Go into the private sector and make the bank while you can then go into consulting. Save academia for later in your career when you’re getting burned out.
Hey that’s what I did. It’s not a bad way to go, just be aware that many potential advisors work exclusively with early-career candidates because they have a better chance, or rather more chances, of improving the advisor’s legacy over time.
It’s so hard to figure out this stuff … but as a guy into computers who was debating going into academia instead of the field, this is what I did …
I took the money, but lived like I had only the academic salary and invested the rest. 15 years in, life is pretty cushy, I’ve found a relaxing niche in my field that I like my job, but it’s basically optional as long as I stay willing to live like an academic. But there were definitely some pains to get here. I might quit and go back, I might quit and travel, or quit and do a start up, but I like my job a lot now so I’m keeping at it.
Ah yes, the Disney method. They know that they have a fanbase so loyal that they’d pay Disney for the opportunity to work for them, so Disney takes advantage of that and pays the bare minimum acceptable.
Well, there’s that, and also because (in the case of World) it’s the largest single site employer in the country - whatever they’re paying is literally the minimum wage everyone else can get away with paying, because Disney is always hiring for something and the vast majority of people can just go work there if they’d make more money. Their unions try, but Orlando is fucked.
And many Michelin-starred chefs, and it’s very normalised because “what they learn from the very best is priceless”. Which is true but also no excuse for precarious wages.
Unfortunately the actual enjoyability of a job more often than not correlates with unfair or outright low pay :(
As someone in the process of choosing between phd in pure maths and academia or a career in finance / consulting the pay gap is so real…
Go into the private sector and make the bank while you can then go into consulting. Save academia for later in your career when you’re getting burned out.
Just IMO, YMMV.
Hey that’s what I did. It’s not a bad way to go, just be aware that many potential advisors work exclusively with early-career candidates because they have a better chance, or rather more chances, of improving the advisor’s legacy over time.
It’s so hard to figure out this stuff … but as a guy into computers who was debating going into academia instead of the field, this is what I did …
I took the money, but lived like I had only the academic salary and invested the rest. 15 years in, life is pretty cushy, I’ve found a relaxing niche in my field that I like my job, but it’s basically optional as long as I stay willing to live like an academic. But there were definitely some pains to get here. I might quit and go back, I might quit and travel, or quit and do a start up, but I like my job a lot now so I’m keeping at it.
Ah yes, the Disney method. They know that they have a fanbase so loyal that they’d pay Disney for the opportunity to work for them, so Disney takes advantage of that and pays the bare minimum acceptable.
Well, there’s that, and also because (in the case of World) it’s the largest single site employer in the country - whatever they’re paying is literally the minimum wage everyone else can get away with paying, because Disney is always hiring for something and the vast majority of people can just go work there if they’d make more money. Their unions try, but Orlando is fucked.
See also: gamedev
And many Michelin-starred chefs, and it’s very normalised because “what they learn from the very best is priceless”. Which is true but also no excuse for precarious wages.