New Coastie – Pursuing a passion

You have just had a great holiday, camping in the great Tai Tokerau. Now you are back at work and resent every minute of it. There are countless Zoom meetings and meetings to plan other meetings. The boss blabbers meaningless buzzwords like synergy, ROI and alignment, and you are thinking, “What if I stabbed my eye with that sharpie? Would that make this meeting more interesting?” Yes, arguably, it would. I suggest not to do that though. It is time for a change.

Maybe you’ve dreamt of becoming the next Neil deGrasse Tyson or Ranginui Walker. Or perhaps you are a nerd and passionate about peculiar topics. Be it the difference between wingspans of wasps and bees or the intricacies of cultural differences between the Pushtun tribes, I have a solution for you: A PhD – the ultimate academic rollercoaster where you get paid (barely) to stress about things no one else seems to understand.

Why do a PhD, you ask? First off, you get to call yourself a “doctor” without ever holding a stethoscope. Imagine the look on Aunt Kathy’s face when you correct her at Christmas lunch, “Actually, it’s Doctor Sebastian Papadopoulos now, thank you very much.” Besides being a pompous ass, a PhD allows you to indulge in subjects you’re passionate about. Interested in the mating habits of rhesus macaque monkeys in urban environments? There is a PhD for that. It also doesn’t have to be science. Poetry, literature, movies – there’s a PhD for all.

There are perks. Flexible working hours, attending conferences in exotic locations (like rural Birmingham), and the unparalleled thrill of publishing papers. Sure, only five people might read it, but among fellow PhD-ers, you’re a rockstar.

There are downsides. First is the commitment. High school, Bachelors, Masters, and then the PhD. It is a long-term commitment to be a student. I think doing a PhD is more rewarding when done as a complete career change or a lateral move within the same industry after good working experience. After 10 years of working in business management, I made the decision to leave a well-paying job to enrol in a Master in Indigenous Studies, get a first-class degree, and then a scholarship to do a PhD. A sharp drop in pay, but it is the happiest I have been. I am not a part of a big corporate machine where, one day, I am told that I am a part of a family and then the next day, I can be made redundant. Corporate environments are not family environments. Imagine telling your Aunt Kathy that Grandad is streamlining family operations, and we will have to let you go and you will be replaced by Aunt-GPT. We wish you good luck. Families don’t make people redundant.

Social life? While your friends post selfies from Bali, you’re stuck troubleshooting a statistical model. But remember this. They must come back and organise a brand presentation to justify their usefulness in the fake corporate family. You, on the other hand, get to read the poetry of the Persian poet Rumi and selfishly indulge in contemplating its impact on modern culture.

So, should you do a PhD? If you’re passionate, inquisitive, determined and self-aware, then absolutely. But if you crave quick financial returns, reconsider. You also cannot be completely self-indulgent. You must have the support of your partner or your family to embark on this journey. So, if you’re up for a challenge – do a PhD.