For the people who have a CS phd degree, what did you research during your phd years?
PhD is a waste of time in CS
Really? Lots of ppl keep saying they start in higher level. Do you have a PhD yourself?
If you want research jobs then Phd is a must. If you don't understand the difference between a research and an engineering job then you can live in ignorance and be happy.
from what I heard phd at fb and google start at e4/l4, but that is a level a college grad can get to within 2 years
Not true. Level still depends on interview performance. Any PhD can start at L3 or any <5 years experience non-PhD can start at L5 or above. Totally depends on interview performance.
FB AI research lab / Google Brain are almost no-gos without a PhD. You most certainly will not get in with undergrad + 2 YOE
Most people can’t do a PhD, and for people that say it’s a waste of time tell them to shut up. I didn’t do my PhD for the money, I actually enjoy doing research and have been making 20-30k a year on the side teaching part time. It will not advance your career but a lot of jobs require a PhD degree and these do pay more. Don’t do a PhD and then go work with people with a bachelor degree. Your degree will be wasted. Find PhD related work, there is a lot of these.
PHDs are not a waste of time, they are unfit for real world engineering jobs. Writing papers is significantly different from building stuff that lasts. Engineers and researcher are different beings. Most engineers with good work ethics and 5/10 yoe can out run your PHDs mileage. PhDs on the other hand don’t graduate to be good engineers
More generalized blanket statements from someone who doesn't have a PhD?
What exactly is the actual knowledge of a PhD that makes you qualified for a job a bachelor with lots of experience wouldn't qualify ? I can only see two answers: 1. PhDs are considered more intelligent and having a level of grit already proven by the fact that they got the PhD. You won't know how capable a bachelor is since there is no certification for potential. 2. The specific knowledge accumulated during those years of reading, experimenting and publishing and the academic connections. This is something a bachelor can accumulate given enough time and interest in the field.
Many phds in 2008, stuck to their grit because they didnt get a job to stick to.
MIT undergrads had more grit than nearly all the PhDs I graduated with at a top 10 school.
Agreed
Best way to find out is to look at the recent publications and see what is being published. This will give you a clear idea for camera-ready work. Check ICML, IEEE, etc..,