Dissertation Help: When Should You Hire Support?

Hiring dissertation assistance is not as talked about as much as it should be. With nearly half of the people who start a PhD being “ABD” (All But Dissertation), getting dissertation help can be the difference between finishing your dissertation or joining the nearly 46% of the population who has completed everything in their doctoral program but their dissertation.

So, when should you hire dissertation help? 

If you think you need more support, guidance, feedback and accountability, you should seek hired support. 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stagnant, unmotivated, stressed, frustrated, confused or a number of other debilitating negative emotions, you should seek hired support. 

If your dissertation chair/advisor is lackadaisical, unsupportive, too busy, scattered, disengaged, unclear, contentious or just not helpful, you should seek hired help.

Dissertation help can be for you if you’re getting a PhD, EdD, DNP or DBA. It can be for you regardless of your discipline: hard sciences, soft sciences, education, engineering, business, anthropology, music, public health, computer science, sociology or communication. It is for you, whether you’re at a research I institution, an historically black college or university (HBCU), a Hispanic serving institution (HSI), a smaller, private university or a large, public predominantly white institution (PWI).

Seeking dissertation help is nearly always a personal decision. At times, a faculty member or administrator will recommend that you seek hired assistance. Regardless, the decision isn’t one to be made in shame. The truth is no one finishes a dissertation without help, whether it’s paid for or given freely. 

Read the profiles below of doctoral students in various disciplines with varying situations who sought paid dissertation help. You just may connect to one of their stories and realize your challenges aren’t unique. 

The Disconnected Scholar

Larry is a motivated student with a master’s degree. He’s familiar with high ed culture because he worked at a major research university before taking a job in industry. He’s a young husband and father who works full-time in a leadership position. Larry decided to enroll in an online doctoral program since it’s designed for working professionals. He’s made it through coursework and comprehensive exams, but can’t seem to get much traction with his dissertation. Being in a distance education program, Larry finds it challenging not being a full-time student. He’s not around academic people much, so the people around him, including family and co-workers, don’t understand the level of focus, discipline and commitment needed to work on his dissertation. 

Larry’s chair gives ambiguous instructions and doesn’t communicate much, so he seeks resources on social media; the information he receives is only so helpful. As a first generation student, Larry doesn’t have people to turn to in his family to understand his plight. Each month that passes, Larry feels more lost and less motivated. One day, he receives an invitation in his school inbox to participate in a dissertation boot camp sponsored by the Graduate School. Larry immediately signs up. On day one of the boot camp, he is so glad that he did. The defined tasks and accountability are exactly what Larry needs. During the boot camp, he has an opportunity to schedule a one-on-one with the boot camp facilitator, who is external to the university. The boot camp experience is so transformational for Larry that he schedules an individual meeting and inquires about dissertation coaching beyond the boot camp. He is ecstatic to learn the boot camp facilitator does dissertation coaching and signs up for coaching sessions. Though he’s disappointed not to receive this level of support from his department and dissertation advisor, where he’s a tuition paying student, Larry is thankful that he can afford to get help. The structure, commitment, connection and relatability Larry so desperately needed was provided by the boot camp facilitator. Larry knows he needs this type of support to stay motivated and finish. He continues to work with this coach until he finishes his dissertation.

The Ambitious Scholar

Tonya is a full-time student with no kids and some work experience. She has clear plans for her doctoral degree and has no time to waste. She moved out of state to earn her degree, has been funded to get her PhD and has started to network at her new university. During her first semester, Tonya doesn’t get the grade that she wants on a paper and immediately starts to inquire about help in her network. An administrator informs her of an editor and writing & dissertation coach. Tonya contacts her to start working with her on her writing. From the first semester through her dissertation, Tonya worked with this professional. Tonya wanted to build a team to help meet her ambitious goals, succeed quickly and develop the skills she would need to be successful in academia. One of the main members of her team was a writing coach who got to know her writing and research over several years and became her dissertation coach.

The Misaligned Scholar

Bob is a military veteran using his benefits to transition to a career in academia. He’s devoting all of his time to learning as a full-time student. He’s self-motivated, buys nearly every book mentioned in class, seeks resources for himself and takes the time to study them. He diligently researched the program of choice and opted for a program out of state rather than one near him due to the reputation, so he travels to attend class. Bob’s experience has been stellar until he progresses to the dissertation stage. He has co-chairs who don’t seem to work well together and give him conflicting advice. At one meeting, he is instructed to do one thing, he does it. Then, at the next meeting, he is told to undue it and something else. After this situation occurs a few times, Bob is beyond irritated. As a former military officer, he understands hierarchy and has no problem following orders and admitting he’s wrong. Bob has reflected on the situation, his actions and reactions; he has concluded that he will not get the guidance he seeks from his co-chairs, so he needs to hire someone to help him strategize how to move forward with the reality of his co-chairs while doing the research he’s passionate about and committed to doing. Thankfully, through the program administrators, staff and alumni, he identifies a coach to work with. He works in tandem with the coach before and after each committee meeting and finishes his dissertation on schedule.

The Stretched Scholar

Cindy is the glue of her family and workplace. Having worked in state government her entire career, she is approaching retirement in several years. She’s a wife, caretaker of her parents and mother of three college-aged children. In fact, one of her children is in a PhD program in another state. Cindy contemplates whether she should retire and enjoy life as an empty-nester or pursue her lifelong dream of earning a PhD. The lifelong goal wins, and she enrolls in an in-person PhD program that changes to a hybrid model within the first year. Cindy is struggling to maintain work-life balance: arranging medical appointments for her parents, keeping up with her daily job duties, spending time with her husband, taking time for herself, completing her schoolwork: some online and others in person. When seeking help, Cindy is told by one of her professors, “You’re a doc student, you should know this.” Frustrated and exhausted, Cindy is questioning her decision to enroll. She realizes she can’t try to figure everything out on her own, especially since her classmates don’t have the answer either, and some of her classes are now online instead of in person. She starts looking up resources and finds out about a dissertation coach. She reaches out because she needs some clear answers and directions. Cindy doesn’t need help solely with the dissertation; she needs help to navigate the program demands and expectations with empathy and compassion. She needs help deciphering what the faculty want from her. She needs questions answered without feeling like a nuisance for asking. Furthermore, Cindy needs a clear road map of what’s next and how to prepare for the dissertation proposal and dissertation. So, Cindy finds what she needs in a coach and rattles off all of her questions.

So, When Is the Right Time to Hire Dissertation Help?

The short answer to the question “When Should You Hire Dissertation Support” is whenever you think you need it. The spark could be not getting the result you want on an assignment, exhausting campus resources or being tired of trying to figure things out by yourself. Help is a click, phone call or email away!