Overview of Mackem_Beefy
Recent Posts
How much celebration for submitting?
Hmm ... since the story ends at the turnstiles, can we assume that you ended up celebrating the viva result rather than the Sunderland one? ;-)
A Sunderland win would have finished the day off nicely.
But no!!! I finished the day being denied three sraightforward points by a referee by the name of Mark Prosser. He sent one of our players off and we played most of the game with 10 men. We had to settle for a 3-3 draw so that was foremost in my mind, so much so I had a rant on one of teh radio phone in programmes the following day. We got promted at the end of the season, so it was only one game.
That said, mind back on job a couple of days later and minor corrections sorted out within seven days.
After quite a difficult write-up, the whole viva day was weird. I was told to prepare thoroughly for the viva, with me needing to know what I was reasonably expected to know (not just contents of thesis, but supporting theory and science, and I was also told I had to be thorough on characterisation techniques used during my PhD) and I needed the two and half months to cover the background theory he pointed me at.
In the end I was wound up like a spring come the viva, however, the nature of questioning indicated after 20 minutes I was through. It still didn't stop the whole viva stretching out for a good four hours as the external was genuinely interested in the project and she wanted to have a good chat about it.
There were other weird things happen durign the viva, but those I'll leave out this time round.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Car insurance and field trips
======= Date Modified 20 Jun 2012 16:27:01 =======
Different places (employment and academia) have different rules as to use of a personal vehicle for works or business use.
Where I work currently, you are not allowed to use a personal vehicle for business use. Another vehicle is hired in for you to use whilst you are on works business. Other places are different and it also may be your personal policy might not cover you for your field trips.
You may wish to check with your registrar or finance office to see what the situation is and whether the Uni. might have to cover you with their insurance somehow (even possibly hire a vehicle for you for an extended field trip).
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
How much celebration for submitting?
======= Date Modified 20 Jun 2012 16:28:22 =======
I submitted just before Christmas. However, I decided not to celebrate until after viva, which was 2.5 months away when it finally happened. And yes, the lead up to viva was a no man's land.
The plan was to basically get alcoholically hammered if I passed with no more than minor corrections. However, my immediate colleagues were away on the day of the viva (conference in Poland plus other leave) so that didn't materialise. However, I know how football obsessed I can be and there was a Sunderland home match (season ticket holder) on the evening of the viva (so the piss up wouldn't have happened on the same day anyway). As I said elsewhere on here, I'd just emerged from a side room where I'd got out of my suit and into my jeans and Sunderland replica top literally minutes after my viva, just to bump into my supervisor and external examiner who were having an unrelated meeting.
My external scratched her head. "He's a Sunderland supporter." responds my supervisor. "Sorry, I've a match to get to, I have to go." I replied. Her eyes just went skyward.
I'll add a coat covered up my Sunderland top as I headed THROUGH THE STREETS OF NEWCASTLE to get the Metro to Sunderland and the match.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Please someone say something..anything to help me
======= Date Modified 20 Jun 2012 15:25:46 =======
I've had my say and will leave it at that. Heidi, best of luck to you if you're reading this. (up)
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Is it worth it?
Hi Ian,
I was offered the place for Bioinformatics at Edinburgh University. Postgrads used to get funding for Masters in Scotland through SAAS that you didn't have to pay back. From this year they have changed this to a loan and have reduced the amount so it only covered about 70% of the fees.
I've applied to Imperial and I got an interview but the experience was dreadful and I'm glad I wasn't offered a place because I would have turned it down.
I've applied to a couple of others but I'm still waiting to hear, as some of them make their decisions in July.
At the moment, Edinburgh is my only choice.
Okay, fair enough and I guess some financial help is better than none at all. I didn't realise funding arranegements had changed for Masters north of the border in the way you describe. You live and learn I guess.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Looking for a PHD Topic
Hello everyone,
In fact i am considering doing my PHD in Marketing, and have been really confused and unfocused regarding the
choice of my Thesis Topic! I know it sounds stupid, but i am just not able to figure it out! I don't know how to proceed,
nor which direction to take, and don't want to lose this urge just because of such a small dilemma, which i find unsolvable.
From your own experiences, can anyone tell what to do?
1-Is it possible to contact a professional person in the field to help me out? If yes , pls explain to me.
2-Can we usually contact university staff to decide together on the Topic, before proceeding on filling in the PHD application? Will they be ready to help me?
3-Is there any Online Thesis Topic Services that can guide me to decide on narrowing down my Marketing topic?
I really appreciate your input since anything might help me.
Why don't you use:
http://www.findaphd.com/
in the UK and see if there's anything that takes your fancy? Check also to see if funding is available.
As regards books on PhDs and how to approach them, try "The Ph.D. Pack Version 3" (probably even version 4 or 5 now :-) ), consisting of "How to Get a PhD", "How to Write a Thesis" and "How to Survive Your Viva".
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
PhD Student Unemployed with Criminal Record
What does the law say in your state about how long after a crime is committed, the conviction is spent?
If you've a few misdemeanors because you did a few stupid things when you were young or perhaps you got into a fight when you were drunk, these convictions may be 'spent' if really minor and you may no longer have to mention them.
A conviction is considered spent a certain time period after your conviction in UK law, this dependent upon the offence.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Please someone say something..anything to help me
======= Date Modified 20 Jun 2012 15:40:44 =======
Reenie,
What you say is fair enough. I got a little angry because I feel that a genuine poster might have been frightened off.
I've no problems with wind ups as such and I can be as bad as anyone. The less said about a lad with a spider phobia (albeit with a sense of humour) a long time back, the better. That said, I was a lot younger then.
However, there is a time and place for wind ups and banter. Heidi and the state she was in was not the person, time or place. That girl has been through hell. I wasn't suggesting permanent ban as I admit that would be over the top, just say a week's cooling off period.
A possible solution might be to delete a few of the more recent posts from this thread to restore the original integrity.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Please someone say something..anything to help me
It's noticeable that Heidi has gone quiet since LarryDavid's post. :-(
Any mods on here have the power to ban him for a period, as he could have frightened off someone who needs this place's support?
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Discussion on Linkedin about PhDs on CVs / Resumes.
I would imagine that one way forward is trying to tailor the skills gained in a PhD to the employer's need rather than trying to hide the PhD. For a purely hypothetical example, if I had a PhD in Nuclear Physics and wanted to apply for a job as a regional manager for a small firm, my strategy would be to only mention that I gained a PhD, what University it was from, and what year. I wouldn't list the title or subject on the CV, perhaps not even the department, and underneath would create a heading along the lines of "relevant skills: time management, self-motivation, coordination of large project, working to deadlines, public speaking, and database maintenance." I would just keep it very brief and vague, and concentrate elsewhere on what else I could bring to the business.
I definitely wouldn't mention anything along the lines of, "'Nature paper, 2011,' 'Einstein Prize for Best Postgraduate Presentation,' 'Time Magazine Young Researcher of the Year Award,' '£100,000 business development grant, AWE'"
Of course, this example is silly, but you get the idea. There are ways of massively dumbing down a CV without lying or pretending that the last three years haven't happened. I would feel heartbroken if I were in a situation where I had to lie about, or even apologise for, my PhD. I hope I can always be in a position where I can take even 1% of it and justify why it gives me an edge to any employer, even in casual work, and simply ignore the 99% that makes me sound scary and overqualified.
Also, when companies turn you down for being overqualified, what do they really mean? Does anyone know? Do they think that a PhD makes someone too independent, too much of a risk, too likely to demand more money or promotion? Or are they afraid that an employee will be bored in the work, or be seen as a threat by other employees or even managers? Perhaps understanding what employers are afraid of, as well as what they want, might make it easier to tailor that CV to their needs?
Good post Asofii. Especially so in an era of online traceability, hiding is now next to impossible (the main point of my opening post).
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Thinking of Quiting my PhD
You've obviously decided and fair enough. If you're not happy, then move on and put the whole sorry experience behind you. However, to echo others, ensure you have a job before leaving.
That said, in the future don't write off the possibility of returning to do a PhD if it was truely your dream. It's amazing the difference a good supervisor and an interesting topic can make to the PhD experience. It sounds to me you've hit unlucky. I had a generally good PhD experience with good supervision, plus a good first post-doc at my PhD university.
However, I saw the other side of the coin during a second post-doc at a different University and a supervisor plus mentor with zero man mangement abilities, which made my year with them really miserable. Such a situation can knock the stuffing out of even the most motivated of PhD candidates.
Don't discount the possibility of coming back in a few years, however, make sure the project and supervisor are right for you if you do.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Is it worth it?
======= Date Modified 16 Jun 2012 10:11:37 =======
Hi,
i';ve been offered a place for a Masters in Bioinformatics with a very good university and the possibility for PhD after. But here are the issues...
1) I';ll have to move to the other side of country. Apart from the cost it doesn';t bother me.
2) Unfortunately I didn';t get the scholarship I applied for but I have the option of a student loan to cover 70% of the fees. I still have to pay £2,000 from my pocket for fees (which I don';t particularly have laying around + moving/living expenses).
3) I know it might be silly but I';m 31 in a few months. I';m thinking that if I go down this rabbit hole I';ll be 35-36 before I finish my PhD. I';ve been told that bioinformatics have good job prospects so there might be light at the end of the tunnel.
The alternative will be to find a decent job in London and move on with my life.
So... is it worth it??
thanks,
Dora
Two comments to your message:
1) You're never too old to do a PhD. I started at 30.
2) Are there any alternative projects out there with proper funding that don't rely on student loans? That's a very unusual funding arrangement you have there and not one I've heard of before.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Please someone say something..anything to help me
Heidi,
From your PMs at the beginning of your crisis and knowing a little more, I know your being truthful and the gentleman causing you the problems should be ashamed of himself.
This place has given you tons of support and helped you through a very difficult time during which you've been highly isolated. Stay strong, you're nearly there. And keep talking as through your messages, you are helping others.
Trying to look after a baby and complete a PhD whilst putting up with a nasty divorce is bound to be emotionally taxing. Ignore the trolls and others who doubt you. There are others here includng myself who are right with you. Right now, you still need us.
Chin up lass, you're almost through it.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
SOS Conclusions??? PhD....Help Please
Heidi,
If you're stuck on said Island without access to supervisors, how are you getting your scrpits proofed by them and how are you obtaining general advice from them?
I know you're probably e-mailing them and and engaged in phone contact, however, during write-up I found face-to-face contact absolutely crucial in understanding what was required as regards writing styles, content and viva preparation.
Just curious and in my own way trying to be helpful.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Discussion on Linkedin about PhDs on CVs / Resumes.
======= Date Modified 15 Jun 2012 08:21:07 =======
Hi again folks,
As I said a while back, I've been making an effort to reduce my activity online not just here, but elsewhere. Note with the below post, I'm not looking for advice or help, just looking to create a discussion. PhD and job hunting for me were some time ago, however, job hunting will be something we will all face at some point after PhD.
There's been this discussion been going on in Linkedin for quite some time that may be of interest to posters on this forum on the subject of whether or not to remove your PhD from your CV or Resume to find work.
http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=1844342&type=member&item=64348845&qid=7b9e7ead-a7e8-487f-8084-190313e34839&trk=group_most_popular-0-b-ttl&goback=.gmp_1844342
I'll comment that in the past I have suggested people remove their PhD for lower grade jobs, simply so they're not on the dole. However, this mainly American audience see this dishonest and in some cases have actually called it fraud. There's a theme of they've worked hard for it and if they have to remove it to obtain a job, it's not a job worth applying for or that they want, even if it means waiting longer for a job. It appears also that American employers see things the same way and they would consider removal as dishonesty.
There's also been instances of the opposite been suggested, such as by the INEM (Spanish National Agency for Unemployed People???) who have advised people to remove them to find work.
http://myresearchrants.wordpress.com/2011/03/17/hiding-your-phd-to-find-a-job/
Recently, a poster on here was told by UK Job Centre staff to remove 'Dr.' from his CV.
I myself have encountered a situation where hiding a PhD was understood by some interviewers as a perceived necessity to finding employment and have been advised to have a dumbed down CV without the PhD (disguised as a 'Research Associate' or 'Research Assistant' post) simply to get myself off the dole a few years ago.
However, with PhDs now increasingly being listed on electronic University repositories and on the likes of Ethos (even if you say you don't want it on, a record of it is still made in the searchable Ethos database), is hiding it now really possible? Is still including it, but putting it further down the CV and concentrating on skills the way to go?
Note here that the situation I'm discussing is simply getting off benefits into a job, whilst possibly using a full CV with PhD to look for something we want to do. Or perhaps academia is not for you and in your chosen career, a PhD is turning into a hinderance rather than a help (i.e. overqualified).
I open the discussion to the forum!!!
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
