summer Activities on a Budget

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2025 · Modern Studio Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in