as long as you have the skills for the job - post docs are more about what you can do - although I do know some who have taken on entirely different fields

I too am due to submit next week, and would have prefered to have better results. It has taken months of long hours and self doubt to get them into a decent story - but hopefully its all defendable now!

At the end of the day you can still pass on negative results - what can you do - you've got what you've got - it'll all be over soon

Its difficult without knowing what your precise problem is - but I would think that as long as you can say - well okay it didn't work this way - but if time and money permitted etc I would have done this - Its not doubt harder to defend bad results than it is with a million peer reviewed journals but you gotta go with what you got.

Its always easy to look back and say 'if I knew what I knew now it would all be different'

Hope you feel better - stick in there - almost done

Oh! and EVERY paper you ever print off goes straight into your ref manager e.g. Endnote- straight away, its much easier to do as you go

Also I'd say that sometimes Endnote is easier for searching journals, than PubMed (for science) - because its more specific to the keywords you have put in (my personal pref anyway)

as far as taking notes I go for the highlighting sections on paper journals but also writing in the margins for quick ref when I go back to the paper (lots of yellow doesn't mean anything)

Then I'll write down the key points I want from the paper and insert the reference (from endnote) after it

If at any point I feel its a little close to plagarism - i.e. copying a scentence word for word - I highlight it (on the word doc in green) that lets me know it needs re-worded.

Once you've got all the facts in you document you can go back and make a story out of them

Its often helpful to start of with the most recent review of the subject area, because they should have most journals ref'd and in good story form

S

yea like a carry on film

you've only got 2 years 9 months to put up with them - or less if their contracts are up first - by which time you can form your own clique that doesn't ostracise newcomers

I got that too about a week agao - had been soo stressed and then it went all calm after I submitted a chapter - stressed today though - was given a week to write my main intro!

But we can do it - I'll get the coffee on

When will you expect to be getting vivad? I think mines going to be about 2 weeks after submission

Congrats on the paper Jojo

Clowning - I've got 10 days till submission too - with a world of work still to go - Ahhhh!

I think the 55 min viva is usually because they have read the thesis and generally think that it is well written and points well considered so they just generally check background knowledge and let you on your way
I've heard of quite a few of these now ranging from the 1-2 hours and only actually know of one over 4 hours

is your supervisor refusing to keep up his commitment with you? if not and you are independant enough you could keep them as a supervisor (distant) and appoint a second supervisor in your department to ensure your day to day work?

Its happened to a few folk in our uni and they tend to stay with us, but work periodically with their supervisor at their new place.

As for is there a difference in a non red-brick or not - I think that dead horse has been well and truely flogged on this forum - I don't think It'll make a difference if you applying to someone in your specialism and you have unique qualities that they want.

It is however a whole different ball game if you are just applying to any old semi-relevant Post doc job - then it may be based on publications, school etc

As for 'Why move to the US' - I see it as a perk of the Job, the ability to take your qualification and work anywhere in the world, provided you speak the language (probably)- Although I would say that the money probably isn't better in the States in my experience

for me its just a process

Its hard, its tiring, its boring, you become isolated but at the end of the day you have to do it

As you are writing chapters you feel you'll never reach the end of them- but eventually they get done -

I keep expecting to feel a great sense of achievement with every finished chapter - it doesn't happen (for me) because I'm straight on to the next one, or correct the last one etc

I really think its just something you've got to sit down and do, and I think you just have to accept that at some stage in the future there will be a point when its finished

I don't have first hand experience, but a friend went out there to do a post doc.

He pretty much said that they are expected to work very long hours

Although I will say his work ethic wasn't always the best previously so that may be something to do with it

But he did say they routinely work 12 hour days and work till late at night - but still possibly should take this with a pinch of salt

hope this helps- its probably not what you want to hear, another thing to consider is that a lot of people talk about working these hours but very few do -personally i think its a case of 'mines bigger than yours'

but if you've been told you'll work these hours, then you should accept the job expecting to do so

see this post, should answer most of your questions

http://www.findaphd.com/students/showmessage.asp?thread=9061&cat=4&threadpage=2&newview=1

as far as the visas, your employer will sort this out
you have a choice between the more common J1 visa or the H1-B visa
The H1-B is kind of just below an immigratory viasa and is more expensive

It takes approximately 4-6 weeks for the J1 visas, possibly a bit longer for the H1 visa

If an employer employs you knowing you are from the UK, they will be aware that visas take a little time

Any more questions, let me know - am just in the process of finishing and moving out for June

Good luck

S

lol!