[blastbeat]

I agree, doing a PhD can still be worthwhile. It's just a considerable gamble in my opinion.

> I don't agree. I work at a large industry research lab, and every position basically requires a doctorate.

I should have been more precise. If you want to do research outside of academia, you will need one obviously. Also, it depends on your field and your location. For instance in Germany, doing a PhD is mandatory if you're wanting to pursue a career as a chemist. On the other hand, having a PhD in humanities will significantly worsen your job prospects outside academia in Germany.