I am about to enter my sixth year and planned to defend in the spring/summer. I was applying to jobs now as I am interested in government and they take forever to process applicants and are highly competitive. I was aiming for a full time job that would start when I finished, ideally with a month in between defence and starting work (keep dreaming I know). The hiring happened way faster than anticipated. I ended up not scoring high enough in the entrance exam to get a full time position (which would have been very hard to turn down but starts now and I would have) but have been offered a contract starting February where I would work 4 days a week and have one for my thesis. The contract will ideally train me to do better on the entrance exam so I can get into a permanent position.

This all happened very quickly and I don't have an option to negotiate as they want me to start asap and the manager is essentially creating the position for me to help me because she wants me on the team. The salary is quite good.

In terms of progress, I have 3 chapters, I just finished the manuscript for chapter 1 and am sending for publication. I have two more left to write with an aim to publish or at least submit a second one before the defence.

My question is - is taking this contract a bad idea? Am I screwing myself from finishing? Did anyone else take a job on before they were done? I wasn't ready to start work now and have TAships lined up to cover expenses until I finish. I already work almost 4 days a week on TA stuff as it is (I am now unfunded and live in a city with high cost of living) so the shift won't be that drastic. Im just getting scared to leave my casual academic life but don't want to miss a good opportunity.

What would you do?

Hello,

I am a fifth year PhD candidate about the enter my sixth and hopefully last year (cringe). I started dating my boyfriend at the start of my PhD and he has been very supportive and involved, helping me with fieldwork on a number of occasions, supporting me with my neglectful supervisor etc though he has commented that it has been hard on our relationship due to my constant stress and unavailability at times. My family does not know how to relate to what I do and are only superficially interested (so when will you be done?). None of my close friends have pursued anything beyond a bachelors and some not even that, during my PhD they all got married, bought homes and are now having kids while I toil away living the student life.

I have found throughout this time, especially in the last year or so, I have begun to be a bit resentful of everyone in my life and have had major fights with my Mom, stemming from her not caring/being involved in my life; have secretly gone back and forth about how I feel about my friends, sometimes thinking that I am not going to be friends with them at all anymore because they don't relate to anything I do, and now finally my partner. Lately I have been wondering if he is the right one for me, I feel like he is self involved and doesn't treat me with the respect I deserve.

Since I noticed a trend in all of these fights and my feelings of the relationships, I am wondering if I am just feeling sorry for myself and if anyone else has experience this during their PhD? Did you turn on everyone in your life? Any thoughts are much appreciated.