Dr G, an interesting PhD story of mine that got many yucks
after layoff from Digital Equip Corp in 1993, I tried to obtain job at Genzyme in managing trials data.. nogo.. I tried similarly at Astra.. nogo.. I tried to obtain marketing research post at pharmaceutical outfit.. nogo.. a couple other forays convinced me to react
each said with a PhD and a decade of experience, they would expect me to manage a cadre of young whips, command some lofty salary, and hit the ground running in productive fashion
what the heck? I concluded.. dont wanna manage just yet, dont need lofty salary (stock options yes), would like a month or two to dry off wet behind ears.. just wanna practice some good statistical analysis, build some cool databases, and be a stat rat, what I do best
so I re-wrote my resume, deleted the PhD, called my doctoral thesis my Masters thesis, re-framed two summer jobs at fulltime jobs during later gradschool years, and sent off dozens of these reduced resumes
got a job tout de suite with a Fortune500 retail corporate in forecasting and sales analysis.. so what if overqualified? manager loves me well enough
lesson: PhD is a liability
this lesson has been reinforced in several other respects.. regarding expectations of miracles on positive extreme.. regarding expectations of academic inconsequential misfit on negative extreme
never but never tell a woman you got a PhD until at least the wedding night
good night, Gracie
/ jim willie of the Emerald Isle |
