Should I apply for a physics PhD or stick with an engineering job?

I (22m) have an undergrad in astrophysics, a masters in space engineering and have long wanted to do a PhD. After graduating my masters, I wanted a break from academia so now work as a spacecraft engineer (which is my dream career). I love my job and definitely see myself doing this as a long term career, but I keep get this niggling feeling that I want to do a PhD. I much preferred my undergrad (physics based) research than the engineering research at masters level and have always wanted to do a PhD in astrophysics. The problem I see with it is that doing this PhD will take up 4 years of time away from my career development and also not really be that applicable/useful as far as I can tell when I finish and want to reenter the space engineering industry.

Any advice would greatly be appreciated.

Reply 1

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Original post by taway

Firstly, there's no choice to make unless and until you have applied for a PhD and have an offer.

So you really just ned to think about the timing of any PhD application. And that depends a bit on what you are applying for and why.

If you want to work in the industry you are currently in, and the PhD you have in mind doesn't support that, then don't apply for it. Wait until time/experience resolves into a) you want to do a PhD that supports this current career, or b) you don't want to continue on this career path and a PhD would help reroute you.

Until a) or b) exist, this is just a whim that will screw things up.

Reply 2

taway

Original post by threeportdrift

Firstly, there's no choice to make unless and until you have applied for a PhD and have an offer.
So you really just ned to think about the timing of any PhD application. And that depends a bit on what you are applying for and why.
If you want to work in the industry you are currently in, and the PhD you have in mind doesn't support that, then don't apply for it. Wait until time/experience resolves into a) you want to do a PhD that supports this current career, or b) you don't want to continue on this career path and a PhD would help reroute you.
Until a) or b) exist, this is just a whim that will screw things up.

Thanks for the advice. I hope you don't mind me asking a couple of questions. What do you mean by it's just a whim that will screw things up? Is there something that I've not thought about with this that could be detrimental? One concern for me is that given that a PhD takes several (3+) years to complete, I will be in my late 20s when I finish if I start now. By pushing this further back, I will be pushing into the time when most people have families, settle down and typically want a lot more stability than in their 20s. In that respect, wouldn't the earlier the PhD, the better apply?

Also, what issues do you see with doing a PhD for the passion and enjoyment of it alone, rather than the career prospects?

Thanks again for you insight and advice :smile:

Reply 3

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Original post by taway

Thanks for the advice. I hope you don't mind me asking a couple of questions. What do you mean by it's just a whim that will screw things up? Is there something that I've not thought about with this that could be detrimental? One concern for me is that given that a PhD takes several (3+) years to complete, I will be in my late 20s when I finish if I start now. By pushing this further back, I will be pushing into the time when most people have families, settle down and typically want a lot more stability than in their 20s. In that respect, wouldn't the earlier the PhD, the better apply?
Also, what issues do you see with doing a PhD for the passion and enjoyment of it alone, rather than the career prospects?
Thanks again for you insight and advice :smile:

If you stop your space career now and go back to do an engineering PhD that doesn't support the space career, and you propose to return to the space career, then you are missing a piece. You will reset your career back to 'graduate' positions, so back to before where you are now, and you will have to overcome the natural question - 'are you really motivated to work in this sector, or are you going to flip back again to engineering?'. Employers are not sympathetic, early on in your career, you are one hundreds with exactly the same set of skills - so recruitment is more a matter of finding reasons to reject, than finding reasons to employ. It is only later in your career that changes, diversions, reroutes etc can be comfortably accepted, because you will also have a much narrower, more specialised set of skills which you are hoping the employer wants.

Your reason for doing an engineering PhD seems to be to 'scratch an itch' or a 'whim' and will not be looked on favourably or sympathetically by space employers.

By all means to a PhD for the love of learning - I did that, it was great fun. But do it once your career is secure, and you can take a career break without jeopardising your progress.