I finished my 1st degree with a 1st class and many accolade from Nigeria University. I Worked for Oil and Gas Servicing industry from 2007-2009 before leaving for master degree in Petroleum Engineering and Geosciences at TU Delft on full scholarship. I finished in August 2011. I was sponsored by BP to present part of my master thesis work in GTW conference - Houston Texas in October, 2011 and won some other grants from other companies to attend other conferences in Europe during my master degree. At the peak of concluding my master degree, I submitted up to 10 applications for paid PhD positions and countless numbers of job applications. A month after my master degree, different offers rolled in among which are:

Paid PhD position in Petroleum Geology- Bergen University-Norway,
Paid PhD position in Structural and Petroleum geology- Tromso University –Norway
Paid PhD position in Basin Analysis- German Centre for Geosciences-Germany
Paid PhD scholarships in Structural Geology, Tectonics and Petroleum Geology, University of Adelaide, Australia

and jobs offer: Subsurface Data Engineer-Europe, Production logging Analyst-Europe

I have already resumed the first job offer in one of the renowned oil industry but I want a more challenging career, so I have already signed for the Second offer before all these PhD offers came. I have two weeks to either accept or reject many of these PhD offers but I am not certain what will happen after the PhD. Most of the PhDs offer competitive salary like the jobs offers above but will only last for 4 years maximum. Please what would you do if you are in my shoe? And what do you think is the best decision? I know all involved taking risks. Do you think it is wise for me to leave these well paying jobs and do the PhD at once? I am in my early thirties. I will appreciate your Reponses. Thanks for your response.

I would go for the PhD and get it over with asap, while consulting for those companies on the side.

Might be difficult to go back for your PhD once you start working.

[s]Do you have previous work experience or you are in a hurry to get one? Will the PhD equal/suffice for work experience in your field?[/s]

jojohnson:

I finished my 1st degree with a 1st class and many accolade from Nigeria University. I Worked for Oil and Gas Servicing industry from 2007-2009 before leaving for master degree in Petroleum Engineering and Geosciences at TU Delft on full scholarship. I finished in August 2011. I was sponsored by BP to present part of my master thesis work in GTW conference - Houston Texas in October, 2011 and won some other grants from other companies to attend other conferences in Europe during my master degree. At the peak of concluding my master degree, I submitted up to 10 applications for paid PhD positions and countless numbers of job applications. A month after my master degree, different offers rolled in among which are:

Paid PhD position in Petroleum Geology- Bergen University-Norway,
Paid PhD position in Structural and Petroleum geology- Tromso University –Norway
Paid PhD position in Basin Analysis- German Centre for Geosciences-Germany
Paid PhD scholarships in Structural Geology, Tectonics and Petroleum Geology, University of Adelaide, Australia

and jobs offer: Subsurface Data Engineer-Europe, Production logging Analyst-Europe

I have already resumed the first job offer in one of the renowned oil industry but I want a more challenging career, so I have already signed for the Second offer before all these PhD offers came. I have two weeks to either accept or reject many of these PhD offers but I am not certain what will happen after the PhD. Most of the PhDs offer competitive salary like the jobs offers above but will only last for 4 years maximum. Please what would you do if you are in my shoe? And what do you think is the best decision? I know all involved taking risks. Do you think it is wise for me to leave these well paying jobs and do the PhD at once? I am in my early thirties. I will appreciate your Reponses. Thanks for your response.

It depends on your personal bias. I think I would go for the PhD.
Many of the MNC O&G majors have very solid R& positions, and are always interested in PhD holders. They will likely be interested in you based on the feedback you have given in your first post. I'd say you should go for it.

jojohnson:

I finished my 1st degree with a 1st class and many accolade from Nigeria University. I Worked for Oil and Gas Servicing industry from 2007-2009 before leaving for master degree in Petroleum Engineering and Geosciences at TU Delft on full scholarship. I finished in August 2011. I was sponsored by BP to present part of my master thesis work in GTW conference - Houston Texas in October, 2011 and won some other grants from other companies to attend other conferences in Europe during my master degree. At the peak of concluding my master degree, I submitted up to 10 applications for paid PhD positions and countless numbers of job applications. A month after my master degree, different offers rolled in among which are:

Paid PhD position in Petroleum Geology- Bergen University-Norway,
Paid PhD position in Structural and Petroleum geology- Tromso University –Norway
Paid PhD position in Basin Analysis- German Centre for Geosciences-Germany
Paid PhD scholarships in Structural Geology, Tectonics and Petroleum Geology, University of Adelaide, Australia

and jobs offer: Subsurface Data Engineer-Europe, Production logging Analyst-Europe

I have already resumed the first job offer in one of the renowned oil industry but I want a more challenging career, so I have already signed for the Second offer before all these PhD offers came. I have two weeks to either accept or reject many of these PhD offers but I am not certain what will happen after the PhD. Most of the PhDs offer competitive salary like the jobs offers above but will only last for 4 years maximum. Please what would you do if you are in my shoe? And what do you think is the best decision? I know all involved taking risks. Do you think it is wise for me to leave these well paying jobs and do the PhD at once? I am in my early thirties. I will appreciate your Reponses. Thanks for your response.

Congrats on successfully graduating. I remember you very well. Are you not the guy that went to FUTA and made a first there, even though many of your professors swore that you would never make it? Tell me if I am wrong, but I think I correctly described you.

I have always debated with my colleagues and my point of debate has always been that getting a top job is more difficult than getting a PhD position. OP, you just proved my proposition! I know that I will be in your same position in a couple of months to come. May God help us!

Concerning your dilemma, let me start by asking you these questions: What do you think is your exit strategy after the PhD? Will the PhD help land you in the place you want to be? Do you want to do the PhD to answer Dr.somebody or to possess some bragging rights? Are the above institutions affiliated with the research and development department of any major oil and gas company? I am aware that one needs a PhD to work in the R& departments of companies like Shell, Total, Agip, and Mobil.e.t.c; however, do the above schools have any affiliations with these companies?

Now, to answer your question, I believe that what you want out of life should be your major motivating factor in deciding whether to pursue a PhD or to continue with your work. It is always my opinion that a PhD can be done anytime; however, a job cannot be gotten anytime. Your years of work experience show that you have very little work experience. This will count against you if you proceed to a PhD with the hope of working afterwards. The PhD would be an excellent option if and only if you planned on becoming an academic researcher or, more suitably, a university professor in the future. I am not saying a PhD will restrict you to the world of university education alone, but it will most likely make you an academician.

So, my brother, think very well. Yes, a PhD should give you the opportunity to work as a researcher at the R& department of one of the top multinational companies like Shell, Total and co. But what happens if such opportunity does not present itself? Are you ready to become a university professor afterwards? Will you be happy? What is your major motivation in life? It is not always easy to become a consultant during or after a PhD degree. This has a lot to do with the level of your PhD supervisor. If your supervisor is well known in his field, then you can ride on his back and get the juicy consulting jobs. However, what happens if the reverse is the case?

If I were in your shoes, the only time I would proceed for a PhD is when I have a job that I hate with a passion or a job that is not in line with my career aspiration or education. Otherwise, I would stay back and make the best out of the job.

Finally, there are two things I need you to take note of. The first one is that a fully funded PhD position can be obtained anytime, provided you have stellar BSc and MSc grades. In addition, a PhD can be done anytime, which implies that you can do it part-time and complete it part-time. By doing it part-time, I mean doing it while working. The only disadvantage you might encounter in this case is that you might not be funded by the PhD programme. But, come to think of it, the funding is useless because education in the Schengen region where you currently reside is completely free of charge. The second thing is that, unless you are sure of getting a big R& research position or, better still, comfortable becoming a university lecturer after your PhD, leaving your job for a PhD might be regretted.
So, my boda, think well well O.

PS: I know two senior colleagues. They both did their PhDs in Well Reservoir Engineering and Applied Drilling Engineering at Heriot Watt University(I am not too sure of the fields they did their PhDs). Upon completion, they both got into the R& departments of Schlumberger and Total. This was possible because they did their internships with the aforementioned companies, and they were able to do their internships with these oil and gas companies because of the research affiliations among Heriot Watt University and all oil and gas companies in the UK.

Guy go for your phd trust me, and while doing that share with me useful tips on how to get a paid phd position, coz am dyeing to do my phd, Hope u respond

PS am a finance major.

BIGER BOY:

Guy go for your phd trust me, and while doing that share with me useful tips on how to get a paid phd position, coz am dyeing to do my phd, Hope u respond

PS am a finance major.

Why should he trust you?

Any particular reason(s) apart from needing tips or being a finance major?

Well, it's really a tough decision to make but considering that age is not on your side (30+) i would suggest you go for the job.

Just as tanimola22 said, you can always do the Ph.D. but getting a top job these days seems to be very challenging.

Friends, thanks for all these contributions. I will appreciate more. My regards.

@tanimola22,

You have given me so much to think about. Thanks for your time. Regards

BIGER BOY:

Guy go for your phd trust me, and while doing that share with me useful tips on how to get a paid phd position, coz am dyeing to do my phd,  Hope u respond

PS am a finance major.

Oga Sir

You said he should trust you, but you have not clearly stated or given him a very cogent reason why he should leave his very lucrative oil job for a PhD, which is decorated with very many uncertainties upon completion. Abi you are some sort of god who has already seen into the OP`s future? LMAO. It is like telling a finance graduate who works as a front office financial analyst at Goldman Sachs and earning fat bonuses to leave his job for a PhD without giving him any benefits/reasons for doing so. Again, LMAO. In fact, most guys I know who are doing one PhD or the other went into it because they could not find a competitive job. I am sure this is clearly not the OP`s case.

OP, there must be a strong, strong reason for leaving your oil and gas job O. PhD stipendium is just 1600-2000Euros in the Netherlands and it lasts, as you noted, for a maximum of 4 years. Any extension, which is sometimes inevitable, will be taken care of by you and from your pocket O. No stipendium extension O.

If you have a very strong reason for leaving your job for a PhD, then I guarantee that you will not be frustrated during the PhD. However, if you don't have any strong reason, or you want to do the PhD because somebody said you should trust him, then when the frustration comes during the PhD, my brother na OYO O.
PhD is sweet, but only if you are convinced that that is what you want to do O.

Rejecting offers should not be a problem to you. I have seen a guy reject offers from Stanford, MIT and Chicago. In fact, my humble self had once rejected funded MSc and PhD offers from good schools. So, please go ahead and reject any noisy offers that you don't want and keep the one you want. After all, many of the countless companies you said you applied to rejected your applications.

Ultimately sha, the final decision will be made by you and you alone. You alone will enjoy or not enjoy the consequences of your actions and decisions. I am in my second year of MSc and my second choice is, of course, a fully funded PhD in Finance/Economics. My first choice is to get that gadem big job and earn that gadem big bonus and live  that gadem largeeeeee life. Maybe that is why my argument is skewed in favour of job over PhD.

Just think well sha.

Mehn u guys are harsh o. Can't a brother talk figuratively anymore? It's usual to say; trust me, u can.,.,. Well btw the reason I asked him to go for it is unlike here that we don't no the value of research and u see pple wanting to grab a job even b4 masters. Out there research degrees are highly valued that's why they even pay you to do one, and u can be dam sure if they are people willing to pay u to do the research there sure are many more willing to pay u to get that research/skills afterwards,

But it's a choice of how u want ur career trajectory, u seem like some one who is enthusiastic about study, that's a good thing if u want to do a phd, U can take that to the bank. (make no body ask me which bank o ?)

Am still waiting for ur response

U have one tough decision to make

I will go for my PHD if am in ur shoes

Go for your PhD. . . Work as a consultant alongside.

Do the PhD, work as a consultant alongside, especially on projects that can eventually feed into your PhD research. Get it over and done with. Thing is once you have your degree in what seems to be a lucrative field, you can comfortably negotiate for whatever positions you are offered. Use the opportunity that you have now. One step at a time and the sky is your limit!!!

If u have work experience, go for d phd now, if u dont have work experience before now, then take d job offer, and do ur phd part time.

dik

Stay with the job with your brain you can do the Phd in your sleep and your job will pay for it in USA

wow! first iv gotta congratulate u man, ur achievements are how i define success.
well i can't advice u on what to do, but i can tell u what i would do. see of recent, iv been considering academics alot . it won't suck to nurture young ones as a job. so i just may do d phd, then apply for r&d jobs with the mind that if it doesn't work out ill just take a uni professor job, but that's just me!

Finally it makes TFP

johnson u try if i was in your shoes i would pick the job because i prefer learning and earning while on the job compared to sitting in one lab and reading abstract stuff that is someones imagination . So if after two years u dont like the job then u can go for phd and if ur lucky u might get another job on completion in R and D

Hmmmmm! think twice, Phd is not a meal ticket, I work in dubai in an oil servicing company with alot indian guys, about 4 of them are with a Phd cert, but i still earn much higher than them with my first degree from FUTO, If ur main aim of going for a Phd is to earn bigger pay in the old industry, just have it at the back of your mind that this is not a sure deal, Anyway congrats on ur achievements so far,

My Advice - Go for the one you enjoy doing the most.

Ph boy:

Hmmmmm! think twice, Phd is not a meal ticket, I work in dubai in an oil servicing company with alot indian guys, about 4 of them are with a Phd cert, but i still earn much higher than them with my first degree from FUTO, If your main aim of going for a Phd is to earn bigger pay in the old industry, just have it at the back of your mind that this is not a sure deal, Anyway congrats on your achievements so far,

How exactly is this possible?

@OP, Congratulations. Like most persons have told you, it depends on your personal bias. From your story, you are smart and I believe you would do well in any path you decide to take. The fact that you applied for PhD positions shows that you have a likeness for academics. In your shoes, I'll go for that. IMO, academiccs/research is a good career and at the same time you have the opportunity to nurture young ones. The truth is it is persons like you that we need in our educational instutions. And if its any motivation, you can make more impact and get more recognition in research/academics (I think). Wish you the best bro, and please dont forget to keep us updated on how it turns out. Your experience might be helpful for those that come after.

Ph boy:

Hmmmmm! think twice, Phd is not a meal ticket, I work in dubai in an oil servicing company with alot indian guys,  about 4 of them are with a Phd cert,   but i still earn much higher than them with my first degree from FUTO,  If your main aim of going for a Phd is to earn bigger pay in the old industry,  just have it at the back of your mind that this is not a sure deal,  Anyway congrats on your achievements so far, 

The poster already has a meal ticket, he's not looking for one. Right now, he wants self actualization [Abraham Maslow]

Going for Phd sounds gud only if u wont regret ur well paid job just liike u said,opportunity will surely kom afta Phd only dat d pay might nt b as high as u might think,because d least will rather b lecturing.just stay focus,b determined,b prayerful,go for Phd d opportunity will surely kom no mata hw small it will come.OTHERWISE Work 3-4yrs then apply for another scholarship,afterall dere a whole lot of them online bt they also care for xperience u have in ur field and working nw wil b of advantage.FINALLY if u dnt mind being a lecturer afterwards go for Phd bt if nt stick to ur work and acheive d dream of ur parents

nadkaf:

Do the PhD, work as a consultant alongside, especially on projects that can eventually feed into your PhD research. Get it over and done with. Thing is once you have your degree in what seems to be a lucrative field, you can comfortably negotiate for whatever positions you are offered. Use the opportunity that you have now. One step at a time and the sky is your limit!!!

Sir,

Could you please explain how he can ' Do the PhD and work as a consultant alongside´? Is it your assumption that a PhD is so much of a big deal in Europe that companies will come begging you to consult for them? With much respect to the OP's exemplary achievements, a PhD might be a big deal to Nigerians in Nigeria because [i]som[/i]e departments in some Nigerian universities have only 3 PhD holders; however, it is not the case in Europe and maybe North America. Again, with the OP`s stellar grades, he can get a fully funded PhD position anytime he wants. All he needs to do is go online and apply. The offers will start coming. It is as simple as that.

All these respectable people telling the OP to work as a  consultant while doing the PhD, I would like to let you know that there are hundreds of professors also looking for the same consulting job. Are you all telling us that a PhD student will surely get a consulting job before his professors? I am sure the OP fully understands very well what I am saying. This is the point where the reputation of a student`s PhD supervisor is very important. A student is more likely to get a consulting job if the student's supervisor himself/herself is a consultant. The student will simply leverage on the supervisor's reputation and goodwill.

I am just eagerly waiting for a forum member whose ID is`Yoruba-Igbo`to comment. He is an oil worker in Europe and he is also doing his PhD too. He is in the best position to counsel the OP on what to do, IMHO.  I believe his counsel will be priceless to the OP.

So, Mr. Yoruba-Igbo, we dey wait for you O.

@ Poster,

you take responsibility for your decisions on what you need to do to move your life fwd. For a PHD , you should be counselling GCSE's on moving fwd and not the other way round.

@ Tanimola, u re truly exposed,

The reality that most people do not know is, academic degrees are only highly rated in Nigeria, (Msc  PhD, et al ), but not in Europe,  I graduated with a masters degree with distinction in the UK and i can tell you categorically that UK doesnt really give a F***K about your degree.

Infact most employers wudnt even ask for your degree here in the UK, the most important thing is your EXPERIENCE

Its only in Nigeria, people value Msc, Phd, et al,

The truth is, anybdy can get a Ph.D and its no big deal, there are lots of school in Europe and America, admission is no big deal, the big deal is a GOOD job

I will advise the poster, TAKE YOUR JOB, the whole of europe and the world in general is in a financial mess/ recession/ debt crisis, meaning there might be job cuts across the world,   this job opportunity you have now  might not come to you on a  plater of gold latter,

Beware of the current economic trend, its Austerity measures everywhere ( @ poster i assume u live in europe) even if you dont, a bed in the hand is worth ten in the bush, dont leave ur job and expects you will automatically get anoda just because you have a ph.D,

ONLY LEAVE IF YOU ARE ON STUDY LEAVE, DO NOT REJECT A GOOD JOB OFFER FOR A PHD DEGREE

My advice is simple, TAKE THE JOB, u can work for another 3 years, and put that under your belt, If you have made enough contact in the Oil and Gas  industry, you can then go and take your PHd and rely on your contact for consulting, ( that its self, is not so easy)


Ph.D is a research degree, for academics, only if you want to be a researcher then you need a phD


Degrees are just piles of papers, Even as a consultant, the business world wants a researcher with valuable experience, someone that can combine practice with theory,

A word is enough for the wise,

Tanimola, 22, please educate Nigerians, all obsessed with degrees, thinking Ph.D is the ultimate

Assuming you want to get into R& instead of Academia; considering your age and academic record, I think it is advisable to take the Job and get more industrial experience and exposure. You can always get a PhD through part-time studies and upgrade to large-scale R&. What you will gain is a solid track record in that particular industry which will be very valuable in R& when coupled with the PhD. Focus will be the major watchword - it enables you to set your eyes on the goal without letting down your guard. You will see things differently compared to someone who is a freshly minted PhD degree holder without industrial experience. The major challenge in running a part-time PhD study is finding the program and the right dissertation adviser (you will also have navigate funding issues such as personal, industrial, grants etc). It is different from the usual black-box approach of sending out applications for admission and waiting for replies.

@OP, be easy wit your state of utter catalepsy and remember you're so blessed by God. My brova, choose d option that will give u joy and peace. Dont FEAR abt money, it wil surely come cos you've done your part. As for me, I am 27yrs old, I have ordinary 2.2 wit a very good masters degree in geophysics in uniport. I am enthusiastic n strong-willed. Although I'm still a jobseeker & a photographer, my no. 1 wish is 2go for a PhD. Ready 2start by feb 2012 in uniport for starting sake cos I dont really want 2b '100% Nigerian content' So I am still praying so hard to get a foreign PhD position. Fellow nairalander, how do I get this foreign PhD position wit my naija certs? God Bless y'all!