Does work experience count?
Good question. The answer is: it depends. If you have been --- say --- an investment banker for 5 years before you applied to a Ph.D. in economics at NYU, you probably have serious work experience but probably none of it will point towards your success (or failure) in a research program. So far as the doctoral degree in economics is concerned, you're probably better off applying just after graduating from university. [This is not to denigrate investment banking at all, but only to point out that it signals very little about the kind of skills we're looking for.]
If you have been, say, at the World Bank, or an intern at the Fed, very similar considerations may apply. It all depends on exactly what you have been doing, but in general don't expect to jump into a priority queue because of this sort of work experience. While experience certainly counts as a positive attribute, it also means that you've been out of touch with academic research for a few years. While experience helps you ask a new set of questions, it can also sometimes close you off to new academic methodologies or ideas. Work experience cuts both ways. |
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