Question

Topic: Student Questions

Urgent Help: Phd Or Practical Work Ex????

Posted by Anonymous on 7/11/2010 at 12:57 PM ET 250 Points
Hi All

I need urgent advice from all the veterans in the forum.

My Current status:
Started an education consultancy firm when i was in my final yr of undergrad studies and kept it running for 2 yrs. The business was small was i loved it cuz it was ma own.but had to close it due to personal reasons and more so due to financial difficulties.

Thereafter worked for 4 yrs as R&D lead in a European Electronics Firm, enjoyed it , filed 6 patents. I realised it quite late that i wanted to do marketing cuz thats something i was comfortable with.I enjoy selling and convincing ppl. The sheer joy i get when i see people convinced at my presentation for the product or idea is something i cant describe in words. So i wanted to move into product marketing but i cudnt cuz my company wanted me to have an MBA.

So next step: now i have an MBA from one of the best B Schools in Asia with specialisation in Marketing and Finance. I performed exceptionally well in Marketing during ma course as well.

Now i have a job in one of world's biggest beverage firm as a management trainee probably cuz i did not have prior work ex in marketing domain.

My future goal: I want to become one of the best marketing guys with extensive knowledge (preferably hands on,practical stuff) and become a consultant in future (in about 6-8yrs). I want to share my knowledge in practical terms and of cuz earn well too :)

I am not sure hence i need your advice. I was thinkin of pursuing a phD in brand management, something in ways to establish brand value in terms on quantitaive methods and how it impacts or helps in product launch, relaunch strategy for in emerging markets.

i read some post in this forum where one of the veterans told that PhD wud just make me a theoretic. To be brutally honest with u guys, i am thinkin of doing a PhD for 2 reasons.

1. I am a freakin small fish in ma firm right now and no matter how good my ideas are they are shoved aside without even given due consideration cuz i am nuthin but a management trainee.
2. I want to gain knowledge in this industry and be the one of the best guys in this domain and get the title so atleast it wud give me a chance to get my ideas heard :(

I hopei made sense. I need advice from all you gurus here to kindly advice me the way to proceed forward. I am planning my PhD part time. Can you guys also recommend me some place where i can do marketing projects ( i dun mind towork for free) to gain some good experience and build my network in this domain cuz i want to stay in this industry for long.

Thanks and Regards
RJ
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by ilan on 7/11/2010 at 1:12 PM Accepted
    RJ,
    As a professor at the graduate level, I sincerely recommend you stick with the experience part of your life.
    The other alternative will require you to go through serious writing skills improvement education, if you ever consider a Ph.D.
    Good luck!
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 7/12/2010 at 8:36 AM Accepted
    Talk to your manager about your problem. They may be able to help you chart an internal growth program.

    Find a mentor in your organization that's not in your chain of command. They may be able to make introductions on your behalf and get you involved with other projects to open up your opportunities.
  • Posted on 7/12/2010 at 12:40 PM Author
    @ilan: thanks ilan for your response. i think i need some time to evaluate the situation :)
    @Jay: thanks Jay, thats exactly what i am trying to do actually.Hopefully it works out. I will keep u guys updated on what path i choose ;)
    Thanks again
    RJ
  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 7/12/2010 at 9:04 PM Accepted
    Dear RJ,

    Hmm. Sorry to break this to you but your Ph.D won't make you a marketer. Only your investment of time and energy will do that ... that, and your determination for forge ahead no matter what.

    But if you're set on a Ph.D, go for it and give it everything. I really mean that. Who the hell am I to tell you NOT to do something? If it's right for you, it's right. End of story.

    But there's a bigger question you need to answer: what will this qualification permit you to give? A Ph. D might win you respect and admiration, but can people use those things to help themselves and can you or will you do the same: will you use your new qualification to brighten people's lives and ease their pains?

    I'm sure you will because you took the time to write a pretty lengthy question, which in my experience on this forum is a good sign: it shows you've thought things through BEFORE asking your question.

    To me, this is a solid indication that you'll go a long, long way.

    I'm guessing you're in your late 20s? Whatever, but as well as your journey toward Ph. D dom, take a moment to consider the following.

    I'm almost 47. I have no MBA and haven't attended a marketing class in my life.

    I've been studying direct response marketing for 11 years and
    by trade and training, I'm a graphic designer. Have been for 25 years. I'm also a copywriter, an editor, and a marketer.

    This site has 365,000 registered users and gets between 50,000 and 90,000 visitors each month. It is without doubt one of the top sites online on and about the world of marketing and I began contributing to this forum last May.

    Fourteen months later, I'm now ranked as a top 25 "expert".

    So here's my question for you.

    How did I—a graphic designer with NO marketing training and NO advanced degree—how did I pull this off? How did I become a top ranked expert on what is probably the leading online marketing site online?

    Answer: by contributing.

    By working my ass off.

    Every one of those points next to my name? I earned them.
    The 85 percent acceptance rate on the questions I've answered? Achieved by telling people what I thought, and what I thought would help them.

    This does NOT make me better than anyone else, nor do I think I'm in any way "smarter" than anyone else. Quite the opposite really.

    But often in life, our degrees of "success" (whatever the hell those things are ... don't ask me, really, I don't have the faintest bloody idea!) those things come not from what we get, but from what we give.

    I hope this helps you, really I do. If the Ph. D is your goal, GO FOR IT. But when you get it (and I hope you do), use your powers for good, eh?

    Gary Bloomer
    The Direct Response Marketing Guy™
    Wilmington, DE, USA
  • Posted on 7/13/2010 at 1:32 PM Author
    Hi Gary

    Thanks alot for taking time and answering my question in detail. After enough deliberation and thought i have realised that I was probably going for a PhD merely out of frustration to learn and get a chance to use my skills to help people and in the process get recognised.

    But your example has cleared all doubts for me. I have made up my mind to stick to practical experience and in future if i still feel the urge and passion for PhD i would pursue it. fortime being i am just going to gain as much experience as i can and still try to help people to whatever extent i can on this forum.

    Life is long and i still have loads to learn and share. We'll be in touch on this forum. Again my heartiest thanks to you Gary and also to ilan and Jay for responding and helping me out.

    Take care guys.

    Cheers RJ
  • Posted on 7/14/2010 at 8:59 AM Author
    Hey WMMA

    Ma bad ... Iam kidding, My bad. duly noted and would keep that in mind ;)

    Cheers RJ
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