I would say 'just apply' - with the caveat that I haven't even started my PhD yet and know nothing about academic jobs. But I know that I spent years being defeatist about myself, thinking 'oh, they wouldn't want someone like me' whenever I came across an opportunity that looked good, and have only recently started to get over that. I think sometimes you have to dare to aim 'above your station' in order to get anywhere, and if it doesn't work out, don't take it as confirmation that you should never have tried, just take it for what it is, and hope for better luck next time.

I don't think anyone would ridicule your application or think it was inappropriate - again, I don't know the academic job market well, but certainly in the sector I work in, the worst that would happen is we'd say 'hmm, maybe they're not quite ready for this role yet, maybe this person with a couple more years experience would be a safer bet'. Or depending on the exact situation and the standard of the other applicants, they might decide to give you a go, especially if you 'sell yourself' (hate that term, but you know what I mean) well enough in interview. You never know unless you try.

You've probably already thought about this, but if you want to teach adults, how about further education colleges? Some of these are more 'sixth-form' like, i.e. most of the students would be 16-18, others tend to have more 'mature' adult students, but either way you're not going to be teaching young children (I can quite understand not wanting to do that)! It's very different from compulsory school education as people are there because they want to learn, so you get to do some actual teaching and not just crowd control.

Of course if you want to do the PhD anyway, then go for it, but as others have said don't do it assuming it will be a ticket to a particular job or career, though of course it may well open up new oppurtunities for you. I'd only do it if you actually want to spend 3-4+ years doing research, if that sounds uninteresting or an ordeal to you, it's probably not for you!

When I was an undergrad, I remember there were a few lecturers who didn't have PhDs (and this was a good, Russell Group university), they tended to have a Masters and a postgraduate teaching qualification. Maybe explore that route if the research side of things doesn't particularly interest you?

And it's not a stupid question! I was also very confused when I started applying for PhDs, as I'd read so much seemingly conflicting information and advice - because of the different approaches required in different subject areas. I was terrified of getting it wrong and runining my chances, though of course it all turned out OK in the end. If in doubt, just ask :)

I never had to write a research proposal for any of my applications (life sciences) - if there was a generic postgraduate application form I just left that section blank (or put a brief note explaining why it wasn't applicable). Not sure what area you're applying for, but in the sciences it's certainly rare to have to write a research proposal yourself, it's almost always the case that you apply for a project already set out by the supervisor. If you get the place, you then work with your supervisor in your first year to refine and elaborate on the exact plan for your 3/4 years of research.

Maybe double-check with the supervisor/program administrator if you're unsure though.

I do agree with the first two comments that of course you need to have your own ideas and be able to 'run with' the project, but in science PhDs you generally demonstrate that skill once you've started :) Although I guess it will always look good if you have some of your own ideas at the application stage about techniques you'd like to use/areas you're keen to explore. You could bring these up either in your personal statement, or in the interview or discussion with the potential supervisor.

Hmm, this is something I'm not looking forward to about the PhD, I'm not great at receiving criticism, especially on something I've put a great deal of effort into. In one of my PhD interviews I got an absolute grilling about my undergraduate project where they just ripped to shreds everything I'd done - now I look back, I think they were just pushing me to see if I could be assertive and justify my choices and conclusions, but at the time it felt like a nasty, personal attack and I got a it upset and very defensive. Needless to say I failed the interview, though now I wonder if that was more because of my response to their criticism rather than because they really thought my project was bad or that I was a worthless person.

I guess it's important to remember that criticism and feedback is just part of how research works, everyone is subject to it, and we shouldn't take it too personally. That's a lesson I'll have to learn, anyway.

I would personally feel a bit uncomfortable taking so much financial support from my parents, as I wouldn't like the feeling of being their dependant again, especially now I've been supporting myself for several years, that wouldn't be great for my self-esteem, and would undermine the supposedly adult/more equal relationship I want to have with my parents now. So I agree you should keep trying to get whatever funding you can from other sources, or maybe even consider going part time and getting a job, and keep parental help as a last resort.

Still, I think you're very lucky to have such supportive and generous parents, and if you're really in need and they're truly happy to help you out, then maybe you should just go for it. Lots of people do get all kinds of financial help from their parents, whether it's paying for big elaborate weddings, or help in buying their first house etc, it's hardly an unusual thing. I guess you always have the option of going part time in the future if you decide it's really unbearable to be supported by parents, but hopefully it will all go well for you!

It's definitely worth asking - maybe email the program administrator/leader before you apply formally, or just apply but make it clear in your cover letter or personal statement why they should consider you; lots of places are willing to be flexible about someone not quite meeting the academic requirements if they are a good applicant in other ways, e.g. relevant work experience. If you were close to a 2:1 or you got 2:1 or first marks in your project/dissertation, then you could emphasise that as well. I think it will definitely help that you're able to self-fund, as Master's funding is very limited and competitive.

Good luck with your applications!

er - sorry for the super-long rant, please feel free to ignore :(

I haven't started my PhD yet, so there's no saying how my views will change once I do. But right now my feelings about it are similar to what keep_calm says. I'm going to quit a 'good', well paid job in finance to do research, which plenty of people think is a crazy thing to do, but the main reason is that I want to have a more interesting life than slogging away day after day in an office helping make more money for people who have far too much already. I want to feel I'm doing something useful, so the idea of 'contributing to the body of human knowledge' resonates with me too, and as my PhD research will have potential medical/pharmaceutical applications, I can aspire to do some good in that area too. I'm also excited about doing it because I love the subject (always have done, as long as I can remember), whereas finance bores me to tears, and I only really took the job because I felt it was expected that I'd grab the highest-paid and most prestigious position I could. Whereas I should have chosen the path that interested me most and would make me happy.

I know I might not get (or even want by that time!) a permanent research post in academia. In that case I'll do something else. I think the PhD is useful research in its own right, so worth doing anyway, plus I really want to do it!

I have also never come across these mythical 9-5 jobs where you can go home and forget about work after your hours are done. It's not like that. In my industry at least we all opt out of the working-time regulations (it's just expected) so there's no concept of overtime pay or time in lieu, and I don't think I've ever left at 5pm - it's rarely before 7, has been as late as 2am on one memorable occasion, and on the frequent occasions when I leave at around 8pm, there are still plenty of people working and showing no sign of going home. I'm quite often in at weekends too, and this is normal and expected. You don't go home and forget about work either, it's always on my mind, and since the business is global, it's not unusual to get a call from someone in New York or Tokyo/Hong Kong at some unreasonable hour, and have to log on remotely to help with something. I've lost pretty much all my friends because when I'm not at work I'm too exhausted and stressed and upset to be sociable and just want to crawl into bed and have a cry and be left alone. My relationship with my partner has been hit badly too. Also the job security is awful, and promotions and opportunities are incredibly competitive and difficult to get, especially if you don't like playing the corporate politics games. So I feel that if I'm going to be working these hours anyway, I'd rather it was doing something I care about and consider important, because at the moment it feels like just endless drudgery for no purpose at all, and I hate myself for wasting the best years of my life like this instead of making the most of them. Having a 'real job' is not all that.

Search this forum for 'interview' and you should find lots of threads on the subject :)

My advice to add - make sure you can talk confidently about any research or project work you've done, i.e. your final-year undergrad project, or a master's project if you've done one, it's common to be asked to describe this.

Also, be positive and enthusiastic. I got rejected for a PhD place earlier in the year and when I asked for feedback was told I was a good applicant and it was a close decision, but in the end they gave it to the other person because they displayed more enthusiasm for the project and the subject in general. I was a bit annoyed at the time, because I'm quite a reserved and quiet person and don't tend to get all bubbly and excited outwardly, it doesn't mean I'm not interested and committed. But I can see their point, enthusiasm makes a good impression.

I agree it shouldn't be a problem. I did a similar thing myself (and did get an offer from one of the applications), with so much competition for funding, most people will be applying for any available opportunities related to their area of interest, supervisors will understand this.

Anyway, if the 2 PhDs are not in exactly the same department/research group, it's entirely possible no one will even notice you've applied twice :)

I would say Exeter has the better reputation overall, and might give you more of an edge with applying to a bank (I know they tend to focus their recruitment effort on the top few UK universities, which is not to say it's impossible to get in if you go to one of the others, but you might have to make a bit more effort :))

I guess you should also consider what suits you best, i.e. which town would you prefer to live in, which course has the more interesting/relevant content for you.

Most of my applications required all references and documents before they'd even consider them. However one just asked for a cv/cover letter, and it was only after the interview that they asked me to submit a formal university application form, with references, transcripts etc. That was also the one where I finally got an offer :) so I wouldn't see it as a worrying thing. Good luck!