hi everyone, thanks for posting!
universities' effort to reduce expenses by hiring new phd-ers does seem unlikely (to me, that is). For instance, how can they reduce expenses when the fees keep going up?

I do have a question, if anyone is reading today's post, what do you think about inter-disciplinary phds?

I did one, and I think it has given me a disadvantage (yes I know its too late for me, I can't change anything now)--during interviews, the interviewers keep asking me why my qualifications are so strange. For example BSc in Geography and MSc in Psychology.

Somehow in spite of the recent popularity of inter-disciplinary doctoral programs, phds etc., do you think that people (and I mean employers) are still STUCK in the old method of thinking, that if a job applicant did not have a SOLID say, physiotherapy qualification (all the way), he would not be able to do the job well.

So would it be that if someone with a Physiotherapy first degree, physiotherapy masters, physiotherapy phd, had a better chance of securing a job compared to those with mixed qualifications?

**hoping someone will say something positive about interdisciplinary phds!**

love satchi

Let's assume your starting salary as a professor is £52,000 per year.
Five years later, your university may pay you about £70,000 per year because of your increase in publications etc... (just an example)

However, if they decide to terminate your contract and employ another new phd at £54,000,
the university may "reduce expenses" by £70,000 - £54,000 = £16,000.

Hi Satchi- on interdisciplinary phds- I think they can definitely be a good thing!

I have worked in 2 different fields, although they are related, and some people might think it "strange" or at least unusual. I just make sure I have a coherent story as to why I did it and where I would go with it from here- eg the combination of those topics allows me to address unique research questions/ is the way of the future/ I am interested in it because of important issues in blah. Highlight the links between the fields, and why it is important to link them. If necessary make something up, and adjust it for each job ;)

Also, you have more flexibility with skills in 2 different areas, as you can potentially apply for jobs in either field, by tailoring the way you present it to employers. If applying to a job that is purely in one field, then I would emphasise that aspect of everything, and play down/leave out some parts relating to the other field. Make it look like I have solid skills in field x, but also have a bit of experience in field y, and say how the experience in field y will help in field x or give unique perspectives etc. I don't know if you have to say specifically (in your example) that your bsc is in geography and your masters in psychology. Maybe you can just say bsc, and then list some of the topics covered, eg stress the *human* geography side of things, and then for the masters describe the research topic so the links and overlap with the bsc is clear.

Just my thoughts anyway. Don't know if that helps, and you are probably doing this already :P
I think you're right, everyone is wanting to do interdisciplinary stuff now, but people that are the product of those projects are not yet very common. But it will become more common, I'm sure!

I myself can do 2 or 3 fields as I did my PGCert project in cannabinoids, my DipHE project on Antimalarials and I did some neuroscience as well as medicinal chemistry in my MSc.

Rejected from Dundee uni also :(

hi Elsie and JanineG
thanks very much for your replies
what is the best way to answer this question then. The interviewer says, "I see you have different qualifications. Can you tell us about it?" or "I'm curious to know why and how you have these qualifications"

Twice I have told them the truth, that at first I did Geographical sciecnes and then I realised I was interested in studying people. It seemed like telling them my life story, I didn't tailor the answer to the skills because the skills I felt came later.

How can I improve answering this question?

A bit of a detour from today's post (and for anyone else who is reading this thread); here is a link I watched yesterday on youtube, and it did make me feel more worthy of myself!!

love satchi
http://youtu.be/KQJnf9iassU

I have a relatively interdisciplinary background and my PhD has been quite interdisciplinary...BSc in Chemistry and Biology, MSc in Biology by Research and a PhD in Environmental Science related to water (included 2 chapters on analytical chemistry, 1 chapter on a questionnaire I did and 1 chapter on the development of a decision tool with a number of in-depth interviews). When looking for jobs I felt that my interdisciplinary background was quite helpful as I had a range of jobs I could apply to which was very important as I was restricted to a particular area. I think you need to figure out what transferable skills you get from the various disciplines and see how these translate to the job. I recently had an interview for a position in a field I know next to nothing about (still environmental field). However I could understand that what they need is someone who can project manage and talk to industry/SME companies and network (something which I enjoy). At the interview I admitted that my knowledge of the research field is limited but I focussed on how my broad knowledge (chemistry, bio, some social science) will allow me to understand and get to grips with the science of the field relatively quickly and have the knowledge of engaging with industry and academic partners (was a critical headache in my PhD...basically my instruments kept breaking down so I had to go myself to talk/beg other Unis to allow me to use their instruments and added the questionnaire/decision tool chapters to make up for the reduced instrument time, which involved in-depth interviews with stakeholders). What I focussed on (which is all I could do) was that I have the transferable skills to do this job and showed how I can fit my knowledge to their research (was asked what research angle I would take in this field). I have now been offered the position (after who knows how many rejects)...I found I got more confident with each application and interview I went to.

Hi Satchi- I think we need to use every question in an interview as an opportunity to tell them how we are suited to the job and why they should choose us. It can be subtle at times, no need to hit them over the head with it on every question. But the employer is not merely curious, they are asking questions in order to figure out who to select for the position. So you should try to make that easy for them ;)

For your multidisciplinary qualifications, personally I would tailor the answer for each job. Can you think of a way your geography experience has helped you in your psychology research, or emphasise how your different degrees compliment each other? Was there something in your first degree that inspired you to want to study people? Did you do some human geography, social science or psychology in your BSc that you could highlight? Your answer will still be "true" but you can paint the picture in different ways. If your two degrees really are completely different and you can't think of anything at all in your BSc that is relevant, then I would probably not give any details on your CV or application form, just put BSc.

Hope this helps.

Personally I wouldn't wait until the interview to answer this. I would address this, at least briefly, in a covering letter/personal statement. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter so much *why* you have studied two areas, so much as what those studies enable you to bring to the table now. If you can show that X built on Y then it helps. It doesn't matter what your motive for transition at the time were - what matters more is how those different perspectives enrich your current understanding of the world. As Elsie suggests, if your undergrad degree involved any human geography, that could be a useful segue between the two areas.

I do mention about the different fields in my personal statement. In my case, I can do some molecular biology and microbiology as I did it at college and in my first degree. I also did the more herbal stuff as I am interested in indole alkaloids and low and below they appear in plants. (You need botany for phytochemistry).

(still waiting for the letter from the uni about the course closing)

hi elsie, janineG, ailicec and hazyjane

thank you so much for your advice. I need to think about this further. I just haven't figured out how to present the answer--if i am asked again during interview. What I'm going to do now is some time to write down my thoughts, and see how I can bring them up again (if asked again in future interviews)!

I did write about it in my personal statement--and the interviewer asked me again!
So I found myself saying the same things :-(

There was a research position advertisement (deadline ended 23/6) which I was going to apply for, but then there were 3 application questions--one of them was how you communicate with colleagues at work--and another was something like--name a different method of communication which you used to influence people---and I found that I couldn't answer them!

I was thinking, when I talk to people, I don't do all sorts of things to influence their decision, and after thinking for more hours I found that I was getting stressed--and in the end I didn't go ahead with this job application :-(

thank you so much again
love satchi

Hi!

I also received a rejection letter for a lecturer position just now....

I have mixed feelings.
Maybe it is me, and the horrible application I submitted... But I am struggling to finish the PhD (sad, sad story) and I didn't spend a lot of time preparing for the applications

Maybe it is because I don't have a PhD yet, I wasn't even considered for an interview

Maybe my topic is too specialised, and too multidisciplinary

Maybe there were too many applicants, and competition is tough....I have a few publications and limited teaching experience, and obviously this is not enough.

Of course none of the above excludes the other (so it is all of them together)

I wasn't dying for this job, but still, I have difficulty dealing with rejection. My confidence is knocked down already, as I constantly feel like a failure in the writing up stage, I feel that everything I write is stupid and even a primary school child would do better.

Any words of support? Advices? In September I will have to get a job because funding runs out and I have NO savings. *manipulative sobbing*

hi DrJeckyll
thanks for posting here. Sorry about the rejection letter. If you look at previous posts in this thread, others have also received rejection letters! I think getting a rejection is difficult for almost everybody.

For me, I take it one day as it comes. The next day I usually feel better, then next day, next day etc.

The more you worry about september, the worse you will feel. I know this exactly because my funding also finished in September, and that was 2 years ago. Do you have family you can go back to for support in the meanwhile? Like stay with your parents just until you find something to do (that pays something), until you can get back on your feet again.

I posted this link in an earlier post, if you can, do take a few minutes to listen to what this person (Eckhart Tolle) says in answering a question about how to cope without having a job. I really like what he said.

love satchi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQJnf9iassU

Hey Satchi,

There must be positive reasons why you've got rejected. Do not be depressed. Instead, think of the positive side of the coin. First, something great must be waiting for you. Just wait for that moment. Second, you must learn from your failures during the interview or other application process.

Cheers!

-Stacy

It's not uncommon for interviewers to ask questions that were already on the application form. But you should maybe interpret this as indicating that they wanted a more in depth answer from you in person - to expand upon what you had said on the form.



It might be a good idea to go away and reflect on these questions to come up with answers. They are the sort of generic skills questions that might be asked in an interview for ANY kind of job. If you come up with answers now then you will be ready for future applications if they come up. It is a shame to let a job advert pass because of something generic like that.

Are you still in touch with a university that has a career's service you can access? It might be worth making an appointment so they can help you do a skills inventory and reflect on questions like that.

That's Durham Uni AND Manchester Uni applied for and yesterday I applied via a website for a Medicinal chemist but they didn't have any jobs.

No one is willing to take you without experience? and yet you have people who are on linkdin saying you should hire incompetant people?

I dunno how long I can take of it and I have in the covering letters supplied the Email details of the uni office for getting the course info whilst I am waiting for the letter.