I love this question & most of the responses.

Somewhere in the responses someone has asked 'why?'. Allow me to hopefully excite you on the prospects of getting a PhD when you can & if you'd like to.

So, 3 reasons why you should pursue a PhD in thread. https://twitter.com/Canduh_/status/1387304845112233984

1. Subject to the lab/environment & having supportive supervisors (part of what you try to find in your pre-PhD background homework) it is an amazing chance to work on something novel that YOU are interested in. Look at it as innovation through research. Sounds great, right?

2. Should you study full time (I recommend you do if you get full funding), it's a good 3-5 years to build 5 personal skills: (1)Reflection (2)Receiving & Giving Feedback (3)Communicating your work (4)Collaboration (5)Balancing work with fun.

These are are useful anywhere!

3. Becoming comfortable with not knowing. I cite this as a key thing b/c most people who go on to do PhDs are already brilliant. But, a good PhD pushes one's comfort & learning zones & this is good. If one embraces this, they become great teachers/mentors.

Isn't that amazing?

Note that I've not talked about the joy of earning the 'Dr' title or potential opportunities for exclusive work or increase in profile. These are all great. But for me, my PhD was one of the best journeys I ever took. It shaped a lot of who I am today & am passing that on.

So my advice is - if you're thinking of pursuing a PhD, please do it for YOU. Take time to reflect WHY you want it. Then find an environment that would support that.
It's a commitment that shouldn't be taken lightly, but if done for the right reasons, it can change your life.