A PhD or other doctoral degree can help boost your career.
When you earn a PhD or similar doctoral degree, such as a professional doctorate, you’ll have the opportunity to advance human knowledge. That’s a compelling reason to earn a doctorate. But, if you aren’t planning to go into academia, will a PhD or other doctoral degree be useful in your career and future job searches? It definitely can be. Here’s why.
You Can Ask for More Money
Typically, the more advanced your knowledge, the higher your salary. And nothing says you’re armed with advanced knowledge like holding a doctorate. That’s true whether you hold an academic/research-oriented PhD degree (like a PhD in Management or a PhD in Education) or a professionally oriented doctoral degree (like a Doctor of Business Administration or Doctor of Education). Holding a doctorate can help you earn over 20% more than those with a master’s degree.
You Will Have Highly Marketable Skills
Finishing a dissertation and earning a doctorate requires a serious level of problem-solving and critical thinking. That’s good news, because research shows that complex problem-solving and critical thinking are the top two skills employers want in the modern work environment.2 If you can identify problems, study their causes, and develop workable solutions, companies want you.
You Will Be a Knowledge Creator
To earn a PhD or other doctoral degree, you have to add to your field of knowledge. And adding knowledge is a rare skill. After all, most people simply work with existing knowledge, reapplying it throughout their careers. But those who hold doctorates have gained the ability—and discipline—to expand the ways we understand the world. If you can do that for an organization, you’ll put yourself in a position to rise to the top of leadership.
You Will Know What It Takes to Attain Large Goals
There are plenty of people who think small, executing individual tasks as they are assigned. But those with doctorates know how to think big. Going through the process of researching, writing, and defending a dissertation teaches you how to accomplish significant goals. As such, your employer can trust you have what it takes to help the organization achieve its most important objectives.
Here’s a bonus tip for you…
You Will Be a Rare Commodity
Only 2% of the U.S. population holds a doctorate. That means, with a PhD or other doctoral degree, you’ll have more education than 98% of the country. That’s a good position to be in when competing for a job.
What’s the Best Way to Earn Your Doctorate
Doctorates take time and effort. But it’s no longer necessary to upend your life to earn one. Thanks to online education, you can now complete a PhD program or other doctoral degree program right from home. Plus, online PhD programs and other online doctoral programs give you the flexibility you need to take your classes at whatever time of day works best for your schedule.
In short, online learning makes earning a doctorate less complicated, putting you in a position to work full-time and handle your other responsibilities while earning your degree. An online PhD or another online doctoral degree is a great choice if you want to advance your career.
Learn about my triumphs and struggles in earning a Doctor of Strategic Leadership here.
