I'm more interested in studying you and how you would come up with such a username.

This sounds very similar to something I faced from the other side - I did a statistics phd with a biological problem and it was very hard to convince the biologists why I was doing certain statistical methods. It sounds like these people have a very fixed idea of how the problem should be solved and don't really understand your approach, a lack in their knowledge and not yours.

Maybe you just need to explain and reference it better why your approach is valid for your problem - what about doing an appendix on the general use of nonparametric testing to support your argument?

Also have you tried doing transformation to normal and seeing how the results compare for a parametric problem? Or would that be too much work to do?

After a lot of thinking, I've decided that my love of studying is just to great and I'm going back to Uni. Here is where I have decided to go :


http://www.universityofbingo.com/home.html


Should I start with a bachelors or go straight into a masters, given my previous academic study? Decisions, decisions...

An interesting article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-18627327

Oh I certainly don't think it's a helpful development, but it's no surprise at all. Academia isn't immune to applying private sector principles, where go into any large firm now and you can easily find unpaid "interns" or "volunteers" all desperately seeking that edge for their CV to get a job.

I'm surprised we haven't seen more of this already to be honest. And yes, there will be lots of applicants I'm quite sure.

Indeed, just because you're the only applicant is irrelevant.

Althought saying that if it's for a funded PhD place and they need to fill the place then there could be a good chance as it might affect their future funding if they don't fill all the allocated places... (this always used to be the case)

Agree with Hazyjane, a more higher ranking university masters on top isn't necessarily going to give you an edge - even people with masters from top Unis are struggling in the job market. On job experience is really what counts.

What about seeing if you can get another internship or some more stints of work experience? Or what about diversifying your job applications - what about consultancy or retail banks? Don't forget that in these times a job doesn't have to be for life, so taking a job in a related area and getting relevant experience may get you a job which then will give you the step in the right direction.

There is a lot more done these days in the way of background checks, even for "lower grade jobs" - especially "gaps in the CV" and verifying what people were doing (as Lughna points out, it's usually to catch out those claiming to have done things they haven't, but also the opposite where people are trying to deliberately hide things). After all a PhD is a big chunk of time in someone's life so it's going to make for a glaring omission in a CV unless you had other jobs at the time to cover the period.

It's hard enough getting a job, true, but it would be even harder to have a job snatched away from you because you misrepresented yourself on your CV. Some employers probably wouldn't care, which is fine, but companies are getting more careful about who they employ. Even just a simple google check on your name may throw up your department webpage for your PhD (mine still does several years later).

Hi CodeWarrior, your post struck quite a chord with me! I grew very resentful of my life and generally the whole academic business during my PhD. All those dreams and ambitions turned to dust.

However, having come through it and now over 3 years down the line, my life is actually pretty successful. I couldn't see what I would do/wanted to do when I finished my PhD. I'm just about to start a new job that's a great promotion for me, but have had a few other successful jobs as well. And I've even managed to make use of some of the things I learned in my PhD (statistics related)! The other softer skills (research planning, executing a piece of work, writing up, presenting) have also been a boon and been often commented how good my skills are in comparison to those fresh from undergrad.

I've always worked in private sector, and would never ever go into academia. I've done cutting edge work with/for some great companies as a consultant, my new job is going to take on more of that and push the boundaries too. I earn more than many at professor level do and generally have a good life.

My point is, there is actually a lot out there for people with PhD skills and especially science/maths skills outside of academia if that's not what you want. But also don't be afraid to just get into a job and start picking up the skills even if it's not what you want to do long term - no job is wasted, my first job wasn't great but actually what I'm doing is going back to that industry now but higher up the scale with the more interesting work.

(Sorry if that's a bit rambled, I tend to type as things come into my head!) Am happy to talk to you further about my experience if you want to send me a PM.

Very good! I saw as a suggested link this which made me laugh just as much...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XViCOAu6UC0

Hello everyone, I realise I haven't posted for a while but work and personal life has been rather manic of late... it's so nice to have a job I actually like doing and get to do some research and get to work at the cutting edge!

Anyway, I have a bit of a problem and wanted to get the usual great insights I get from people on here. It's been quite a while since I did my PhD but I haven't totally forgotten what it was like. But my partner (doing his PhD in final year) I am... well starting to resent a bit. I've made a lot of decisions and put my life on hold a bit whilst he finishes but the issue of a J O B keeps cropping up. When we talk about it, he keeps just pushing back further and further when he plans to get one. And then says he's been talking to other people (but not me) about these plans. I feel so excluded from what is a major decision for the both of us. Especially when I've turned down a good opportunity at work in order to stay here for him. But at the moment I just feel like marching into the guy's office and telling him I want to take it and just bugger off and be selfish.

I don't know what the answer is but it just makes me more and more irate thinking about it. I remember what it was like finishing my PhD but I was single at the time so only had myself to think of. I don't want to be selfish, normally I would have been but it's nice to have met someone I just really click with mostly. But not about this issue that's for sure!!!!

Well just to give you a bit of an update... I had the phone interview. heard nothing. Now they want me to go for an interview in person! Just as I've been posted to a project elsewhere with my current work...

I'm still not entirely sure this is really happening...

I have met several of the people that Cornflower describes. In each case the root cause was the same - pushy parents. So no, I don't feel intimidated at all.

Um well just to update... I have an interview.

Crazy.