> Basically it shows that you know how to problem solve, push the boundaries of what is known, work independently, and persevere until the job is done. Okay, s

> Basically it shows that you know how to problem solve, push the boundaries of what is known, work independently, and persevere until the job is done. Okay, sure. I don't completely discount a PhD when looking at a resume, but this also doesn't add much. For most development jobs, a PhD is about as useful as one undergraduate summer internship in terms of demonstrating skills and adding value. Of course, there are some jobs around theoretical & mathemetical problems where a PhD is worth a lot more. And those are probably the jobs at big tech companies which your PhD friends have been offered. I don't think a PhD is worthless. I just don't think it makes a big difference for a developer's resume, especially because it also carries some unfortunate signaling effects (I know many PhDs who only went that route because they weren't good enough developers to get good jobs straight out of undergrad).