A lot of wisdom in this post! I have a PhD and hire PhDs.... you should only get one if you know why you need it, and you are ready for the long slog its going to take to get it. 50% never finish and it is brutal on their lives. that said for those who want it, it is awesome!
my only push back is against this claim:
The only things that will make those loans worth it, to me, are signaling value and networks.
a Computer Science batchelors really teaches skills that a bootcamp does not. In practice you are a better developer if you have that degree. Same with the PhD. if I need a roboticist, then I am better served by getting a person w/ a degree (though many years of real world experience can sometimes compensate.)
So it is not all signalling. Sometime degrees teach very specific skills. (but only for some degrees and for some jobs)
overall your message is 100% on point. know why you are getting a degree, and have several 10 minute conversations with folks who have your desired job in order to find out what really counts!! (they WILL talk for free, write to them on linkedin)
too often folks spend many years and dollars only to find out they didn't really understand how things work!
A lot of wisdom in this post! I have a PhD and hire PhDs.... you should only get one if you know why you need it, and you are ready for the long slog its going to take to get it. 50% never finish and it is brutal on their lives. that said for those who want it, it is awesome!
my only push back is against this claim:
The only things that will make those loans worth it, to me, are signaling value and networks.
a Computer Science batchelors really teaches skills that a bootcamp does not. In practice you are a better developer if you have that degree. Same with the PhD. if I need a roboticist, then I am better served by getting a person w/ a degree (though many years of real world experience can sometimes compensate.)
So it is not all signalling. Sometime degrees teach very specific skills. (but only for some degrees and for some jobs)
overall your message is 100% on point. know why you are getting a degree, and have several 10 minute conversations with folks who have your desired job in order to find out what really counts!! (they WILL talk for free, write to them on linkedin)
too often folks spend many years and dollars only to find out they didn't really understand how things work!