I have a Master's degree in Political science from Jawaharlal Nehru University, India. I did this way back in 2006 and since then have held different jobs in a different area. Now, I am looking for a career change and want to do a PhD in Social sciences. It is very competitive. How do I begin? I have no research experience. Please help.

Hi tm3,

The fact that you have had a break from formal education shouldn't be a problem in your search for a PhD. You will, however, have to demonstrate that you have a passion for the subject and that you have somehow kept informed of the main topics in your area.

What is important in your search and in particular in your subject area is that you identify the project you want to work on. In the social sciences, it is most common for prospective students to design their own project or at least a well defined outline of one (step 1). This will help you identify the academics whose expertise is related to your interests and may be able to supervise you (step 2). You can also start searching in the findaphd databse for advertise projects or scholarships (www.findaphd.com) - (step 2a). This will help you shortlist 1 or 2 universities and to start enquire to these academic experts about the possibility of doing a PhD in their institutions (step 3) and perhaps also refining your PhD proposal. Once you have had these conversations, there will be administrative steps, like applying formally for admissions (step 4, inc. finalising your PhD proposal) and scholarships. The skills you may have acquired during your period of employment are worth highlighting, if relevant to doing research (project management, teamwork, independent work, analytical skills...).

There is a lot of advice on http://www.findaphd.com/student/study/ so you may want to consult it.

Good luck in your search,
Nathalie