I finished my PhD last year and have recently completed a part-time contract. I have applied to teach English as a foreign language overseas. Depending on nation, many ask for a three year degree and a clean criminal record. As I am single and the academic market is awful, I think why not. A new country, some teachign experience, and a solid wage with my rent paid. Plus I get to learn the language of my host country.

Perhaps you could do something similar and get up with your music? Perhaps teaching it freelance and writing?

cONGRATULATIONS!

http://icelandiconline.is/

That is a really good resource. I used it for a bit in the past. I speak Swedish and they share some of the vocab.

Icelandic is a beautiful language. Most (daresay, all) Icelanders will speak English in addition to Icelandic as well as Danish. Learning Icelandic would be super fun and allow you to pronounce the names of friends and colleagues properly ;)

I'm very jealous! Have a great time!

Nordic nations generally speak and write English really well so I am sure you will be under very little pressure to learn the native language. But since you are there for a 3 or 4 year PhD there would be plenty of time to learn. Have fun!

Goodness, English is my first language and I have a PhD...and I can't understand that sentence! It strikes me as very poor English in terms of clarity. Then lots of academic work is like that!

Congratulations! You made it! Dr. ;)

The PhD is 3 or 4 years (full-time). It will not be your entire life and there will be a life after. It may not - indeed probably will not - be in academia. Even if you do publish. So enjoy it for what it is. Read around. Write. Meet people. Take up opportunities to go to conferences at home and abroad. Make friends and contacts. A PhD is not a Nobel Prize winning research project. With good supervision and application you will be able to get there. Good luck.

======= Date Modified 07 Jun 2011 12:46:33 =======
Bon courage!

I am currently working in a part-time job outside of academia alongside some of my former students. Indeed, I am still supervising one of their dissertations (bit-piece work carried over from the end of my teaching contract). That feels rough. I too often reflect on how it came to this. One can just keep going, applying for things on a forward trajectory. Perhaps trying other new things even if they are not academia.

Something will turn up! I'm currently considering just leaving the country and teaching English abroad.

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Yes, I think you should bring it up over coffee or something at the conference. Nothing to lose really...

Many Congratulations Pam!! That is fantastic!! :)

Good luck - wishing you all the best! :)

I worked in a call-centre for six months after my MA and I can say that it took its toll on my mental health! Right decision not to take it on treefrog!

It was today and I think I really messed-up! argh! fluffed a few of the questions and it was over in 20 mins. the panel didn't ask many of the usual questions and we barely scraped my cv. :(

I would say that in this market if one gets a job offer, you thank the gods -promise them your firstborn - and say YES, YES, YES! :)

Good luck!! :)

Good luck treefrog! :)