I am looking at academic and non-academic posts too. I would ideally like to stay in research, but I think the short-term contracts and pressure for publication is going to get frustrating. I'm therefore looking for RA posts instead of post-docs.

People love to ask me: so what are your plans post-PhD, and its turned into one of those dreaded questions.

On another note, I had a question about proof reading, that I've posted in the main thread too:

should i tell my supervisor I'm using a professional proof reader? Or is it better I keep that quiet?

Hi Zutterfly,

I've had 4 interviews now for various admin positions, or professional services if you like, at different universities. I haven't got any of them. Two told me the positions went to people with more direct experience and two told me they didn't give me the position because they didn't believe I wanted it...

So, this means that as PhDs we can get these jobs, as long as we actually want them and this comes across in the interview.

Not getting these jobs though has been a blessing in disguise for me, as it has made me see that I actually don't want a non-academic job!

I've now got an interview for an assistant's position at a biochemistry journal, which is quite low paid, but at least it's still in science.

I've also found a part-time lecture job that I can apply for, which is ideally what I really want.

And if either of these don't work out, then I'm going to have a go at more freelance stuff such as writing (I've already got one paid commission), tutoring and proofreading/copyediting.

We can do it!

Hugh- There is no issue with proof-reading as far as everyone in my department is concerned. All the PhDs before me used one and passed details of proof readers onto us for when we needed them. A friend in my department was awarded minor corrections and told to have her thesis professionally proof read before submitting the corrections, so it is a perfectly acceptable thing to do!

TreeofLife- I am currently applying for one professional services job but it is closely related to my thesis so I hope this may help. I have also worked with them casually before. What you are saying is helpful though, and I am happy you have realised which direction you would like to go in :) So I guess be super super enthusiastic if I get shortlisted? haha

Thanks Zutterfly!

I wanted to pick your brain. I've seen a RA post that fits well with what I want to do. However, the undergrad degree required is not my area, as i did my PhD in a slightly different area (I have some industry experience). I think because my PhD is in that area I should be fine. However, do you think I should email the prof who is the contact listed and ask whether I should apply, or shall I just go ahead and apply?

Hi Hugh,

In all honesty, I would just apply and make sure you tailor your experience and skills to the post as much as you can! I applied for one and I was in the same boat and this is what I did. I wasn't shortlisted but I felt it was worth applying as after that initial application, I got faster at the others. I have noticed the quality of my supporting statements improve the more I have applied for :) It is a slog but one that we have to go through!

Thanks, I'll just do that! Cheers

Checking back in here because I couldn't bring myself to post, progress has been so slow.

I sent off my chapter 3 to supervisor yesterday. So that's 3/5 done. Current word count approx 65k so the two remaining chapters are quite small, about 10k and 8k respectively.

I put in my intention to submit today so it's T-minus three months to get this thing wrapped up. Writing of the last two chapters has to be very very quick now. Everything is researched and all the work is done, it's just bringing the words out is my problem.

Aiming to submit chapter 4 to supervisor by the end of this month and chapter 5 by 14th August. So will try and hold myself accountable by coming here and posting a daily word count of words written.

My supervisor is no help at all and would be content to let me languish in this limbo forever it seems. So it's really now or never. I do think it's doable though. At worst, a full draft for early September will still leave me 6-8 weeks of bringing the whole thing together, writing the Intro and Conclusion. I can't go any longer than October or I will quit the PhD altogether.

I haven't posted in this thread before, but I'm submitting by the end of September which is just 10 weeks away. AGHGHH.

Anyways, I thought it might be fun/motivating for me to daily blog my last 10 weeks of this epic process. I'm mostly using it to keep myself accountable - if I publish on the web what I am going to do each day then I'd better well do it! Plus I'm tweeting/facebooking each post which my friends/parents can see so that should stop them from bothering me about being antisocial for the next 10 weeks!

I need to do my intention to submit, but I realise that means I need a title. Definitely something to figure out ASAP! Yikes.


Anyway, here's the first post in the blog (from yesterday).

(And yes, I'm behind where ideally I'd like to be at this point. But, there's no point in dwelling. Just. Keep. Swimming.)

Hi! You are doing really well, you can do it! I found once I had written a few chapters, things moved faster. You can do it! My supervisor would also just leave me to get on with it until the deadline, honestly academia is so lazy like that!

Lovely idea to blog! :) I can see the multiple benefits, plus its reflective too.

Are you submitting your final draft or first draft by the end of Sep?

Final submission has to be before 30th Sept.... :-o

You can do it! :) in some ways it's good to have that deadline as your supervisor will check it quickly and it will get done. Best of luck!

I can relate to this, I've felt that one of mine in particular just had no awareness of the fact that once your funding runs out you need to make some actual money haha. Then I found out through someone else that his PhD took him 8(!) years, full time! So that explains it...

In terms of job hunting, I know how disheartening it can be. I started applying in February this year (while doing my PhD full time) and applied for maybe 20-30 jobs. But I got a research associate job in May, was initially meant to be for 8 months but I managed to have it extended by 4 by writing a research proposal for the project that essentially listed all the great things I could do if I just had more time haha. You can do it! Eventually the rejections didn't even feel as bad, I guess as my expectations lowered haha. I'm also unsure of wether or not I want to stay in academia but I'm gonna try to keep my options open by trying to publish articles during this post doc. Then see what happens...

Hi! Thanks for sharing your experience! Did you find your research associate job before you submitted your thesis?

Yep, in fact I'm submitting my thesis only today haha. Just ran out of money basically. And as others have said, filling in applications does get easier with time, it becomes more of a copy paste exercise as most essential and desirable qualities are fundamentally the same. The main thing I found frustrating was how every job has a different system where you have to fill in everything on your CV into boxes and it takes aaaaages to do. What happened to sending off your super professional CV that you worked on for ages? haha