well this thread amused me. Here's me coming to the end of my PhD, feeling like my c.v doesn't look good enough to get me a teaching assistant post and feeling quite glum about it.

I hope the poster doesn't read my response because I'm not trying to belittle her. But in fairness, coming on a postgraduate forum and saying I think I'm better than you mugs slaving away at PhD, I'm actually probably a superstar really, even though I have nothing that would prove this by the way of work experience or actual qualifications, but i do have a MSc a pair of rose tinted glasses and no concept of how obnoxious , irritating and dumb I'm being. Oh and I also have answer for everything. So i would like to science please.

That being said I know some people with professional qualifications (nurses/doctors) who started out teaching clinical skills and then progressed by teaching and doing a phd at the same time to tenured posts. They all did do PhDs though.

anyway this thread amused me. I am interested in keeping it going. Kind of makes me feel like maybe I have a chance in academia (if I ever finish the write up!!!). needed that today, as I was mulling over my not so stellar cv.

Thanks for you post. I'm finishing up a PhD and looking into the job market so your post and replies were very helpful. All great advice from previous posters. I do think it does seems to be a lot about networking and meeting the right person at the right time. Your supervisor or work colleague recommending your to a friend ect.

But I just had to wonder if you are not even getting an interview, seems like there could be something a miss with your materials. I would advise getting senior academic you trust to look at them and advise you and also maybe someone at the career services at your university.

Congratulations on the teaching post jobs!! For the immediate future I would be thrilled with that (despite obvious cons). Does seem like you really need a research post though moving forward.

I wish you best of luck, I wouldn't give up just yet, if its your dream, But I would give myself a timeline and look at alt careers. There is definitely life outside academia.

Thank you MusCog-- I thought I had tried that.. sorry
thanks again!!

Can anyone help me access this article?

Much appreciated if you can, thanks

Paranoid Delusions in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders and Depression: The Transdiagnostic Role of Expectations of Negative Events and Negative Self-esteem.
Author(s):
Bentall, Richard;Rouse, Georgina;Kinderman, Peter;Blackwood, Nigel;Howard, Rob;Moore, Rosie;Cummins, Sinead;Corcoran, Rhiannon
Source Title:
Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease

there's an argument to be made for either option. But from personal experience, if I actually take a good guilt free break, I'm twice as productive and motivated when I come back. This year I went to Algarve for 6 days and my phone broke the day before Ieft. No email/ no twitter and I didn't look at a book. It was a total change of scene and I was busy, so I actually surprised myself, by not thinking about my phd at all some days. It was a nice holiday, in a nice location, but it wasn't steller as holidays go; I got sick for a day or two/ my sister got sick. it was a bit too hot ect..... even still it did me the world of good. Really put things in perspective and I came back so much more motivated and have increased my output and quality of work.

I'm under pressure to finish up. But I'm taking a week off for Xmas,and I'm turning off my phone and not going near my laptop... I know for me, Ill work twice as well when I come back.

Personally I think since you have already put in 5.5 years, you should , if you can at all, finish.

Is it possible to work with your supervisor to come up with a plan to finish. Results don't have to be groundbreaking or even publishable . Your research just needs to be be theoretically and methodologically sound. Can you build on what you have and tie up some up lose ends with your current research, so as it across as , you understood the theory and had a good rationale for doing what you did. And then that you proceeded in fairly logical fashion, and conducted your research in methodologically sound fashion. It's okay if you made an odd mistake here and there, as long as you learned from it and used that knowledge, to go further.

So basically, good rationale (understanding of theory, finding gap in knowledge where you could contribute) and then methodologically sound and progressing research, even if results are all non significant.

If you could come up with a plan that would give you that and see you finish in a year or 18 months, I think it would be well worth it.

If finances are an issue, is there any way your ex could bear brunt of childcare costs, until finish up and then when you get a job you make it up. If there's any way she could help you out in this way it would benefit you both and your child in the long run.

I don't see a point in an MSc/MRes as I want to do a PhD for my own personal interests rather than for status/career goals,

I think you misunderstood me. I wasn't advising pursuing a Msc for status but rather to improve your chances of getting a good funded Phd. You seem to have made up your mind about that though, so I suppose there's nothing to be lost from applying seeing what comes from it. The fact you have publications especially first authors, should really work in your favour as it proves you can do quality research. Your long history of work experience as tech proves dedication to the field and that you have technical skills. Its definitely worth a shot. But don't take any offer you get, just because its an offer... make sure its funded and that you will have opportunity to work independently and pursue what interests you.

You say you don't want to pursue a post doc, and I can understand that. But you may find you enjoy research, not just technical aspects and want to do independent research (ie work as academic/ Pi in industry) and you may decide that a few years of insecurity as post doc are necessary evil to achieve that aim.

So my advice don't rule out options of using your Phd to further your employment prospects, by choosing a poor phd in a crap lab . If your going to put in the 4 years, you might as well get everything you can from it. and to me from the sounds it (your work experience/ published papers) you could do very well in Phd programme.

Also even just from the point of view of enjoying the Phd, poorly funded departments and labs can make doing research extremely difficult and set up roadblocks. Also it seems in sciences some people take on phds merely to do grunt work for their own projects.-some people are very happy with this arrangement. But from your posts I don't think this is what you want.

I'm not in your field, and every field is definitely different, but I don't think age will matter - why should it? you are likely more stable and have great work experience.If I were hiring I would prefer older person with experience on the job. All I can say in my field age isn't a factor and I know lots of older 30's and 40's doing Phd's and doing quite well.

In my field, however a 2.2 would pose a challenge, particularly when it comes to getting funding. Your experience, and the evidence of promotions in your job will work in your favour, and counteract that somewhat. Although if you don't have references to back that up, this is another challenge (as you are aware). But as another poster said, you don't know the first guy won't give you a good reference.

You say doing a masters isn't an option now, but personally I feel its your best option to get a Phd (one with funding and in a good lab, in an area you want (all so important factors).

You would sail through a Msc with your research experience and if you put the work in could get a 1.1. this changes he game for you so significantly- a 2.2 degree earned when you were much younger but offset by years of experience and 1.1 Msc: you would be a very attractive candidate. I fear without Msc (with good grade) you will end getting unfunded phd, or in a crappy lab, or not quite in area you want. (that's what I have seen in my field).

If finances are issue, work for a year of two and save up, it will be worth it. you could perhaps do it part time, while working.

I have heard that neuroscience is over populated with Phds, so bear that in mind. Job security is crap is seems for phds in any filed.

this seems like cheating to me. It is supposed to be independent unique research contribution. While it is not assumed you know everything, and it is supposed to be a learning process, you are supposed to do the work yourself . It's okay to be weak in an area, but as an independent scholar at Phd level, it is up to to you to take classes or courses to learn knowledge or skills necessary to do the work. As I said you are a trainee, so asking supervisors for input, guidance, feedback and direction is fine, in fact actively encouraged, but it is another leap altogether to pay someone to do part of the work. I understand maybe you don't have confidence in your abilities, maybe you feel overwhelmed at thought of standards required for Phd, but from your post it sounds like you do know what you are doing. You just want to make sure your LR chapters are adequate and clearly show gap in knowledge and define research question. you know what you need to do, just do it. Get feedback from your supervisors and make sure it is up to standard. If its not, you take feedback on board and go back and work on it again. Personally as someone who feel's anxious about my thesis and my ability, I do understand wanting help. But also I strongly feel that what your asking for (as it seems to me) from your post, is grossly unethical and cheapens Phd's for everyone else.

thanks, got it !

Paranoid Explanations of Experience: A Novel Experimental Study
by Green, Catherine E. L; Freeman, Daniel; Kuipers, Elizabeth; More...
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 01/2011, Volume 39, Issue 1


Naturalistic Change in Nonclinical Paranoid Experiences
by Allen-Crooks, R; Ellett, L
BEHAVIOURAL AND COGNITIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY, 09/2014, Volume 42, Issue 5

my uni doesn't have access to this journal and I tried google scholar to no avail

Help greatly appreciated

Thanks

I understand people not understanding that you actually have to work despite not needing to be somewhere at 9 am on Monday morning. I get asked to do things that my 'working' siblings wouldn't be expected to do.

I say no sometimes, there was an example of it just this weekend. I don't think my Mum understood, I think she thought I was just being a bit selfish and uncaring... that's a bit frustrating, because in final year it does take a bit of a 'push' and i feel I have to prioritise my PHD or it won't be done in time/to the standard it needs to be.

That being said, I did spend two days helping my sister this week , as she really needed my help with something. So i think just being a decent human being doesn't have to go out the window. helping others , when they really need it, is good for us psychologically.

However I don't think i would tolerate a situation where I was being asked to do a inordinate amount of things ALL the time. I think it might be useful to sit down with family and explain to them your needs, and that you appreciate their support, but say your willing to contribute in small way to family, but there needs to boundaries on this 'help'.. and so maybe tell your sister you will babysit once a week, and tell your folks you will cook family dinner 2 nights a week and contribute to chores.

I feel its not really fair comparison for person who choose to have kid and gets to reap rewards of having said kid, to assume 'just because she did it with those responsibilities (that she chose), you should be general dogsbody to your family.it seems like they could just cut you slack any god forbid support you for these last few months

continued

If your supervisor can't be reasoned with and insists you leave, it seems to me that you have two options.

Make a complaint to head of department/dean of research/research coordinator on the grounds that you work and research are good enough, clearly , if someone else can else can pass with your work.

I don't even know if this is your best option. On the one hand it seems like you have nothing to lose... but on the other hand, you may gain very little from it... even they if they allow you to stay, your supervisor and department might resent that you forced their hand and you could have miserable stressful PHD time... and doing a phd is hard enough without being caught up in that sort of politics .

Another option is to go away and get a job as research assistant for a year and improve both skills and language while you apply for another PHD position and take what you have learned and have a better experience. I think, while its unjust in some ways, this to me seems like it might be best option.

But before you go down this (or either road) ask your self if your sure getting a PHD is necessary for your future happiness and well-being (both psychological and financial)

I think all of us get dead set on doing Phd and just can't be talked out of it no matter what the sacrifice. for me I loved my subject area and also I think on some level I had something to prove to myself. I'm nearly finished now, its been a mixture of good and bad, and hopefully I will get to end and pass the viva.
However , while I don't really regret doing a PHD, I sometimes wonder if it was worth it (the sacrifices ect) I am fully sure if I hadn't done a phd I would have found another fulfilling career, maybe with better employment prospects and less stress and maybe even a better quality of life.

Dear Moon1, I am a Phd student too, but I don't feel qualified to give advice. To be honest, I'm not sure how you should handle this situation... can you think of someone who is in academia who is not directly related to your project who you could ask for impartial advise or maybe help you with a strategy as to how to proceed?

I really just wanted to post a reply to say I think what has happened is awful and I wanted to offer my sympathies or empathies.

I personally think that if (and as pm123 said we can't judge) but if your English is not quite up to the standard required that you should be given the opportunity and resources to improve in this area. You are only in year 1 and would have time to work on it, if required. From your posts, while your English is not perfect , it is at a reasonable level, such that it would only take a little bit of work (writing classess/grammar classes) to bring it up to par.

this seems especially warranted given your work was good enough to give to someone else, who passed the viva. (really shocking that it was given without your permission, and that this other student gets to profit from your work, while you are told to leave).

Its a tricky one to manage, because we all know how powerful supervisors are and how insular academia is.

If it were me, I would first go my supervisor and give him the benefit of the doubt and the opportunity to do the right thing. I would show him how the areas they identified as weak, (maybe language or whatever else) and show how you have a plan to bring it up to standard. And tell him you want to continue to work on projects you have developed.

If that doesn't work out and he cant be reasoned with , I'm not sure how you should proceed.

..ill have to continue in second post due to word count

Thank you!