[ghaff]

>I worked a job first (2 years). This made me really appreciate my phd a lot more and gave me a lot of much needed time management and interpersonal work skills.

I went back to school after a few years to get an MBA. I've never actually managed anyone to this day but it was sort of a prereq for a lot of the types of jobs I was interested in at the time.

It helped that the coursework was easier for me than the engineering degrees I had. But I think there was also discipline and process that came from having been in the working world that definitely helped me do really well in the program.

[dmarchand90]

Yes yes yes. Personally I don't recommend a phd without work experience

[ghaff]

It can probably also help with consciously deciding you want to spend a few more years in academia as opposed to just naturally sliding into spending a bunch more years in school as the path of least resistance.