Don't Become a Scientist (1999)
10 hours ago
- #science-career
- #phd-problems
- #job-market
- Science is fun and exciting, but pursuing it as a career is not advisable due to poor job prospects.
- American universities produce twice as many Ph.D.s as there are jobs, leading to long postdoctoral periods with low pay and no job security.
- Permanent jobs in science are scarce, and even talented individuals spend many years in unstable postdoctoral positions.
- Salaries for postdocs are low, making it difficult to support a family or achieve middle-class stability.
- The competition for grants is intense, and scientists often spend more time writing proposals than doing research.
- Original ideas in proposals are often poorly rated, stifling creativity and innovation.
- Young people are advised to pursue other careers with better prospects, such as medicine, law, or computer science.
- The glut of scientists is caused by funding policies, and funding agencies should reduce the number of Ph.D.s trained to match demand.
- The best young people are avoiding science careers, leaving graduate programs filled with weaker students and foreigners.