Is a PhD enough?

For most jobs in technology, a PhD is all you need (if that). But having a little bit of extra education is always important, and it may make a difference in your career.

You can accomplish this any number of ways. For example, a minor in an area outside of your field could come in handy -- imagine the strength of a computer programmer with a sociology background.

You can also take all kinds of individual courses at conferences or through professional societies. I took half-a-dozen classes through the American Marketing Association, and they made me a more valuable and flexible employee.

Or you could take a leap and get a whole different degree, like William Webb, head of R&D at Ofcom, Europe's telecommunications regulator. Early in his career, Webb added an MBA to his PhD, and he told me it gave him the ability to do things few others in the telecom field could accomplish: "It struck me that in order to be effective I needed to have some grounding in business, so an MBA seemed to make sense. It's been tremendously helpful. People tend to be more research-y or go the other way. It's rare to go down the middle. You need a few people in business who can sit in the center and act as a translator. You can look at the research others have done and talk to business people -- explain to them that these are the business implications of this technology."

Webb acknowledges that his role is useful, "but if not for the researchers and the authors it wouldn't be there."

So what about you? Where do you want to stand out? Have you taken other courses to supplement your skills, or to add a new perspective to your work? Think about it, and let us know!