I propose we streamline the major issues of PhD life expressed on this forum by requesting all users to complete the following (delete as appropriate): -

I am feeling utterly lonely/miserable/incapable/stressed because my supervisor/colleague/family/partner/dog/cat/goldfish has moved away/died/been mean/expected too much and I want to quit/scream/hit them/find a job on a far away tropical island/transfer to an MRes.

That seems to pretty much cover everything we read here, agreed?

Hey that's good to hear. Keep it up until you forget about the whole thing completely

======= Date Modified 09 May 2009 14:01:33 =======
I'm far too humble for that. Hah! The point being that my CV isn't the problem, my supervisors are.

I'm just finishing my PhD in the UK now and will be looking for postdocs in the USA (my GF was recently accepted for a PhD there). Does anybody have experience with this? My major concern is that they'll have a preference for US PhD holders, who may be difficult to compete with considering they spend longer on their PhDs and probably have more publications, etc.

Any advice? Thanks

Assume they will provide bad references. I've had chats at conferences but can't remember names, much less call on anyone for a reference. A reference from an undergrad tutor is a possibility though so thanks for the suggestion.

My CV is bloody marvellous, and it seems ridiculous that after years of blood, sweat, and tears (literally), that my future could be impacted by a couple of opinions.

Keep yourself busy outside of the lab and enjoy all that the uni has to offer in terms of clubs, societies, etc. Don't sweat the small stuff... and it's all small stuff.

Most unis would be happy to take your money in exchange for a MSc.

What topics are the academics in the department publishing on? That's a good starting point for inspiration. Also join a journal club or start one, chat to academics and others in the department about your situation and what they consider interesting and topical.

I've no idea about your field but all those aspects (web marketing, social networking, online gaming communities) are part of 'Second Life', which is mainstream and obviously taken serious enough that IBM, Nature Publishing Trust, NASA, etc. are all actively involved with it.

Good luck finding your topic..

I know established academics who did their undergrad, postgrad and a postdoc at the same university. What matters is productivity, which is measured by publications, so it's important that your advisor has a good publication record.

There's no point in quitting your PhD because you'll find people with jobs have similar problems. You'll lose your hair no matter where you are. Life is basically hard and will never be as easy as when you were an undergrad, so rise to the challenge and make the best of it.

Just sort it out, resubmit and look forward to brighter days ahead.

My relationship with my two PhD supervisors was strained (to say the least). I desperately need 3 references to apply for a postdoc, my supervisors agreed to provide one each, but I'm pretty sure they'll be damningly lukewarm if not outright bad.

I tried to get a reference from my undergraduate thesis supervisor, who would give me a good reference, however he retired in 2004 and I've been unable to contact him.

Any advice on how to deal with this miserable situation?