I'm in my final year of a master's program in applied mathematics. I am one of the top students so i was recently called into a meeting where they offered me and a few others assistant lecturer/researcher positions after getting our masters degrees.I want to do ML research and development. The assistant positions come with a PhD program that the uni finances, but the catch is that the pay is meager, especially compared to industry pay, and i would have to hold lectures, write and grade exams, do consultations with students etc. And i could (and probably will) get put as an assistant on a course i really dont care about, like set theory.On the flip side, going into the industry, since i live in a small euro country there are no big companies here that hire for such roles, so i would somehow have to grind my way through codemonkey jobs to get the research job a few years down the line, maybe even paying for the PhD program myself.My question: what is the path i should take? Should i a) bite the bullet and sign the 5 year contract that will get me a PhD but with meager pay and teaching responsibilities, orb) go into the industry and try to grind my way to the position i want that way?What is the path i should take to get what i want? I talked to some people in the industry i know, some say a PhD is necessary, but i know guys who got into the role with just a bachelors and some luck.
>>34593475>a)Always
>>34593476wow, thanks for the fast response. Can you elaborate why? to me, a 5 year contract sounds terrifying, since im only 22... and the pay is really crappy, like i would earn less than my mom who works at a bakery (granted she is the lead position there)
bumping cuz important 2 me
>>34593475There is a thing called "professional PhDs" that you do in combination with a private business. At least where I am.
>>34594421yes there are some companies that will pay for your PhD as an employee
>>34593475Do you love academia? Do you like doing institutional research, teaching, committees and the like? Then go for a PhD. Is doing a PhD a stepping stone to doing what you want to do in life? 6 years of difficult shit is difficult, but can pay off. Do you absolutely hate research and academia? Then definitely go for PhD. Whichever path you choose, you will spend years grinding before you get to where you want to be.
