Promising Job in China vs. Superb PhD at Cambridge

I'm in a dilemma of which offer to choose. I'm offered a very promising job in China and a superb PhD at Cambridge.

Job: £20K~30K/y can be expected in 3~4 years (nearly tenfold of the local average annual income), a top state-owned engineering company, process design oriented, more senior position within the years the PhD course will take, China is my home

PhD: Fuel cell design, part of the course will be done in Singapore, opportunities to work with students from other world-wide top universities, better environment, oversea job opportunities after graduate

I don't know which one to choose. If I accept the job, I can live a comfortable life right now and I get commercial & work experience. If I accept the PhD, I can get world-class research and have more international experience and hopefully, a better but not guaranteed job after completing the PhD course.

What job needs a PhD to do?

Reply 1

1024796

3

First, congratulations on an excellent dilemma! Plenty of people would wish they were in your shoes, so I hope you're approaching this positively.

I think there are very few jobs in the world that require a PhD, but probably more for which a PhD will be looked upon favourably. In this situation, my key question would not be what is sensible - because both routes sound like sensible, career-safe options in the long-run - but what you would really, really love to do!

Unless you suspect that your chosen industry in China/the World will not be thriving as much in the near future and jobs could soon get scarce, or this Cambridge PhD was a total fluke and you'll never get on it again, I'd just go with my heart. Which option makes you more excited?

Is the PhD funded?

Why not do your PhD and then go to China?

Reply 4

sj27

14

Original post by DeMoomin

Unless you suspect that your chosen industry in China/the World will not be thriving as much in the near future and jobs could soon get scarce, or this Cambridge PhD was a total fluke and you'll never get on it again, I'd just go with my heart. Which option makes you more excited?

I answered OP in the Cam thread but just on the above - while the PhD offer may not be a "fluke", it is much harder to stop working for 3-4 years to do a PhD (especially if you have for example become a homeowner in the interim). The likelihood is that this chance won't present itself to the OP again, but not necessarily because he wouldn't get another offer.

Reply 5

reginaldbright

6

Go for the PhD.

If the job isnt that special, why wait?

Original post by XMG

I'm in a dilemma of which offer to choose. I'm offered a very promising job in China and a superb PhD at Cambridge.

Job: £20K~30K/y can be expected in 3~4 years (nearly tenfold of the local average annual income), a top state-owned engineering company, process design oriented, more senior position within the years the PhD course will take, China is my home

PhD: Fuel cell design, part of the course will be done in Singapore, opportunities to work with students from other world-wide top universities, better environment, oversea job opportunities after graduate

I don't know which one to choose. If I accept the job, I can live a comfortable life right now and I get commercial & work experience. If I accept the PhD, I can get world-class research and have more international experience and hopefully, a better but not guaranteed job after completing the PhD course.

What job needs a PhD to do?

Exceptionally few jobs need A PhD. There are a very small amount of jobs which will consider it an advantage, but not a requirement. For the vast majority of engineering jobs it's not going to make the slightest bit of a difference.

A PhD is a long, hard slog. You're not guaranteed to pass nor are you guaranteed a job at the end of it.

The above doesn't particularly matter if you are genuinely interested in fuel cells, but your post doesn't suggest you are.

The job gives you an income and some real industrial experience, along with the chance of promotion, networking etc. For most jobs, having, the experience you'll gain under a good company is far more valuable than a PhD (unless you're specifically interested in industrial research in the area of your PhD).

Original post by XMG

I'm in a dilemma of which offer to choose. I'm offered a very promising job in China and a superb PhD at Cambridge.

The PhD will not reduce your ability to get similar jobs, but it will increase you ability to get even better jobs. In other words you can be the sort of person that gets those sort of job offers, or you can be the sort of person that gets those sort of job offers (or maybe better) with a PhD from Cambridge.

Reply 8

poohat

18

Where is your undergrad degree from? If you already have a degree from a top brand name university, then the marginal CV value of a Cambridge PhD is going to be less than if your previous degrees are from less well-known places (unless your PhD is directly linked to the industry you will be working in, rather than just being a signalling device)

If you already have a prestigious undergrad degree and have no intention in working in research after the PhD, I would be tempted to take the industry job (doubly so if the PhD is unfunded).

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 9

XMG

OP

Original post by poohat

Where is your undergrad degree from? If you already have a degree from a top brand name university, then the marginal CV value of a Cambridge PhD is going to be less than if your previous degrees are from less well-known places (unless your PhD is directly linked to the industry you will be working in, rather than just being a signalling device)

If you already have a prestigious undergrad degree and have no intention in working in research after the PhD, I would be tempted to take the industry job (doubly so if the PhD is unfunded).

My undergrad degree was got in China, but I just got a master's degree at Imperial College several months ago.

I hope the PhD can enable me to get a job in the same industry

Reply 10

Nathanielle

15

Well, it is a tough bet. I think the major question is wether you plan to stay in China and how valued PHDs are in China (and maybe the other countries you considering). If you want to stay in China and you are not particularly interested in the field of your PHD in comparison to the job offer, I would go for the job. It get's you money, work experience and the possibilty to stay at home, near family, etc.

Promising Job in China vs. Superb PhD at Cambridge

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