In this post, I talk about the dangers of a Ph.D. taking too long to finish and to point out the resources available to you to combat that. I have written about how to avoid taking too long and graduate in a timely manner in this blog as well as in my book.

The audio version of this post:

The “How to PhD” blog and book

If you are feeling overwhelmed or stuck in graduate school, you are not alone. You can get help to navigate those situations both in this blog and in the book. It is packaged more efficiently in the book, of course, which is why people have found it worthwhile to just get the book. The information is presented step-by-step there and in an organized manner.

Having said that, I am not trying to push you to buy the book. I am perfectly happy if you just read the blog, too! I just want you to succeed and to know your options for getting maximum support during graduate school and after. That is my ultimate goal.

The information is all here in this blog…

…for free. I also try to make the book FREE as much as possible but that requires subscribing to this blog so I can actually let you KNOW when the book is indeed free.

Dangers of a Ph.D. taking too long

A Ph.D. that is much longer than five to six years is a poor return on investment. Whatever the reason, there are two big problems with staying in a Ph.D. program for too long:

• Lack of productivity
• Decreasing employability

I am sorry, but staying longer DOES NOT equate to getting more done. Think about it, by staying in your program longer:

• Are you getting a lot more work done?
• Is your CV getting a LOT better?

Assess your present situation and make a prediction for the future.

For example, by staying an extra year, do you think your work will reach that next level where you could argue for becoming an assistant professor rather than a postdoc?

Or does the choice boil down to becoming a postdoc now or a postdoc next year?

Then, obviously, as far as graduating in a timely manner, choosing to be a postdoc now is better than waiting a year to do the same thing. The same goes for industry jobs.

Do you think you could get a decent job in the industry right now if you tried? Then, what are you waiting for?

It is easier to go from an industry job to another, better industry job than from academia to industry. Waiting and adding experience in academia is going to hurt, not help you.

Industry people will recognize that you are smart but they want you to get good at their stuff, not keep doing whatever you are doing now.

Think about the people who might be interested in hiring you. Whether it is a postdoc or a job in the industry, no one wants to see that you took forever to graduate.

Most people want a fresh-out-of-school, relatively young person whom they can train and mold to do the job they need to be done. That’s tough, but that’s how the world works, unfortunately.

No one but you cares about the exact details of your research and thesis.

Will you really add so much to your thesis in the next year or two that it will make an ounce of difference to the hiring manager? Probably not.

With academia, too, the attitude is similar, in my experience. The prestigious, named-after-someone-famous postdoctoral fellowships predominantly go to graduate students in their fifth year or postdocs in their first year.

There may be exceptions but I am mainly saying all this to encourage you to hurry up and graduate already, not to discourage anyone who, for whatever reason, might be an eighth-year graduate student.

Look, I know it happens and you are not a shit student or anything, you just need to get out and I hope that this blog or the book helps with exactly that. 

Focus on and only do what is absolutely required for graduation with a Ph.D.

That list might surprise you, but it is good to know it rather than be blindsided as a senior graduate student who is desperate to get out.

1. Finish your projects
2. Finish writing your thesis
3. Find/train your replacement graduate student(s)
4. Find a job that your advisor/committee will approve of (good postdoc or top industry job)

Yes, that is the complete list for what it takes to graduate faster rather than slower. If you conquer it, you will be good to go.

GOT A QUESTION? GUESS WHAT, YOU CAN ASK ANY QUESTION IN THE COMMENTS OF ANY POST including this one AND I WILL WRITE A POST TO ANSWER IT.