[otoburb]

The study surmises that they (PhD students) generally do not know:

We describe evidence of a “default” postdoc and of “holding patterns” that suggest a need for increased attention to career planning among students, their mentors, graduate schools, and funders.[1]

[1] http://science.sciencemag.org/content/352/6286/663

[pkaye]

With the availability of information on the internet and their education levels, I have a hard time believing PhD students don't know about the job prospects. More likely they continue to believe that they will be the exceptional case.