The Hidden Costs of Over-Qualification: A PhD Perspective
Over-qualification for some positions is the first thing that springs to mind. Many persons with several Master’s degrees and a Bachelor’s in Education are overqualified for even entry-level positions like kindergarten teachers, and are therefore continually rejected. Nobody wants to work for a company that hires workers with higher education levels than they do. If you believe that a doctoral degree is unnecessary for the position you are seeking, do not bother applying. If include your high school diploma or GED on your resume is risky due to the lack of experience, you should probably leave it off.
The second issue is the enormous potential costs that accompany the lack of development, such as lost income, a diminished feeling of progression when friends get promoted/married, and lower income than most peers even after graduation. Due to the hefty fees associated with a Ph.D., many individuals graduate with a diminished feeling of progress. Having one in and of itself doesn’t have any negative consequences in this regard, but finishing one gives rise to numerous such impressions.
It is possible for your mental health to deteriorate. Problems that a Ph.D. student or alumnus often faces in terms of mental health. Chronic mental health issues including depression, alcoholism, and anxiety are all addressed in the course of treatment. As if dealing with anxiety and depression wasn’t enough, those of us with doctorates now have to deal with Imposter Syndrome.
One such thing that might affect PhD completion rates is post-traumatic stress disorder. Having Frenemies and a STRUGGLING Social Life goes hand in hand. People will love you and hate you at the same time because they don’t comprehend the rigors of a Ph.D. program. In spite of their admiration for your “Doctors” designation, your peers are afraid to interact with you because of it. Bad things you say or do might label you as an Arrogant Narcissist because you have a Ph.D., and if you aren’t cautious, your peers may see you in a negative light and avoid you as a result.
The most significant is being deemed “unemployable.” Once you reach the doctoral level, you are no longer afforded the same degree of freedom and versatility that you have as a master’s degree holder. Employers would rather invest in a candidate with a master’s degree, pay him less, and provide him with more training than recruit a candidate with a doctorate and pay the higher salary that comes with it.
The risk of suffering permanent brain damage is another drawback of earning a doctorate. Your mind will change forever if you force it to do too much work or restrict it to one style of thinking. As a result of your conditioning, you are predisposed to think in certain ways. Additionally, when your study becomes your life, you lose interest in many other areas. The alternative is the narrow one. You have mastered a certain field and apply your expertise there.
Poor results in the form of tunnel vision. Some people have been trying to battle that by reading more widely, but it’s tough. Repeated blows to the skull that will never heal. Then, some individuals may develop an inflated ego and feeling of superiority after earning a Ph.D., which is obviously undesirable.