The downside of being a little bit smarter than the average joe is that people have higher expectations of you. This is painfully apparent when you enter the job market with a PhD or similar qualification. Taking a job pitched at a plain graduate can sometimes put you on the back foot with some companies further down the line.
So should you avoid these jobs altogether? The answer is no, but with a few provisos. 鈥淚t鈥檚 better to take a bachelor鈥檚 level job short term, or a temporary contract, than be out of science for several months, particularly when there are sometimes recruitment freezes,鈥� says Ian McKinley of scientific recruitment consultants SRG. Don鈥檛 spend too long in the job though. It will almost certainly mean questions from future employers if you鈥檝e been doing a lower-level job for years, been paid less and had less responsibility than expected, McKinley says.
聯拢38,850 Average salary for PhDs in industry 聪
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Even if you do decide to go for a graduate-level job, it can be hard persuading employers to take you on in the first place. Many scientific employers are large companies with hierarchical structures and salary bands. Consequently PhDs may be told they are 鈥渙ver-qualified鈥� for a bachelor鈥檚 level post, McKinley says. 鈥淭o persuade an employer otherwise, you鈥檒l need to convince them you鈥檙e more interested in their company than salary and supervisory responsibility.鈥�
聯拢27,210 Average salary for bachelor鈥檚 degree 聪
There鈥檚 also the issue that many employers only see you as a stereotype. 鈥淓mployers worry that PhD students are too academic and not connected to the real world,鈥� says Chris Vaughan, a recruitment consultant at Nigel Wright. They can be won round, though. 鈥淵ou need to reassure the employer that their work has given you not just transferable skills, but also real-world experience.鈥� This can mean experiences such as using contacts, which is crucial for most employers, dealing with customers, building interpersonal relationships and working in teams.
The good news is that you鈥檒l probably climb the ladder quicker than your undergraduate colleagues. A PhD expands your abilities and skill set and ultimately will make you more employable. You might also be able to demand more money. In a salary survey conducted by New 杏吧原创 earlier this year, the average salary for a person with a PhD in industry was over 拢8500 higher than for those with just a bachelor鈥檚 degree.
聯The good news is that you鈥檒l climb the ladder quicker than your colleagues聪
Careers 鈥� Find out how to make the most of your career in our comprehensive special report.