More education, better job opportunities?

The straight answer is no.

I did a masters in my attempt to move to a more lucrative industry. The doors are still close for one simple reason, I wasn't in that industry in the first place. An offer that comes remotely close after the masters want to pay me lower than what I am currently earning.

I walked away, regreting spending so much effort and money in the masters. The truth hurts but that's what it is.

If you want to move into academia, get a masters, then a PhD. But word of warning, academia's pay sucks.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

The straight answer is no.

I did a masters in my attempt to move to a more lucrative industry. The doors are still close for one simple reason, I wasn't in that industry in the first place. An offer that comes remotely close after the masters want to pay me lower than what I am currently earning.

I walked away, regreting spending so much effort and money in the masters. The truth hurts but that's what it is.

If you want to move into academia, get a masters, then a PhD. But word of warning, academia's pay sucks.

slightly disagree with you on the last point. if you have a good phd from a top university like MIT and Stanford or even Michigan and Illinois, you can easily land an asst professor job here and elsewhere. starting pay is around 10k.

by "lucrative industry", i guess you are referring to Banking & Finance?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

slightly disagree with you on the last point. if you have a good phd from a top university like MIT and Stanford or even Michigan and Illinois, you can easily land an asst professor job here and elsewhere. starting pay is around 10k.

by "lucrative industry", i guess you are referring to Banking & Finance?

A degree from a top university is perfect. It literally opens doors to everywhere.

What I mean is a postgrad from a local university or via distance learning.

Actually professors' package aren't that fantastic if you look at it from the following angle:

1. At least 1 year masters, 4 years PhD with a stipend of less than 3k.
2. Another 2 years as a research fellow, living on research grant for another 3k
3. And then many years as asst. professor with an average of 8k to 10k and some colleages pays you only 9 months a year, with no bonus. You are put on a permanent contract unless you get really lucky, then you get tenuered.

The banks gives 120K per annum packages to mid level roles and gives out good bonus, easily. And you don't spend 7 years living on research grants for the 120K per annum package to happen to you.

That said, if you are truly in love with your field of work, the university is basically paying you without you having work for a single day in your life.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

if you have a good phd from a top university like MIT and Stanford or even Michigan and Illinois, you can easily land an asst professor job here and elsewhere.

Not so easily here. Just because most who landed a job here as an academic have a good PhD from a top university doesn't mean that the reverse is true.

There are just too many PhDs churned out every year from these top universities, especially those second rate people who couldn't get into these universities at undergraduate level due to competition from Wall Street whizzes.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Not so easily here. Just because most who landed a job here as an academic have a good PhD from a top university doesn't mean that the reverse is true.

There are just too many PhDs churned out every year from these top universities, especially those second rate people who couldn't get into these universities at undergraduate level due to competition from Wall Street whizzes.

What has Wall street whizzes gotta do with undergrad admissions to top universities?