[fragrance]

Any INTJs here with a doctorate degree? PhD, MD, JD... whatever. In which field are you working? How is it spending years on research as an INTJ?

 

[Filo]

PhD in physics, computational plasma physics to be precise. I did the PhD in 3 years, 10 months. After that, I served out my contract (which was another 2 months) and did 2 moths as a post doc. I then left physics to become a quantitative researcher at a trading firm.

It was nice being a researcher, gave me time to be an immature, Ni Te only INTJ and do my thing. I joined the Real World when I was 26, after the PhD. The real world is a harsh place, although true academia (tenure track) is far worse.

 

[fragrance]

The real world is a harsh place, although true academia (tenure track) is far worse.

Yes, it is. But why is true academia far worse?

 

[jack london]

When I interview people who have their PhDs but no real world experience I get a lot of blank stares. I think people should pause their education every few years and get some real world application. I don't care if you know some fancy thing if you have to have the junior people hold your hand all the time. We are talking real basic stuff here by the way.

I only have my masters and I might go back but only after I see a real need which so far I haven't.

 

[Filo]

Yes, it is. But why is true academia far worse?

Massive competition for a very tiny slice of financial pie. 90% of postdocs end up with shattered careers and no tenure. At 31, I make more than I ever would as a prof. Saner work hours. Better building. More talented co-workers. No mandatory global migration. Need I go on?

When I interview people who have their PhDs but no real world experience I get a lot of blank stares.

That's not really a PhD thing, it's more of a personality thing, to an extent. You either have some streetsmarts, or you don't.

 

[calliope]

I loved academia, loved teaching, loved working within a really good program. But I remember having to write a tenure letter for a professor who didn't make it, and that was depressing. I left to work in the real world. I regret it but can't bear to give up the money now. I hate the real world, but I work for myself and I can isolate, so it's okay.

 

[fragrance]

When I interview people who have their PhDs but no real world experience I get a lot of blank stares. [...] I only have my masters and I might go back but only after I see a real need which so far I haven't.

Why, what did you ask them? And were they INTJ PhDs? I always thought that INTJ were half booksmart, half streetsmart. It terms of income, it is generally more beneficial to study than to work.

At 31, I make more than I ever would as a prof. [...] That's not really a PhD thing, it's more of a personality thing, to an extent. You either have some streetsmarts, or you don't.

Oh yes, that's true. Physicists earn waaaay more in the real world than in academia. But streetsmart is imho more experience than talent. A rough neighborhood will make you streetsmart sooner or later.

 

[Filo]

Oh yes, that's true. Physicists earn waaaay more in the real world than in academia. But streetsmart is imho more experience than talent. A rough neighborhood will make you streetsmart sooner or later.

I'm in trading, not in physics. For me, the 2008 crisis made me streetsmart.Trading financials in it was... interesting