Not sure about a PhD? Work on a “pre‐PhD”

?Pursuing a PhD is not something to be taken lightly several years of low pay, hard work, and other untold sacrifices are required to earn a doctorate. While some students may have a firm notion that a PhD is in their future, others are not so certain. For those who have attained a Master's degree and are hesitant about seeking a PhD in ecology, we suggest tak ing a "pre-PhD" position. Ideally, you can gain experi ence and ultimately determine whether a PhD is desir able. Pre-PhD positions provide undeniable benefits to students who later pursue a PhD, making the experience less intimidating and more productive. Skills acquired in the pre-PhD position are often rele vant to a PhD; rather than following established protocol, these positions offer greater responsibility and problem solving experience, further developing scientific profi ciency. Pre-PhD positions typically support primary inves tigators, providing opportunities to get involved in project development, hypothesis creation, experimental design, and the search for funding precisely the skills that PhD students need to develop. Where to find a pre-PhD position. These positions are widely advertised on the internet. Several professional societies have e-mail listservs or online job boards; pre PhD positions are often offered through universities, museums, private industry, and state and federal govern ments (WebPanel 1). Titles of pre-PhD positions vary greatly, as do their inherent responsibilities and opportu nities, which are not always obvious from their descrip tion; thus, during your job search, it is imperative to ask insightful questions to determine whether a particular position provides the desired skills. As per the US Federal Government GS-level system, many pre-PhD jobs are listed at GS-7 to GS-9 for those holding a Master's degree. These positions are often short in dura tion, providing a "break" between degrees, and come with a higher monthly paycheck and weekends off benefits that can be hard to find in graduate school. Knowledge gained and new fields explored. One of the most valuable assets gained from a pre-PhD experience is a broad knowledge base. New yet related fields of study may be learned or a completely different field can be added to your existing skill set. DRC, for example, began his pre PhD as an entomologist, but left with a solid knowledge of tree physiology and nutrient cycling. Moreover, many uni versities require that students take coursework in areas outside of their sphere of interest, specifically to broaden their training. Previous experience in field research which may be provided by such positions is also benefi cial to students entering PhD programs (Walker 2008). Skills gained and/or enhanced. Pre-PhD opportunities may also offer training in new, cutting-edge techniques; for instance, CRH learned to isolate and optimize microsatellite loci while working in a genetics laboratory, and will apply this technique in his dissertation research. Many skills acquired through professional employment would be hard to gain while juggling the demands of grad uate school, but are nevertheless critical if one wants to be a well-rounded research scientist. For example, many pre-PhD positions involve personnel management, which will help in laboratory management later on, yet such experience is not specifically a part of normal acade mic training. Some graduate students gain limited experi ence by supervising undergraduates in lab settings, but this is insufficient experience for running a large labora tory of students and scientists with various research and mentoring needs (budgets, supplies, permits, organiza tional activities, etc). There are also opportunities for for mal training and workshops ranging from pesticide application to software use that may be unavailable to those in academia. For instance, during their respective pre-PhDs, DPA attended an intensive, week-long course on the use of SAS statistical software for mixed-models analysis, while CRH learned ecological measurement techniques and acquired plant identification skills while associated with a Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) program. Skills developed during a pre-PhD can enhance your curriculum vitae and demonstrate competency in research, so that you stand out among prospective PhD applicants. Some pre-PhD positions even provide oppor tunities for conducting independent projects, preparing grants, and publishing original research. Writing and publishing manuscripts before starting a PhD program will lead to a greater familiarity with the literature, as well as improving your ability to see contributions in the con text of the "big picture" a task many new doctoral stu dents struggle with. Networking. Networking is a crucial part of higher edu cation and is vital for successful, collaborative research. Opportunities to attend meetings, field days, or site visits may be possible in many pre-PhD positions. Indeed, those