Jim Lesurf wrote:
In article , Rob
wrote:
David Looser wrote:
"Rob" wrote in message

I am surprised. In my experience the world of academia is even more
keen on formal qualifications than industry is. Senior academics
usually have doctorates. But not all disciplines are equal and I
don't know which discipline you are talking about.


I'd have thought in natural sciences you're right. I work in applied
social science in a new university. Maybe a quarter have PhDs. None of
our academic professors have a PhD. I have my own opinion about this
that I suspect is scarily close to your own :-;

FWIW In my experience it has become quite rare in the UK for a permanent
employed Uni academic in Physics or Engineering to not have a PhD. I have
worked with one or two exceptions, though. Indeed, when I was first
employed as a fixed-term 'postdoc' at Uni I didn't have a PhD so got that
later on. So people are sometimes employed in such roles on the basis of
relevant experience and aptitude judged in some other ways. :-)


If anything I think having a PhD might have been a hindrance at the
interview for my current job. None of the panel were strong academics,
and I spent a fair amount of time explaining how I could 'do' admin,
marketing and so forth. So yes, I think you could be right - I can
operate a photocopier like no other :-) which makes me a rather overpaid
and overqualified copier person - not unlike Stuart Pinkerton :-)


Mind you, the Prof who ran that group is both an outstanding
scientist/engineer and a real gentleman.


A rare set of qualities there. Makes all the difference.

Rob