Disclaimer: Did not read the whole thing. The one advice I often do not see is: While there may be enough jobs for PhDs out there, there are very few that you

Disclaimer: Did not read the whole thing. The one advice I often do not see is: While there may be enough jobs for PhDs out there, there are very few that you will want to do. People get a PhD because they are passionate about the field and want to do research. Not just any research but research on a few topics. Most jobs for PhDs will not let you do the research that you would like to do. It will be totally on you to target those few jobs that will. You have to work towards it throughout the program. Actively network at conferences, and get key people to know you. Position yourself for those jobs. Merely doing good research and publishing papers may not be enough. Anyone who sticks to it can get a PhD. But no one feels sorry for a PhD grad who can't get a job. It's expected that if you're smart enough to get one, you're smart enough to figure out the job situation.