To ask if you have done a PhD?

[ClaraBean]

And if you have, how old were you when you started it?
I'm 42, and really feeling the urge to go back to uni and do my PhD. I'm obsessed with the idea. Will I be an old crone? Is it the most ridiculous thing you have ever heard?

Yes. Started in my early 30s. The oldest PhD student I've ever supervised started in her early 60s and finished writing up in retirement. Good luck OP, it's a great experience

Surely companies are happy to have a Dr on their staff list
😂😂😂
No. Lots of bosses don’t want to hire someone smarter than them in case it makes them look bad or the person gets promoted ahead of them. And they think the person will be a pain in the arse too.

"It makes you virtually unemployable unless you’re lucky enough to get a lecturing job at university. In the past DH has been told by employers that they’d be more likely to employ him with a 5 year prison sentence on his CV than a 5 year PhD."

Nobody has ever said it so bluntly, but I have had that experience too. Whenever I'm applying for jobs outside academia, I take my PhD off my CV and was doing voluntary work and helping out with the family business whilst raising my family. It makes me sound a humbler and kind and helpful person, modest and deferential.

My husband told me I would be 50 when I finished my PhD and I said I might as well do it then as I would still be 50 without one. It’s hard work and you need to give up almost all your free time (I was working) but we’ll worth it. Choose a topic you love, are fascinated by so that you never resent the hours reading about it or researching it. My peer group was mixed and I don’t think I was the oldest. And graduation day was the best!

I did my PhD in my 20's, I still work in university setting and many in medicine are mid career doing part time or full time phds.
It's hard, intensive and lots of work, so be prepared. Do something where you have a decent supervisor and you're really interested in the subject area and you'll be fine

Im almost finished, I hope, doing an engineering PhD via a funded Centre for Doctoral Training which has meant about a taught MSc of modules whilst research went on (I already had an MSc). It's been very hard work! I found a PhD essentially to be an apprenticeship for an academic career, or an industrial position with a heavy research component. It's no harder per se than an MSc, but there is just so much to get through requiring masses of self motivation. It's been especially lonely during lockdowns and remote working.

If you don't need a PhD or you don't know why you want to do a PhD then I would not recommend a PhD. The age part is not the issue, plenty of mature students throughout the uni.

I did mine straight after undergrad. Started at 22, done at 25. I can relate a little to the comments about being unemployable, despite not remaining in academia. Industry has either liked or totally ignored it. Education sector same (depending on the type of school). Present job likes me to have it and since it's male dominated, I stand out.

I think there are advantages to starting later. I started mine at 20 and would have appreciated the opportunity more and enjoyed it more if I’d had more experience of doing something else first - both subject related experience and wider life experience would have helped.

I was 37 when I started. I'll be just shy of 41 when I finish.

I started mine at 23. Hardest thing I've ever done and it took immense toll on my relationships with my partner, family and friends. Don't under estimate that aspect of it, it's all encompassing so of course it impacts beyond yourself.

I don't think it has actively harmed my employment prospects (outside of academia), but it certainly didn't help them and I think I was very lucky to have gotten the start I did in my career. The majority of the people I graduated with are still on crappy post doc contracts or are TEFLing.

If I had my time again, I wouldn't even consider doing it.

I guess it depends on your reasons for wanting to do it.

My mum did hers in her late 60s / early 70s, so your 40s is definitely not too late!

Finished mine at 35, which personally I feel is a bit old because I am now doing a post doc with people in their 20s. Is it something you want to do to enrich your mind rather than pursue a career in academia?

I did mine young and still mourn the academic career I didn't have (I work in a specialist area now., with academics but not as an academic).

IIWY I'd examine what the urge consists in - if it's love of academic discourse/a particular subject area, do it. It's a tough gig, though, particularly with other responsibilities.

The irony is I'm likely in a better position now, career-wise, doing what I do than many an actual academic is - but I still feel I missed my vocation.

I know 2 people who’ve done their phd in their 60s - all their professional experience fed into their research, which in some ways rounded off their career. Both worked in higher / further education.

Regarding employability, I work in an organisation with a very high number of PhDs who work in a wide variety of roles - but in any case I presume that if you’re doing a PhD later in life it’s not for employability considerations.

Im 58 and hoping to start next year.

I finished mine in my early 30s. I don't need it for my career, I did it because I love my subject. It hasn't helped me get a job (but then I didn't expect it to) but it hasn't stopped me either.
If you want to do it because you are passionate about your subject, do it. You'll love it.

Two people at my last work had them and insisted on being called Dr. Which rubbed some people up the wrong way.

Two people at my last work had them and insisted on being called Dr
That’s their new name though? Presumably women get married and change from Miss to Mrs, you don’t insist they continue to use Miss after the wedding. So why would you expect someone to continue being called Miss after her name has changed to Dr?

My husband just started his DFA at 39 after completing his MLitt last year. He is not the oldest on his DFA - so go for it!

Early 30’s,
I work a minimum wage retail job now. I smiled to myself when a customer was telling her child that they would end up in a rubbish job like me if they don’t change their attitude!
Maybe I will ask for a new name badge with Dr on it

I was academic in Computing. Supervised many PhDs . The PhD graduates seemed to get jobs easy enough, either in Industry or academia.

@Jenjenn

I finished mine at age 27, my aunt completed hers when she was 55. What subject area are you considering? In my experience candidates entering PhD in arts and humanities candidates have a much wider age spread but for stem it really tends to be people in their early 20s.

Hah more or less the same here (aside from my aunt), I have also noticed the same re: ages.

I started mine when I was 21 but I was the youngest by miles. Everyone else ranged from late 20s to early 50s.

@Udouhun

Two people at my last work had them and insisted on being called Dr. Which rubbed some people up the wrong way.

Why would it rub people up the wrong way? That's their legal title, I guess people would only be rubbed the wrong way if they were insecure enough to judge their capabilites against the achievements of others.