I'm of the 'zero' input as well variety though now I'm nearing producing a full first draft there is talk about it being given to a 2nd reader for feedback. Don't think it will be the original 2nd supv, but somebody else. I have never met up or discussed my project with my 2nd supv.

======= Date Modified 05 Apr 2011 22:56:07 =======
@Addz8: I don't know your field but from my experience of postgrad life (masters+PhD) departments are always looking for postgrads to take tutorials and do some teaching. The teaching bit often comes later as you become more established as a postgrad but if your department has a large undergrad cohort, more than likely it will need postgrads to tutor. Check out who the first year manager is and you could try making contact that way. Also, unless you think your supv will veto teaching/tutorial work, I don't think there is anything wrong with checking with him re: asking how to go about it. I'm at the stage now where I'm refusing work due to writing up but it's there for the taking for whoever wants it.

I can't really offer any advice on that, I'm afraid. All I do know is that they said again and again how important is to get somebody who will be a good fit for their organisation. If it were me, I guess I would go for a type of extended abstract presentation and demonstrate the importance of your PhD to the field, how you have contributed to knowledge, your methods etc. They might ask you a viva type question as in 'would you do anything differently' or 'limitations to your work'.

Yes it's possible; you have to multi-task so it helps if you're a woman ;-).



Sometimes it works, sometimes not but it's not impossible. I'm married with four children, a hubby and a dog and I'm on the home strait now - yippee

Hi Chococake

You don't really have a box to fit what I did! During my PhD I have done quite a lot of work for my department but not always on a regular basis. For instance when I am teaching tutorials, that would be one day a week but then nothing in another semester. I have also marked January exams so that would be a blitz for a fortnight or so each year. For the last four years I have graded state examinations; that's three weeks hard hard slog of 12+ hours days each July. I'm currently writing up, hoping to submit in the summer and haven't worked at all this year, except to give a dig out at the uni open day.

Haven't had a postdoc interview myself (still haven't submitted!) but I did a training day for them as well. We were told, similar to Sneaks, not to limit yourself to only the narrow focus of your PhD, especially if you will be expected to play a full role in the uni/institute where the postdoc is. So we were told to convey in cover letter or interview that your PhD is on 'x' but you would be happy to teach 'y' and 'z' courses as well. The research institute directors giving our training session said that it was very important to convey that although you are an expert on your PhD topic, you will also slot into what is already there and complement existing staff interests. I have notes as well which I can pm if you want.

Good luck with it (up)

Thanks all, I'm being stupid, I know :$. Knowing him, he probably will have a few good insights and ideas for analysis as well so it will all be for the good. He just wants a selection so have bitten the bullet and just emailed him 10 which hopefully will keep him happy.

OMG, I'm well into my write up and my supv has asked to see some of my raw data - is this normal, has it happened to anybody else, should I be worried???

The thoughts of him reading some of my awkwardly phrased questions makes me cringe. At least he didn't ask to listen to the tapes - he won't do that, will he ?:-( ?

Yes, it would make a difference in that it's a big 'no-no' to pre-empt your findings so you would have to couch it more in terms of 'this is what I am investigating...to see if...' So less on your findings and more on your approach, the problem and what the point of your masters research is about.

Also you could include a bit towards the beginning about your motivation for this particular masters - it gives the interviewers a context to work off I think. Finally re the lit review bit - a presentation on somebody's lit review can be pretty dull so I would include the main papers/writers in your area but not a synopise of what they have written. Try to present that bit as lively as is possible. I presume your interviewers will likely know about toxicology but it is likely that there will be at least one person on the panel either from HR or from another department altogether - maybe even something like English or Classics who doesn't know anything about it. Therefore the challenge is to get the balance right between showing you know what you're talking about and not going completely over a person's head. Even the most technically challenging research needs to be comminicated to different audiences. Be wary of using jargon unless you are 100% certain everybody on the panel is familiar with it.

They may listen to your presentation and then leap to the PhD to see if you can make linkages between the two. As I said even in terms of skills or overall approach one should inform the other.

Hope that helps a bit but remember it's just my take on it!

Hi Stephen

I suppose the first question is if you know how long it is meant to be. If you don't know I would aim for 10-15 minutes. It sounds like they literally do want to hear about your masters research so I would aim to cover:

What was the problem your thesis was looking at
What literature guided your approach to this topic
How did you go about solving this problem, ie your methods and methodological approach
What were your findings?

Have a look at your thesis table of contents and let it guide you. You don't have to summarise each chapter but nevertheless the ToC should tell the reader the structure and overall contents of the thesis. The interviewers might come at it from the point of view that you were probably a bit limited with your masters as to the scope of your project. Therefore if you were doing it at PhD level where is there room to expand. Would you use different methods etc?

I read your post as your masters and potential PhD being in different branches of toxicology; yet even if your masters is on a substantive [different] area, it still should inform the PhD to a degree.

Good luck with it (up)

======= Date Modified 04 Apr 2011 13:50:05 =======
Good advice from MM. I think I would be the opposite as although also being quite introverted, I worked in customer service for sixteen years for an airline in a very busy airport dealing with complaints, delayed flights, cancellations and so I didn't mind the face-to-face contact aspect of my fieldwork. I felt that I switched back into my customer relations type zone!

It sounds like the more you put them off, the worse they are getting in your mind. What about looking ahead on the calander and marking when you would like to have your additional interviews done by? Then I would crack on trying to organise them. On the actual day of the interview I would often get quite nervous beforehand and check my email hoping that they would cancel but that only actually happened once and then I was raging 'coz I had to do it all over again!

Once they are under way, you will be getting another step closer to completing them. I have heard of people being pulled up in their viva over too few interviews so it's prudent to do a few more if your supv doesn't think you have enough.

I used to make my initial contact via email and then follow that up with a phone call two or three days later. That way you can say "I'm following up on an email I sent on Monday - have you had a chance to consider it yet?" Often I got the impression that they were speed reading my email when I phoned but at least it gave me a chance to lay down what I was looking for in a logical manner. If you're nervous it can be difficult to transmit your request for an interview clearly. Have your diary to hand so that if they suggest a day you can immediately agree or not. If it doesn't suit you, I would immediately suggest an alternate day, otherwise you will have to make that phone call all over again. Try to get the mobile number of the person you are meeting so that if, yikes, you are running late you will be able to contact them. I think making eye contact and using the person's name is a good way to convince them that you are concentrating on what they are saying - that was 'beaten' into us in my airline training!

Other than that just be pragmatic about it, every additional interview you do brings you that bit closer to not having to do any more of them!!

Good luck

Tell you what: I'll do your interviews for you if you do my analysis - deal??;-)

======= Date Modified 03 Apr 2011 08:31:12 =======

I signpost quite a lot -maybe 'coz my supervisor seems to like it?? That said, I do think in a PhD thesis (ie long) that you do need to signpost, otherwise the reader can lose his/her train of thought and have to go skimming back through the pages to figure out what's happening, or work out the sequence of events etc. I've been told if your external has to start doing that, you're in trouble as it's not up to them to have to work out your thesis that way. I have signposted in my introduction chapter but also within chapters; in their introductions but also within sections - I think it's fine and occasionally I have earned a "good signposting" comment from my supv. I'll pick up whatever crumbs of praise I can!!

Fm's suggestion is good, and I really like her wording :-) as well. I think it would be fine to briefly signpost or explain your first two studies but then elaborate more on the third. Explain the first two and then something like "However, the evolution of study 3 is somewhat more complex and requires greater clarification..."