Hi all

Following a job interview last week, I was unexpectedly offered a PhD position which I feel really positive about and I think it will provide me with really good experience and be a real challenge. However, I am quite a quiet person and lack confidence and I am worried these attributes are going to 'hold me back'. The thought of doing presentations etc always scares me (although I have done numerous ones throughout my undergraduate and masters degree) and I am not very good at them :-(

Are there any other students who are quite quiet and hate doing presentations etc but have improved these skills during their studies? Do you think this PhD could be an opportunity for me to overcome my fears and actually improve my presentation skills? I also worry I won't be able to do the PhD and the university thinks I am more experienced than I actually am - is this a normal feeling?

Thanks - everyone seems really friendly here :-)

Hi all, I am new to this and was looking for some advice regarding a possible PhD I have been offered.

Last week I went for an interview at a university for a position which would have involved oilfield research (I have an undergraduate degree and a masters degree in science). I thought the interview had gone really badly, however I got a phone call over the weekend from the university asking if I would be interested in taking up a PhD position!!!! I was a bit taken aback and have been thinking about it all weekend.

I currently work within the pharmaceutical industry, where I have been for the last two years since graduating from university. I like my job but no longer find it fulfilling and as an industry there is very limited room for progression (and a pay rise!!!!).

The money I am being offered for the PhD is a lot more than I expected (approx £15,500) and I would be about £700 worse off a year than I am now due to not paying tax etc. There would also be opportunities for me to do contract work for oil companies to bump my pay up a bit.

My initial feeling is that this would be a great opportunity to expand my knowledge and skills and gain experience in the oilfield industry. I would hopefully get quite a few contacts from the oilfield companies with whom the university work with also.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated - I think the biggest worry is whether I could do it and what kind of job I would I get when I finish. Also a bit worried about the workload, do most people find they get some evenings and some weekend to themselves?