Shirley invites Jeff to have lunch together because she has trouble in her job.

M: Hey, Shirley! Want to join me for lunch? My treat!
W: Wow! Sure!
M: I must confess I have an ulterior motive for asking you to lunch.
W: Oh ... that’s OK. Jeff.
M: I really want to pick your brain about something I’ve been thinking a lot about.
W: I’d love to help if I can.
M: Well, as you know, I have a bachelor’s degree in English literature and that’s served me well so far, but I’ve always wanted to do some post-graduate work ... maybe even get a doctorate!
W: Wow! Just the idea of going back to school fills my head with pain.
M: But you have a master’s degree ... hasn’t that helped your career?
W: Yeah, I’d have to say it has. But I’m still paying for it, you know.
M: I know education is expensive, but it’s been my lifelong dream. Call me crazy, but I’ve always wanted to have that PhD at the end of my name.
W: Well, getting a doctorate would mean close to a decade of school. Can you afford that? Can you survive that?
M: I certainly can’t afford it, but I’m sure I could find some good student loans.
W: I think you need to separate the dream of having a PhD from the reality of years of more schooling. It’s not as romantic as you might think.
M: Yeah ... I keep thinking about what I’ll do with a master’s degree or a doctorate. I love language but I don’t think there’re a lot of well-paying jobs out there for experts on Shakespeare.
W: Uh huh, that’s for sure. You might find that your only career choice is teaching other graduate students.