The true cost of a PhD: a candid conversation 

Part III

As my first guest in this series ascertained, it is important to always keep in mind that the Ph.D. is not an end by itself but a means to what one wants to do afterwards. My guest today emphasizes the importance of social networks to secure a career post-Ph.D. and how to grow and cultivate it, especially for Ethiopian students. His advice will, however, apply to anyone that comes from a similar culture (that glorifies modesty) or to individuals that are ‘shy’ and introverted.

While it is tempting for a Ph.D. candidate to believe that having a Ph.D. will/should provide sufficient signal and that the labor market will respond accordingly; the reality, however, is different. Like in any other scenario, it is very important to have the right connections that could put in a good word for you, link you to potential employers, and share opportunities with you.  Such networks need not always be strong ones (such as very close friends with whom we tend to interact most frequently or family members). In fact, studies have been showing that it is the weak and distant networks that are more relevant in the job market. This is because we tend to have similar interests and hence have access to similar information with our closest networks than with our farthest networks, thus making the latter more helpful when it comes to landing a job.

A pioneering study by the renowned scholar Mark S. Granovetter theorizes that relationships that are less frequent and hence that are ‘weak’ are more relevant for careers than those that are more frequent and ‘strong’. Recently, a large experimental study conducted on the LinkedIn platform also supports Granovetter’s ‘the strength of weak ties’ theory. The study finds that those that were randomly assigned to receive connection suggestions from ‘weak’ ties (i.e., fewer common connections between the suggested and the ‘suggestee’) were more likely to have upward mobility in their career than those that received connection suggestions from ‘strong’ ties.

It is thus important for Ph.D. candidates to not only focus on their closest and strongest relationships but also on their infrequent contacts and acquaintances in their effort to advance their careers. One way to grow their weak ties could be to attend conferences and meet researchers and practitioners. With this note, I will invite you to my conversation with Dr. Mequanint B. Melesse, a senior scientist at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas. 

Hiwot: How did you get the Ph.D. opportunity?

Dr. Mequanint: I was actively searching and applying for a Ph.D. opportunity. I made this clear to some of the professors who were teaching me in the MSc program, and one of them forwarded me the opportunity to apply for. I deliberately indicated in the application that I was referred to the opportunity by the professor mentioning his name. Credible referrals are very helpful, as they decrease the information asymmetry problem of the employer.

Hiwot: How did you decide on what topic to work on? Walk us through your topic selection process.

Dr. Mequanint: This essentially depends on the Ph.D. program that one would enroll in. In some programs, Ph.D. students would be attached to a project, and they will be asked to take on specific research questions. Here, the primary challenge could be developing a research design to find a credible answer to their research questions. In other programs, students may be requested to find their own research topic/questions to work on, which is more challenging, and through which I passed personally. In the first year, I was expected to develop my own proposal for the go and no-go decision. My starting point was to look at and understand the research areas of my supervisors and their research groups. As I did this, I was trying to find potential research suggestions in existing research and carefully think about what improvement or contribution I could make. I also had to think carefully about the feasibility of the research questions and potential empirical approaches. This process was very trying, and I had to change several research domains and questions. While it was a very useful learning exercise, the process was a formality at the end, and I actually studied only a couple of the research questions initially proposed in my proposal. Through time, I started to strategize to look for new potential research questions based on survey opportunities and available data. 

Hiwot: What do you think was the most important step/action/decision that helped you succeed in completing your Ph.D.?

Dr. Mequanint: Before answering your question, I would like to give you a brief background that might be helpful. At the University where I did my Ph.D., the arrangement for Ph.D. supervision involves a daily supervisor(s) and a professor, usually the Chair of the Study Group/Department. But my Ph.D. supervision was organized in a slightly different arrangement; my professor somehow played both roles. It could have both advantages and disadvantages as professors are relatively busy and would be difficult to get their time for discussion. Fortunately, it worked for me quite well—no regrets at all. Coming to your question, the most important step was taking my own initiative and pushing my supervisor to get feedback formally and informally to make sure that I was going in the right direction.

Hiwot: What is the one piece of advice you would give someone who is planning to do a Ph.D.?

Dr. Mequanint: While requirements and the ensuing burden are different from university to university, someone who is planning to do a Ph.D. must understand that it is a long and demanding journey. Unlike in many other countries, for most of us (Ethiopians), the decision to do a Ph.D. may not essentially be driven by academic/research aspirations. When this is the case, the journey could become even more difficult. Thus, the first thing to consider is whether pursuing a Ph.D. is really what we want to do and whether we are academically and psychologically ready for the journey. Second, someone should consider that doing a Ph.D. is both a learning and power-managing process. As much as someone has academic and research capability, he/she also needs to manage the interests, egos, and implicit goals (e.g., publication, delivery for projects, etc.) of their supervisor(s).

Hiwot: What skills do you advise students to acquire during their Ph.D.? (Software, writing, non-academic skills, others), and how they can acquire them?

Dr. Mequanint: The first thing is the academic and research foundation. While they still can learn a lot during the Ph.D. journey itself, someone should have the basic foundation of conducting research. As much as core courses on topical subjects and methodologies, tailored short courses and training are equally important to gain skills in various subtle domains, including proposal writing, scientific research and writing, presentation, and the process of publication. Obviously, data-related and software skills are important. Soft and social skills and interactions are also extremely important. This is very difficult for most of us (Ethiopians) because of our poor communication and networking (poor participation in socializing events and gatherings, e.g., drinks) skills. True feedbacks and discussions happen informally during such outings. Positively considering feedback, comments, and suggestions is important. It is also good to note that the way comments, feedback, and suggestions are given differs depending on the country and culture. 

Hiwot: What is the one thing you regret that you did or did not do during your Ph.D.?

Dr. Mequanint:  One thing that I regretted was related to my research budget. My Ph.D. was part of a big research project that was being run by my professor. I was asked to prepare a budget for my research as part of my proposal. Because of my Ethiopian background and failure to ask for information, I ended up budgeting relatively a big amount in my Ethiopian sense😊 The budget was approved without any challenge. But the budget was actually small, and I was later constrained to run experiments as much as I wanted. The bottom line is that I didn’t ask for information or help, where I could get some idea as to how reasonably large is the budget for a standard Ph.D. study.  On a bigger lesson, I later found out that you could get any information or help as long as you ask for it. It is even your right to ask for help!      

Hiwot: What did you do to cope with the sometimes stressful and lonely path of doing a Ph.D.?

Dr. Mequanint: This is one of the things that we Ethiopians suffer from because of our several cultural and lifestyle reasons. The first thing is to know about it and let it happen. It is good to know that you are not the only one suffering from stress or any burden because of your Ph.D. study. There are ways to deal with stress, First, it is useful to share experiences with fellow Ph.D. students on how they are doing and how they are dealing with the stress and pressure. Second, taking a proper break/rest and participating in social events, which Ethiopians don’t necessarily involve. The problem for most of us (Ethiopians) is that sitting close to our computers close to 24/7 is what looks like productive work. It looks like we don’t measure work by its outcome. I may be wrong here, but at least that was my experience with most of the Ethiopians in my network during our studies.

Hiwot: What career advice would you give Ph.D. students?

Dr. Mequanint: This is the most critical aspect of the later phase of doing a Ph.D. study. There are several things to understand here. First, it is good to understand how the job market works and get useful tips in preparation for this market. It is good to take short career and job market-related training. Most universities in the West have this training at a later stage of the Ph.D., but I would even recommend taking this training, even at one’s own cost. They are extremely important. Second, the job market works like any other market. Someone must advertise and sell his/herself. This means someone needs to learn to develop a good CV and cover letter. It is always important to customize these documents to the requirements of each specific job application. There are a lot of useful online resources, including samples. Third, it is also important to understand that securing a good job is not always only about our expertise, skills, and capacities. It is equally about networks, good references, and signaling our values to potential employers. Hiring is very costly for the employer. As a result, employers would be happy to get some other witnesses and proof beyond one’s own credentials based on the CV and cover letter.  To be honest, this is where a network is so useful, and luck to be at the right place or getting connected with the right people also plays a role. We (Ethiopians) are really very poor at promoting and selling ourselves and connecting to relevant networks, perhaps because of our poor communication skills and cultural modesty reasons. We usually prefer to sit together, make groups of our own and feel lonely when other Ethiopians are not around at big international events, like conferences. The most difficult thing for most of us is introducing ourselves to someone out there and taking the initiative to open talks about issues. If we observe what others really do is just appreciate the presentation someone has done, show some interest in their work, ask some general questions about how they did or addressed something in the study, relate one’s works to someone’s (the presenter) work, and even suggest the intention to interact or share something relevant and related to their work.