4 ms·
Where I work I've had to hire people who can write well about complex computer science topics. The nice thing about PhDs is that they typically know how to writ
by AndyMcConachie 6y ago
Where I work I've had to hire people who can write well about complex computer science topics. The nice thing about PhDs is that they typically know how to write well. Most software engineers are terrible writers. In general, most engineers are terrible writers.
When I look at a resume and I see that someone has a PhD and has published a few papers I am much more comfortable hiring them. They almost definitely know how to approach a large writing project and break it up into smaller pieces. They've had training in how to work on large writing projects and they have atleast 1 experience of doing so and finishing it. Of course I've encountered PhDs that are terrible writers, but they're an anomaly.
I doubt this transfers well into other fields or positions where writing matters less. Most programming positions don't require strong writing skills, for example. All other things being equal, when I am hiring I prefer PhDs over non-PhDs, because in my experience they're better writers.
- Retric 6y agoThat’s horribly inefficient economically. Sure, some jobs benefit from PHD adjacent skills and companies can employ such people cheaply, but the time and cost to train a PHD is extreme. The other half of this is many people put PHD’s at the bottom of the pile as a sign of poor judgement, or just anti intellectual bias. Which plays into why employing PHD’s is so affordable.
- sidr 6y agoAgreed. If we had a European style system where a master's + PhD could be done in 4 years versus the insanely long duration of American PhDs, the whole system would be better off. Of course, faculty have no incentive to graduate their students quickly (they are trying to amortize the year or so of ramp up time). It really has to be up to the funding agencies to refuse to fund any students beyond year 4 unless there are extenuating circumstances.
- ahartmetz 6y agoIt is a quite sad situation when the skill required to write a smallest publishable unit for the publication mill compares favorably to other writing skills. Wasting the time of the competition in the publishing rat race is actually incentivized now...
- asdfasgasdgasdg 6y agoThat's a good point, but again this only applies to some types of PhDs. Maybe a computer science PhD would be useful to you in a position like this. But a literary criticism PhD would not. Fortunately, not too many of those folks are being graduated. http://statista.com/statistics/185353/number-of-doctoral-degrees-by-field-of-research/ http://statista.com/statistics/185353/number-of-doctoral-deg... Although still probably 10x+ the number that the economy can actually support in relevant roles.