MS or PhD? Which is Right for Me?

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MS or PhD?

Which is Right for Me?

Alaina G. Levine Quantum Success Solutions AGU Career Center – 28 February 2012

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Today’s goals

Can I do research with an MS?

Identify career opportunities that are right for me

Examine different career tracks with geosciences degrees

Case Studies of geosciences careers: MS vS PhD paths

Alaina G. Levine Quantum Success Solutions

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Quantum Key: “Value Proposition”

You create value = your scientific know-how

You have a lot more career opps than you realize

But you absolutely have to do what you love or life with be miserable and you will be unproductive

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Value of Geoscientists In and

Beyond Academia

Excellent problem solvers

Adaptive and flexible

Disciplined approach

Computing skills

Can solve a prob from the ground up

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Value of Geoscientists In and

Beyond Academia

Are both holistic and detail-oriented

Understand how the physical world works

Project management and teamwork – large-scale, diverse, across continents

Tapping into your current network

Finance and funding experience

Know that your work also has everyday applications

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Can I do research with an MS?

 Yes!!!

 But where?

Industry

Govt Labs and agencies

 Research VS. “Scientific Problem Solving”

Research: design and run original experiments,

oversee investigations, publish results (internally or externally)

Scientific Problem-Solving: practical application of

scientific know-how to “customer” probs

 MS is the degree of choice in many industries

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The advantage of the MS:

Oil and Gas Industry

In O&G industry: “MS is a filter”, standard of hiring

bec of what you do to get a MS: Scientific method, prob-solving skills, you’ve proven you can do the task at a high level

“If you want to get into the petroleum

industry and solve geoscience probs, then a MS is all you need.”

–--Global Recruiter, MS, Major Global O&G Company

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The advantage of the MS:

Mining Industry

 In Mining industry: MS is preferred- “more about being a generalist problem-solver”, being flexible

 PhD has a bad rep? A question of too much

specialization, not enough general prob-solving ability and an inflexibility

 “If someone has a PhD and specializes in [a

certain area] and they work in industry, if

suddenly the money shifts and they have to work in a different area, they might not want to do that.”

–-- Christopher Marrs, MS, Consultant/Economic Geologist, Western Alaska Copper and Gold

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The advantage of the MS:

Environmental Consulting

In Environmental Consulting: “MS is king, then BS, then PhD”

“MS is degree of choice for geologists in the environmental arena”

Decision-makers and managers have MS in geosciences.

You are better off starting work after MS (get experience in industry)

Research is there, but it is applied

--John Pekala, MS, Senior Manager,

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So what about the PhD?

 In O&G – PhD is not required to do research, so “becomes a personal preference” as to whether to get one

 More time than MS, but: Experience spent in

industry is often weighed more than the PhD (for certain research-related jobs)

 PhD is often the entry point to “R&D” jobs, but with a MS, once you are in the company, you often can go wherever you want (including R&D)

 MS: You can always go back for PhD later (with the comp’s blessings and $)

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So what about the PhD?

PhD required:

Academic positions: tenure-track and non-tenure-track professorships, teaching at univ/college level

Management positions at some govt agencies/labs

As you advance in science-related positions some govt agencies and labs

Entry point to R&D labs in industry

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General Career Paths for Geoscientists: Research and non-Research Opps

 Academic – Research and Teaching

Tenure-track and not

Large Univs, small colleges, liberal arts, community colleges, private schools, High and middle schools

Administrative and program management  Government

USGS, NOAA, NASA, NCAR, NREL

National labs

State and Local Govt – Geos, envir, water, etc.

Government Contracting  Science Consulting

Geosciences, environmental, water, construction, etc.

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Industry Jobs in Geosciences

R and D, Engineering, program management Depending on industry and job, not necessarily called “Geoscientist”

 O&G, petrochemical – 33% growth/yr

 Mining

 Advanced biofuels

 Building retrofitting

 Mass transit and rail

 Wind, solar, smart grid technology

--Alan Edwards, VP and

Science Project Lead, Americas Product Group, Kelly Services

“Areas for strong demand of geoscientists (MS and PhD)”

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Career Paths Beyond

“Geosciences”

 Non-profit – like directing AGU!

 Science writing and science comms

Writing articles

Publicizing science and the scientists

 Science outreach: Museums, univs

 Government – research, tech-based, policy,

program management

Congress, agencies, think tanks, OSTP

Govt – FBI, NSA, CIA, etc

Beyond typical govt- FAA

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Career Paths Beyond

“Geosciences”

 Management, strategy and technical

Consulting, ex: McKinsey & Co., SAIC, Booz Allen Hamilton

 Financial/Quantitative (”Quants”)

 Industry

Various, beyond O&G, Mining, environmental

Client problem-solving, business development,

marketing

 Computing Power – ex: entertainment field

 Research careers in other fields

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Case Study: Major, Global O&G

Co. aka “Oil, Inc.”

“Geoscience is the lifeblood of this

company. [Geoscientists] discover the oil” so we invest a lot of resources in them

Most common degree for geos: MS

Comp subdivides geos population:

Generalists (largest). Ex “Petroleum

Geoscientist”, actively interpreting data, finding hydrocarbons

Specialists – high-end geophysics, and R&D

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Case Study: Major, Global O&G

Co. aka “Oil, Inc.”

 Entry points

MS – generalists, some specialists

But in R&D – entry point (from outside company) – PhD  ***Once in the company, your career is often up to

you. Ex: with a MS, can transfer into R&D

Can also do recruiting, biz analysis, etc.

 MS - “we hire the best geoscientists we can”

So your thesis topic/area of expertise is not as important as your skills as a scientist

Research: Generalists will be solving geos probs everyday

Some work could lead to publishing

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Case Study: Major, Global O&G

Co. aka “Oil, Inc.”

 “Scientist Skills”

Intelligence, and quantitative/high tech skills

Passion for science

Passion for curiosity – see what’s ‘round the corner

Integrative mind – holistic, systematic way of

thinking about probs, understands implications of observations, and what they mean to others

***Interpersonal skills – teambuilding

Leadership – willingness to step up

Communications – verbal and visual, understand

your audience and change your talk for new aud.

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Case Study: Major, Global O&G

Co. aka “Oil, Inc.”

In R&D, Publishing/Conferences/Speaking is encouraged: Comp “wants to maintain its international research reputation”

R&D – field and lab work

(140 labs in Houston alone)

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Case Study: Schlumberger

 Important Skills for MS Hires

 MS thesis/studies relate to hydrocarbons  Mobility

 Flexibility  Hands-on  Adaptability  “outdoorsy”

 Enter usually as Field Engineers

 Will be “doing science”, just not called “scientists”

 Ex: mapping of reservoir, how it was deposited

 Can go anywhere after that – “No Limits with a MS”

 R&D – more PhDs than MSs, but there are MSs who design and lead research teams.

 Will pay for you to get a PhD if you/they want it

--Wayne Finger, North American Recruiting and University

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Case Study: Pacific Northwest

National Laboratory (Govt Lab)

 Can fresh MS “do science”? “yes, all you do out here is science”

 But, if you want to do original research, “you will hit a glass ceiling”

 Funding agencies want to see you have a pedigree – pubs in peer-reviewed jrls, $, international leader reputation

 “PhDs know how to solve high level probs”, “PhDs have gone through the scientific rigor” and have proven themselves.

 “MS can still do great fundamental science, but the PhD is an acknowledgement that you can go one level higher.”

 But… more and more certain tasks are done by MSs, ex carbon sequestration lab- project managers (PMs) are MSs

 PMs will work with PIs, to design experiments and do research

 MS is fine for management roles – “PhD for personal reasons”

--Mark Sweeney, Research Engineer (Geologist by training), PNNL

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So what’s right for me?

 Know your interests and skills

 Know that you bring great value as a geosciences-educated professional, to myriad careers

 Do research on AGU.org and AGIweb.org

Salary info, sectors that are growing, hiring, job descriptions

 Do research on the major companies and

organizations – entry point reqs, career paths, opportunities for advancement

 Know the minimum degree req for your career path

 Decide for yourself what degree is right for you

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AGU Career Center Opportunities:

http://www.agu.org



Next Webinar: 1 May 2012, 3pm EST

on Post-doc issues: The Next Best

Step

Besides a post-doc, what are my options?

Fall Webinar: Focus on Women in Geosciences

Have ideas for future webinars? Email: careers@agu.org

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Alaina G. Levine

Quantum Success Solutions

alaina@alainalevine.com

www.alainalevine.com

One-on-one Career Consulting for

Emerging/Established Scientists and Engineers

Results-Oriented Professional Leadership Development for Scientists and Engineers Speaking – keynotes, workshops, training