“What should I do if I want to leave my STEM PhD and come back later? Industry vs Consulting options for a break #STEMPhD #PhDBreak #IndustryVsConsulting”
Overview
Are you considering leaving your STEM PhD program but still want to pursue a doctoral degree later on? Explore industry and consulting options for a break to enhance your skills and gain valuable experience. Here, we weigh the pros and cons of each path to help you make an informed decision.
Leaving a STEM PhD – What’s Next?
- Considering leaving your current STEM PhD program due to bad supervision, depressing environment, or questionable research?
- Want to take a break before returning to academia?
Industry Break
- Pros: Learn useful skills, understand industry workings, prepare for future PhD.
- Cons: Lower pay, uncertain skill development within 1-2 years.
Consulting Break
- Pros: High salary, dynamic environment, skill growth.
- Cons: Potential skill rust in math, physics, coding, work-life imbalance.
Considering Family and Financial Factors
- What impact will your decision have on starting a family, buying a house, or balancing finances?
- Partner also pursuing a PhD – how will this influence your choices?
Future Plans
- Thinking of spending 1-2 years in a high-paying job, saving money, then reapplying for a PhD after the break?
- Considering the flexibility of a PhD for starting a family and switching breadwinner roles?
Your Input Matters
What are your thoughts on the best approach for taking a break from a STEM PhD and reentering the academic world? Share your insights and experiences to help others in a similar situation.
Great theory. I decided after my Masters to work for a couple of years then go back and do my PhD. I am now 57 and guess what I never got around to doing, my PhD. My daughter learned from me, did her Bachelor’s degree, her Master’s degree and is now in the throws of PhD thesis writing having done her lit reviews, experiments and research etc (STEM). The difference is that the Research Institute aligned with her top level University is excellent and both the lab manager and her supervisor are excellent. That hasn’t given you any advice. If you are having a break from your PhD, choose a job path that won’t burn you out. After working in consulting, there was no way I was going to do my PhD, even though I said I would. The path I took didn’t need it. I wasn’t going into academia, I wasn’t going to publish so I kept finding excuses not to do it. My daughter is already published but the PhD adds credibility to journal articles. This also gives her the flexibility to teach in academia and do more research. So, if you have the discipline to go back later, great. If you are in any doubt about wanting/needing you PhD maybe broaden your thinking.
So you’re abandoning your PhD to start working. Excellent choice, lots of people do that.
How close are you to finishing? If you’re close, it may be worth toughing it out and getting it done now.
The issue with taking a break is that oftentimes, life gets in the way and you never return. This happened to me during my engineering grad work. I was really burned out and decided to get a job in industry and make money. My advisor offered all sorts of accommodations and compromises to allow me to finish while working, but life got in the way and I never finished. On one hand, it probably wouldn’t have helped me tremendously since I switched careers but on the other, I regret not doing it. I was super close (it was completed except for the thesis or a large project write-up) but sometimes life has other plans.
Do you even a “high” paying job line up?
Dreaming is good but reality can be brutal.
I wouldn’t leave the phd program if you are positive you want a PhD eventually. I would switch advisors and restart your thesis before doing this.
However, I have to give you really brutal advice. A PhD is not this romantic thing. A lot of the time it is exactly as you describe, and you may end up in a similar situation in a different program/group. My advice would be to slog through it and finish as quickly as possible.