Mid-career crisis

[itiswhatitisn't]

I need some advice.  I do research for a pharmaceutical company.  I have a masters degree which ultimately turned out not to be worth much mainly because the bosses have PhDs.  I think I'm good at what I do.  My boss is clueless.  He has no idea how much detail work i do.  I was venting to a friend about how I read papers(hate doing that), write the protocols, do the experiments, and analyze the data.  He goes to meetings, takes the credit and does the presentations.  One, I can do presentations and two, people have met me and realize I'm the one in the lab doing the work.

So the advice.  My friend suggested that i do the PhD thing myself.  I wanted to do it through my company.  Other friends have done this and my VP helped set up a program with his old company.  But this company's higher ups said "Sounds interesting" and left it at that.  I can take the GREs, get recommendations, and if I get in start a program.  I can work on the company.  They'll pay for the classes regardless, but I'll need their cooperation when it comes to the research part.

i can't quit my job.  I'd lose my house.  And taking the GREs seems overwhelming right now.  The deadline is in 1.5 months.  I can do this.  I know I can.  Can I work, take classes, and along the way have kids?  And if I'm this frustrated with bureaucracy at the company now, would getting a PhD help?  I don't think my boss will ever see me as an equal, but it would be nice to be on equal footing with him.

So, I have nothing to lose but a little money and my pride.  But at least I'd know what path to take.  If I don't get in then i work hard and work on getting promoted.  And if I get in then I'll figure it out from there.  So, do I take the plunge?

[Lisbeth]

Before you take the plunge that's going to cost you a lot in time, money, and stress,, I'd sit down and think: Are you doing this because you really want that Ph.D. for yourself, or are you doing this in order to advance in the company?

The brush-off response you got from your company's higher-ups and your own boss's unsupportiveness makes me wonder if you might be better off looking for a job where you are appreciated and rewarded for what you do, and no one else gets the credit for your hard work.  That's clearly not happening in your own company.

[farmerted]

Maybe you should be looking for another job, not another degree.  If you don't think things are going to change when you finish you PHD than its not worth it.

kathy

[itiswhatitisn't]

Right now I can't change jobs.  I have a pattern in my resume.  18 months and move on.  A scientist would see that i was in academia and spent sufficient time there to learn.  The same amount was spent at my second job.  But then after 17 months I was laid off from my 3rd job and even though the layoff was very public I still was screened by HR.  While all the news papers say it's great to change jobs every two years the HR people are very old fashioned. 

I've been there about a year and most of it has been spent in a remote location in a different building from my boss.  I'm naively thinking that all of us under one roof might make communications better.  T that effect I want to give it another six months.  At that point I may try to switch into a different department if things aren't going well.