Overview of sciencephd on PostgraduateForum.com

Overview of sciencephd

Signup date: 14 Jun 2019 at 11:07pm

Last login: 09 Jan 2022 at 6:07pm

Post count: 75

Recent Posts

Have you been back to the lab and are you working in shifts?

sciencephd 75 posts
4 years ago

Quote From Tapa:
Hi, we have been working in half-day shifts since the end of April. It will work if you plan your experiments carefully. But indeed, for some experiments, it is not possible.
After 2 months working in a stressful situation, I realize that I like that. Because I actually have the other half-day to stay at home and do whatever I want. I also don't want to stay 10-12hrs /day in the lab.
Something worse is that you don't have time to prepare stuffs such as pipette tips, media,...

Since late April??? Which university or which area are you in? Back in April the infection rate was still high

Have you been back to the lab and are you working in shifts?

sciencephd 75 posts
4 years ago

Quote From Nead:
I get to go back to the lab next week. We are being given half-day slots with a max of 20% of people allowed in the lab. We can have 4/ 5 people at once. We have been told the reason for half days, is our kitchen facilities and lunchroom will be closed, alongside offices- therefore by giving a half-day no one should be taking a lunch break for food and should not need to use their office.
Were trying to arrange that people work on a like-minded project will work sperate shifts so that if sampling etc needs later in the day, someone else can do it.

Maybe you're also expected not to use the toilets

Have you been back to the lab and are you working in shifts?

sciencephd 75 posts
4 years ago

Quote From rewt:

I am somewhere worse, I am in a university with an occupational health department. Our reopening plan is being written by a couple of academics and it is completely divorced from reality. University management at its finest.

Nowadays almost every uni has an occupational health team. Reopening plan in my School is also written by a few academics and they didn't ask for our opinions. We PhD students are the main work force, yet they don't want our opinions. Even though I complained and provided them with my thoughts, they didn't listen. This is academia. Pathetic.

Have you been back to the lab and are you working in shifts?

sciencephd 75 posts
4 years ago

Quote From rewt:
We are not even allowed in the labs yet :(

I can understand half a day is not enough for a lot of experiments but coming in every other day is still draconian. As one of my experiments requires me to come in every day (including weekends) to do 1 hour of measurements and working every other day would kill it. There should be some flexibility as everyone's experiments are different and not a one size fits all.

Are you in Scotland? It seems that Scotland doesn't want researchers to go back to the lab so soon, but England is ready.
Yeah I think the School should allow more flexibility and listen to every lab's needs.

Have you been back to the lab and are you working in shifts?

sciencephd 75 posts
4 years ago

My School allows all the PhD students/postdocs to be back to the labs, but we need to work in shifts. I work one day every two days. But now the School is planning on making everyone work in half-day shifts. I think that's rather stupid. We can't finish an experiment in half a day! I hope the School will listen to our opinion rather than go ahead with this stupid idea.

My supervisor first student failed😢

sciencephd 75 posts
4 years ago

Never expect the uni to help you when you are in disagreement with your supervisor!
I've seen so many cases! Whenever the student has a conflict with the supervisor, the uni always protects the supervisor but never listens to the student! Even when the supervisor is an arsehole! Even when the uni gets lots of tuition fee from the student!
You can try and raise the problem to the department or the Faculty, but the result will probably the same - they just blindly side with your supervisor and provide you with no support.
If you can, you'd better ask someone in your research area for some advice. If you can't do that, please believe in yourself.

Self-funded PhD this year or possible funded PhD next year?

sciencephd 75 posts
4 years ago

Quote From cucaracha:

Quote From sciencephd:
I've never seen any self-funded PhD student get funding from the 2nd year of study, so I don't know if they exist.
I'm against doing a self-funded PhD. When doing a PhD, you're a tool used by your supervisor to achieve their research goals - usually they don't care about your development as a researcher or your future. Even if you're paying, your supervisor still sees you as their tool, so why pay to be used? It's only your loss. Also, if you're paying, you tend to look for part-time jobs, which consume lots of time and you'll finish your PhD later than you planned.

Hi sciencephd, can you elaborate on how supervisors use PhD students as a tool to achieve their research goals? Are students expected to do some of the supervisor's work in some unis/subjects?

When your interests don't align with your supervisor's, they will make you obey and work on the project they're interested in rather than the one you're interested in. When you want to get some experiences, such as internships, trainings, etc, if those things have nothing to do with the project your supervisor's interested in, they won't allow you to go ahead. Most old male PIs are like that. There are some good PIs, but it takes very good luck to meet them.

What problems/conflicts do you have with other PhD students that you can't tell your supervisor?

sciencephd 75 posts
4 years ago

If their behaviours affect your experiments, then you definitely need to tell your supervisor. Maybe you can come up with 'guidelines for the lab' and show it to your supervisor and ask your supervisor to send it to the whole lab.

With no publications or awards, how can I make my CV look better?

sciencephd 75 posts
4 years ago

Quote From Tudor_Queen:
Some other things I thought of that could make your CV stand out / improve it - you could put links to preprints of any papers that are more or less ready to be submitted. Then they can at least read them. Or you could preregister any studies you haven't yet finished analysing or writing up and put them as sort of protocols on osf (it's free and respected / widely used) . These can go in a publication list.

Earlier you mentioned about assistant jobs only requiring a bsc or masters - that's OK, you can still apply, especially if you haven't yet been awarded the PhD. Many people do this.

I'll post if anything else comes to mind!

Oh thank you I didn't know osf at all. Our group has never used osf. I'll think about taking advantage of that.

With no publications or awards, how can I make my CV look better?

sciencephd 75 posts
4 years ago

Quote From Tudor_Queen:
Hmm, I don't agree. If you get an award you put it on your CV under the award section as far as I'm concerned. They show that you have award winning skills in dissemination, teaching, etc. If they become dated or your career progresses so that you are now at another level and have better things to showcase than the awards, you can remove them. I really don't get the argument for not putting them on - especially if they are prestigious. Perhaps it depends on the department / research area. In mine they are a valuable asset to have on your CV - sort of like getting a distinction.

In my field people also put talk/poster prizes on their CV. That's why I'm so worried. If my group mates are applying for the same position as I do, the PI will see that all of them have got at least one prize except me - will the PI just delete my application when s/he sees that? Makes me so nervous...I don't know how I can stand out from my rivals.

With no publications or awards, how can I make my CV look better?

sciencephd 75 posts
4 years ago

Quote From Nead:

I have a few awards from conferences and there not of my CV. My PI of my PhD very kindly reviewed my CV for me for postdocs position, and told me to take them off- its braggy and not essential like what rewt said.

So when you were interviewed, did PIs ask you about awards?

With no publications or awards, how can I make my CV look better?

sciencephd 75 posts
4 years ago

Quote From rewt:
Do awards matter at all? Like seriously what does getting a presentation or poster award say about your research skills, other than you can give a good presentation? Universities want to post-docs to primarily do research and your ability to present has no bearing on that. Yes it is nice but not critical.

Academics want post-docs that could do good research independently. I agree with the other posts that you can tailor your CV for better chances. Generally PIs look for postdocs with skills that they or their group lack but need. So consider what unique skill(s) or experience that you have that would add significant value to the post doc.

Also, have you talked with your supervisor about post-docs? If the PI knows your supervisor you may have a better chance of getting the post-doc or at least an interview based of your supervisor. Maybe hint to them to reach out and inquire on your behalf.

I know what you mean, but I've got to know some PIs who are looking for good presenters. One of the former PhD students in my lab was a good presenter and got several talk/poster prizes at a variety of conferences during her PhD. Her research work doesn't stand out though. But she got lots of attention from PIs in this field with her outstanding presentation skills. She's already a lecturer now. She spent two years to do a postdoc in Germany and she didn't have any impressive research work during her postdoc either. But a PI impressed with her presentation invited her to take a lectureship and give her very good lab equipment right after she finished her two years postdoc.

I told my PI I want to do a postdoc after my PhD, he didn't say anything. So I'm not sure if he's gonna help.

With no publications or awards, how can I make my CV look better?

sciencephd 75 posts
4 years ago

Quote From Tudor_Queen:
Yes, and I'd add any teaching and talks and posters too. Also don't forget to consider applying for research assistant posts too. There's no harm in that. Also, make your personal statement / cover letter absolutely stellar by clearly demonstrating how you meet the job criteria. You could also mention your planned publications here too, if relevant.

I agree that I need to add teaching experiences to my CV. But I'm not sure if PIs care about that. PIs are looking for good researchers not good teachers after all.
In my field I can hardly see any lab hire a PhD graduate as a research assistant. I can see very few ads for research assistants, and even when I saw some, they're always looking for BSc or MSc graduates, not for PhDs.
I think it's a good idea to mention my future publications in the cover letter. But I'm afraid PIs wouldn't be bothered to read my cover letter if they see I have no 'publication list'. I can just hope them to be patient enough to read my cover letter.

With no publications or awards, how can I make my CV look better?

sciencephd 75 posts
4 years ago

Quote From Nead:
On to your CV. I wouldn't put the paper down until they're at least under review somewhere. Having co-authored papers is better than nothing- for these of your CV, I would highlight the contribution you made to each. If you have attended conferences, maybe highlight that. I would add a small description of your projects, and give the skills/techniques you have learnt. Remember you will have to change your CV and cover letter to each job application.
In terms of anything you can do .. can you get a paper out as 1st author? Depending on your area of study will depend if they what you to have a paper published before you postdoc, I know my PI doesn't take any postdocs who haven't pubhlied at least once (Be it as a 1st or co-author). Check and see what skills you have and what you may need for the postdocs you're interested in. Can you do some outreach activities that might look good on your CV?
Hopefully that might be of use

OK...It seems that I can't give them a 'publication list' right now. I do hope the three co-authored papers can be finished soon, but it seems that the first authors are writing slowly...

With most of my data being inserted into other people's papers, I can't have a 1st authored paper out of my PhD. The rest data can't form a whole story on its own.

So I may need to urge them to write papers faster so I can get a co-authored paper out before I can apply for any positions....*Sigh* This is torture. I don't want my fate to be dependent on other people, but my PI arranges so.

Do outreach activities really help? They can't prove that you're a good researcher...

With no publications or awards, how can I make my CV look better?

sciencephd 75 posts
4 years ago

Quote From Nead:
A lot of PI (and uni rules) need you to have your viva done to offer a position, or show that you have submitted, and will be completed in 6 months. Check the rules out of where you applied to.

Please don't worry about that. In my group former members got their postdoc positions before they submitted their thesis, so this is not a problem for me. I'd rather do more work than starve.