Why I didn't get a Ph.D. - Revision history

Jeffrey9 at 05:59, 28 December 2024

2024-12-28T05:59:03Z

Michael Thomas: /* Jonathan Liljegren's Story */

2015-08-26T19:00:50Z

‎Jonathan Liljegren's Story

Spuhlmann at 01:35, 10 April 2009

2009-04-10T01:35:26Z

Spuhlmann: know when to quit the doctoral program

2009-04-07T22:43:43Z

know when to quit the doctoral program

Emetts at 00:19, 27 March 2009

2009-03-27T00:19:44Z

Spuhlmann: /* My Advice */ fix error in link just added

2009-01-28T01:37:49Z

‎My Advice: fix error in link just added

Spuhlmann: /* My Advice */ add link

2009-01-28T01:37:05Z

‎My Advice: add link

Spuhlmann: fix error in grammar

2009-01-28T01:35:32Z

fix error in grammar

Daw44 at 12:21, 22 April 2008

2008-04-22T12:21:35Z

Daw44: /* My Advice */

2008-04-22T12:21:17Z

‎My Advice

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 ==Jonathan Liljegren's Story==
-I guess you could say I had everything going for me to get into a great doctoral program in accounting. I had started working on research with [[Christensen, Ted|Ted Christensen]] and [[Black, Erv|Erv Black]] before I left on my mission gathering data for their Pro-Forma Earnings analysis papers. After the junior core I began working as a research assistant to [[Glover, Steven|Steve Glover ]] and worked on a few papers. I had entered the PhD Prep track with every intention of pursuing a doctorate at a university that specialized in behavioral audit, but somewhere things changed. That somewhere was on Highway 101 in San Jose, California.
+I guess you could say I had everything going for me to get into a great doctoral program in accounting. I had started working on research with Ted Christensen and Erv Black before I left on my mission gathering data for their Pro-Forma Earnings analysis papers. After the junior core I began working as a research assistant to Steve Glover and worked on a few papers. I had entered the PhD Prep track with every intention of pursuing a doctorate at a university that specialized in behavioral audit, but somewhere things changed. That somewhere was on Highway 101 in San Jose, California.
-I had gone to San Jose to work for Ernst & Young during the summer. It was all part of my "Big Plan" to work in audit for a few years before going back to get my PhD (remember that I was an RA for [[Glover, Steven|Steve Glover]]). The only problem was after two weeks of auditing Hewlett Packard I realized on my commute home from Palo Alto on Highway 101 that auditing was not for me. I admit that my dislike for audit doesn't necessarily mean that I couldn't pursue a doctorate in accounting. However, I came to realize that the tools I had been given in this life would be put to greatest use in consulting. More importantly, I believe I would be a more enjoyable person after coming home from a consulting job versus coming home from an audit engagement. It is the old adage "''Choose a profession that you love and you will never work a day in your life.''"
+I had gone to San Jose to work for Ernst & Young during the summer. It was all part of my "Big Plan" to work in audit for a few years before going back to get my PhD (remember that I was an RA for Steve Glover). The only problem was after two weeks of auditing Hewlett Packard I realized on my commute home from Palo Alto on Highway 101 that auditing was not for me. I admit that my dislike for audit doesn't necessarily mean that I couldn't pursue a doctorate in accounting. However, I came to realize that the tools I had been given in this life would be put to greatest use in consulting. More importantly, I believe I would be a more enjoyable person after coming home from a consulting job versus coming home from an audit engagement. It is the old adage "''Choose a profession that you love and you will never work a day in your life.''"
-In a way I should have seen it coming. My goal when I graduated from high school was to get my accounting degree from BYU and work as a consultant for Arthur Andersen in the Bay Area. Well, the dream of working for Arthur Andersen is never going to come true. But I did learn a lesson from my experience. As we are accepted to one of the best accounting programs in the ''universe'' we can lose sight of where we really want to go. Let me be clear that I really thought I wanted to be a professor, but the reason I was interested in becoming a professor was because I love to teach and I could do freelance consulting on the side. So in a way, my potential side job has now become my career.
+In a way I should have seen it coming. My goal when I graduated from high school was to get my accounting degree from BYU and work as a consultant for Arthur Andersen in the Bay Area. Well, the dream of working for Arthur Andersen is never going to come true. But I did learn a lesson from my experience. As we are accepted to one of the best accounting programs in the ''universe'' we can lose sight of where we really want to go. Let me be clear that I really thought I wanted to be a professor, but the reason I was interested in becoming a professor was because I love to teach and I could do freelance consulting on the side.
 ===My Advice===
 * Auditing, consulting, or investment banking may be better options for you if you find yourself more interested in how the research could be implemented than actually doing the research.
 * Consider just getting an economics minor in conjunction with your undergraduate accounting degree if you're not sure about a PhD ([[What will I learn in the Prep Track that I won't learn elsewhere?|course comparison]]). You can socialize with all of the Prep Track students in your economics classes and see if what they are talking about still interests you.
-* You don't have to love accounting research or fully understand it at this point, but if the very thought of running regressions and digging through statistics the rest of your life makes your stomach churn then follow your gut and don't get a doctorate.
+* You don't have to love accounting research or fully understand it at this point, but if the very thought of doing research the rest of your life makes your stomach churn then follow your gut and don't get a doctorate.
 ==Brad Gibb's Story==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ==Jonathan Liljegren's Story==
-I guess you could say I had everything going for me to get into a great doctoral program in accounting. I had started working on research with [[Christensen, Ted|Ted Christensen]] and [[Black, Erv|Erv Black]] before I left on my mission gathering data for their Pro-Forma Earnings analysis papers. After the junior core I began working as a research assistant to [[Glover, Steven|Steve Glover ]]and worked on a few papers. I had entered the PhD Prep track with every intention of pursuing a doctorate at a university that specialized in behavioral audit, but somewhere things changed. That somewhere was on Highway 101 in San Jose, California.
+I guess you could say I had everything going for me to get into a great doctoral program in accounting. I had started working on research with [[Christensen, Ted|Ted Christensen]] and [[Black, Erv|Erv Black]] before I left on my mission gathering data for their Pro-Forma Earnings analysis papers. After the junior core I began working as a research assistant to [[Glover, Steven|Steve Glover ]] and worked on a few papers. I had entered the PhD Prep track with every intention of pursuing a doctorate at a university that specialized in behavioral audit, but somewhere things changed. That somewhere was on Highway 101 in San Jose, California.
 I had gone to San Jose to work for Ernst & Young during the summer. It was all part of my "Big Plan" to work in audit for a few years before going back to get my PhD (remember that I was an RA for [[Glover, Steven|Steve Glover]]). The only problem was after two weeks of auditing Hewlett Packard I realized on my commute home from Palo Alto on Highway 101 that auditing was not for me. I admit that my dislike for audit doesn't necessarily mean that I couldn't pursue a doctorate in accounting. However, I came to realize that the tools I had been given in this life would be put to greatest use in consulting. More importantly, I believe I would be a more enjoyable person after coming home from a consulting job versus coming home from an audit engagement. It is the old adage "''Choose a profession that you love and you will never work a day in your life.''"

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 ==External Links==
-* [http://orgtheory.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/grad-school-rulz-21-when-to-quit/ Grad School Rulz] - This site has a blog that makes some interesting points about continuing in a PhD program.  Many students wonder if a PhD program is right for them and this blog discusses some of the signs that a PhD program may not be right for you.
+* [http://orgtheory.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/grad-school-rulz-21-when-to-quit/ Grad School Rulz] - This blog makes some interesting points about continuing in a PhD program.  Many students wonder if a PhD program is right for them and this blog discusses some of the signs that a PhD program may not be right for you.  Specifically, this blog addresses in the relevant decision making process while someone has been in a PhD program for some time of whether to remain in a PhD program or to discontinue doctoral studies.
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@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 * Remember that your only choices are not between a PhD and the Big 4.  Its not even between a PhD and public accounting.  You are graduating from one of the premier business programs with many added skills that few other business students possess.  There are many jobs in consulting, banking, finance, industry, and more that will build your skills, provide very well for your family, and will still allow you to have a life when you come home from work.
 * Any career worth having (PhD included) will require an upfront sacrifice.  Any career requires that you put in your time before you get the perks associated with that particular career.  Putting in your time at a Big 4 will require 50 to 60 to 70 hrs weeks, and so will the 4 to 5 years that it takes to earn a PhD.  Putting in your time at a company to work up the ladder, or at a bank to become a VP or even to start your own company will require a significant sacrifice.  It need not consume you, but even a PhD will be 4 to 5 years of long weeks followed by years working hard to earn tenure.  I agree with Jonathan.  Do what you love and you won't work a day in your life.  But don't choose a career because of the work/life balance ''alone''.  Don't kid yourself that the PhD road will be easier than others.  The thing that makes it easier is that those who make it through love it, not because it requires less of you.
 ----
 {|style="width:100%;margin-top:+.7em;"

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:19, 27 March 2009
Line 28:		Line 28:
	* Remember that your only choices are not between a PhD and the Big 4. Its not even between a PhD and public accounting. You are graduating from one of the premier business programs with many added skills that few other business students possess. There are many jobs in consulting, banking, finance, industry, and more that will build your skills, provide very well for your family, and will still allow you to have a life when you come home from work.		* Remember that your only choices are not between a PhD and the Big 4. Its not even between a PhD and public accounting. You are graduating from one of the premier business programs with many added skills that few other business students possess. There are many jobs in consulting, banking, finance, industry, and more that will build your skills, provide very well for your family, and will still allow you to have a life when you come home from work.
	* Any career worth having (PhD included) will require an upfront sacrifice. Any career requires that you put in your time before you get the perks associated with that particular career. Putting in your time at a Big 4 will require 50 to 60 to 70 hrs weeks, and so will the 4 to 5 years that it takes to earn a PhD. Putting in your time at a company to work up the ladder, or at a bank to become a VP or even to start your own company will require a significant sacrifice. It need not consume you, but even a PhD will be 4 to 5 years of long weeks followed by years working hard to earn tenure. I agree with Jonathan. Do what you love and you won't work a day in your life. But don't choose a career because of the work/life balance ''alone''. Don't kid yourself that the PhD road will be easier than others. The thing that makes it easier is that those who make it through love it, not because it requires less of you.		* Any career worth having (PhD included) will require an upfront sacrifice. Any career requires that you put in your time before you get the perks associated with that particular career. Putting in your time at a Big 4 will require 50 to 60 to 70 hrs weeks, and so will the 4 to 5 years that it takes to earn a PhD. Putting in your time at a company to work up the ladder, or at a bank to become a VP or even to start your own company will require a significant sacrifice. It need not consume you, but even a PhD will be 4 to 5 years of long weeks followed by years working hard to earn tenure. I agree with Jonathan. Do what you love and you won't work a day in your life. But don't choose a career because of the work/life balance ''alone''. Don't kid yourself that the PhD road will be easier than others. The thing that makes it easier is that those who make it through love it, not because it requires less of you.
		+	----
		+	{\|style="width:100%;margin-top:+.7em;"
		+	\|-align="center"
		+	! style="background:#fafaFe; color:black; height: 20px" \| <small>[[Main Page]] ► [[Ph.D. Prep Track and Doctoral Student Q&A]] ► [[Why I didn't get a Ph.D.]]</small>
		+	\|}

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 I had gone to San Jose to work for Ernst & Young during the summer. It was all part of my "Big Plan" to work in audit for a few years before going back to get my PhD (remember that I was an RA for [[Glover, Steven|Steve Glover]]). The only problem was after two weeks of auditing Hewlett Packard I realized on my commute home from Palo Alto on Highway 101 that auditing was not for me. I admit that my dislike for audit doesn't necessarily mean that I couldn't pursue a doctorate in accounting. However, I came to realize that the tools I had been given in this life would be put to greatest use in consulting. More importantly, I believe I would be a more enjoyable person after coming home from a consulting job versus coming home from an audit engagement. It is the old adage "''Choose a profession that you love and you will never work a day in your life.''"
-In a way I should have seen it coming. My goal when I graduated from high school was to get my accounting degree from BYU and work as a consultant for Arthur Andersen in the Bay Area. Well, the dream of working for Arthur Andersen is never going to come true. But I did learn a lesson from my experience. As we are accepted to one of the best accounting programs in the ''universe'' we can loose sight of where we really want to go. Let me be clear that I really thought I wanted to be a professor, but the reason I was interested in becoming a professor was because I love to teach and I could do freelance consulting on the side. So in a way, my potential side job has now become my career.
+In a way I should have seen it coming. My goal when I graduated from high school was to get my accounting degree from BYU and work as a consultant for Arthur Andersen in the Bay Area. Well, the dream of working for Arthur Andersen is never going to come true. But I did learn a lesson from my experience. As we are accepted to one of the best accounting programs in the ''universe'' we can lose sight of where we really want to go. Let me be clear that I really thought I wanted to be a professor, but the reason I was interested in becoming a professor was because I love to teach and I could do freelance consulting on the side. So in a way, my potential side job has now become my career.
 There is still a possibility that I will return to a PhD Program someday but it would probably be a Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA).

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:21, 22 April 2008
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	At this point, the possibility of my coming back to do a PhD is not likely.		At this point, the possibility of my coming back to do a PhD is not likely.
−
−

	===My Advice===		===My Advice===

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 ===My Advice===
-* '''''Before you start your senior year''''' you need to decide whether or not you will pursue a doctorate degree immediately after graduation. If wait until winter semester to decide that you don't want to pursue a doctorate program and instead would like to work you will have missed the key recruiting opportunities available in fall semester.
+* '''''Before you start your senior year''''' you need to decide whether or not you will pursue a doctorate degree immediately after graduation. If you wait until winter semester to decide that you don't want to pursue a doctorate program and instead would like to work you will have missed the key recruiting opportunities available in fall semester.
 * Remember that your only choices are not between a PhD and the Big 4.  Its not even between a PhD and public accounting.  You are graduating from one of the premier business programs with many added skills that few other business students possess.  There are many jobs in consulting, banking, finance, industry, and more that will build your skills, provide very well for your family, and will still allow you to have a life when you come home from work.
-* Any career worth having (PhD included) will require an upfront sacrifice.  Any career requires that you put in your time before you get the perks associated with that particular career.  Putting in your time at a big 4 will require 50 to 60 to 70 hrs weeks, and so will the 4 to 5 years that it takes to earn a PhD.  Putting in your time at a company to work up the ladder, or at a bank to become a VP or even to start your own company will require a significant sacrifice.  It need not consume you, but even a PhD will be 4 to 5 years of long weeks followed by years working hard to earn tenure.  I agree with Jonathan.  Do what you love and you won't work a day in your life.  But don't choose a career because of the work/life balance ''alone''.  Don't kid yourself that the PhD road will be easier than others.  The thing that makes it easier is that those who make it through love it, not because it requires less of you.
+* Any career worth having (PhD included) will require an upfront sacrifice.  Any career requires that you put in your time before you get the perks associated with that particular career.  Putting in your time at a Big 4 will require 50 to 60 to 70 hrs weeks, and so will the 4 to 5 years that it takes to earn a PhD.  Putting in your time at a company to work up the ladder, or at a bank to become a VP or even to start your own company will require a significant sacrifice.  It need not consume you, but even a PhD will be 4 to 5 years of long weeks followed by years working hard to earn tenure.  I agree with Jonathan.  Do what you love and you won't work a day in your life.  But don't choose a career because of the work/life balance ''alone''.  Don't kid yourself that the PhD road will be easier than others.  The thing that makes it easier is that those who make it through love it, not because it requires less of you.