I think Skype interviews are part and parcel of interviewing now. A friend of mine got her studentship via a Skype interview. I'd probably put in some extra practice just due to the strangeness of having an interview that's not done in person, and to make sure you feel completely comfortable using it. When I had my studentship interview, the panel told me the one before mine was done on Skype and they had a dog running around on camera for most of it!

I have seen people study extremely 'niche' topics which seem unlikely to tie in with any future job. Not only that, but when you look to see who's supervising them, it becomes clear that the supervisor is just creating little 'mini-me's' and ending up with a huge publication list - the supervisor being the one person who can probably make a living out of the niche area. I agree with Fled that you need to have an eye on the value of your topic outside of your PhD department, or at least to be grabbing as many transferable skills as you can along the way.

Hi Incognito
I hope things get better for you soon.
In the mean time, well done again on your PhD and getting a job - neither is an easy feat from reading people's experiences! :)

When I left my job to start my PhD, a colleague said to me, 'you know they won't employ you here again if you get a PhD....don't you?' That's the scary thing about it all - I'm absolutely certain of doors closing but need other ones to open in their place ;)

I realised there was a tongue-in-cheek element to what you said Ian :) But by dangerous ground, I meant we don't know anything other than what Elflick has told us - whether or not to have kids can be a huge issue - I personally know several women for whom a reversal of that decision isn't a possibility, for example.

Ian, I enjoy your posts and from my brief time on here so far I consider you something of a 'voice of reason'. But (you knew that was coming!) Elflick has told us she's decided not to have kids, she doesn't want them and it's been a big thing for her. It's dangerous ground to say the 'right man' can fix this - let's just trust her on this one :)

No, I have full funding. My degree is ancient, but I did an MSc with the Open University which just finished last year, so I did have some fresh references from that. I stressed the transferable skills I had from my work history, and I think that helped. What is it you're hoping to do?

Hi donfrico, I'm 43 and just started my PhD in the autumn :)

It sounds like pretty positive language to me. You've come this far; you can do this last bit too. It does say 'congratulations' after all - they know you can do it :)

I would probably just try to be a bit more descriptive, not by using numbers but by varying the language a bit. 'A commonly expressed view was that.....', 'Several of the students also thought.....' - that sort of thing.

I think it's important to be realistic about the current jobs market. You'll probably find other PhDs competing for the lab technician posts, never mind the decent postdocs. Nothing is guaranteed, but there are things you can do that will significantly lower or improve your chances of getting a good job, and I personally wouldn't risk the year out at your stage, which would mean your references and contacts would be a year less fresh than other applicants', as well as your skills.

I agree with emmaki that a lot depends on the theory and methodology of your study. From my own experience of doing qualitative research, I'd tend to use phrases like, 'the data appeared to support three distinct categories' or 'three categories emerged/were identified'. I wouldn't say anything as definite as 'found', because in qualitative research you have a lot of things to take into account, such as your own approach to the data.

Mannuela, have you looked for any support regarding your depression? I'm asking because you left the PhD, and it sounds like you have done the same thing with your job. It may be that you need to get some support in building up your resilience and coping skills, so that you don't become overwhelmed next time. From what I have read about PhDs, resilience is a major part of it, and being able to stick with it even when it isn't making you happy.

Congratulations on your job offer! As TreeofLife says, temporary contracts are everywhere just now, and it maybe even says more about their position as employers than about how concerned they are about you as a worker - lots of employers are hedging their bets just now and only issuing temp contracts because of the economic climate. I wonder whether it's a fixed-term temporary post or whether they're giving you a 9-month trial period for a permanent post. At any rate, it is great to get a job offer, and it is always much easier to look for something else from a position of employment, even if it does turn out to be temporary.

Sometimes they only shortlist a very small number of people for interview. Honestly, as long as you are getting some interviews, you must be putting in a good application. Don't be too disheartened.