Hi All,

Hope everyone is doing well. I am in desperate need of some advice. I have been with ym consulting firm for under a year now. It sucks really rubbish working hrs and horrendous managers. I have been offered voluntery redundancy so I am running out the door. Now I have been offered another job but I have always wanted to become a university lecturer, my plan was to work for a couple of years then go back to uni.

I really like academia and was planing on pursuing this in marketing which is what I did at uni and loved.

I am a bit torn I would like to take the other job as it is a good industry , energy and a nice little balance. But I would like to do my PHD. I was thinking part time, I would appreciate any advice on how people have foudn this? for example if in a year or so I decide to pursue it full time can you change? How easy is it to undertake a phd on a part time basis with a full time job.

Hey there...

Don't forget that a PhD is a research based title. 99% of the work is done in your private time, libraries and at home. The point i'm trying to make is that most people treat their PhD as an extention of their work: if there is anything from your work that you would like to write a phd on-do it. Apply, state it and your chances of acceptance are enourmous. I have done my FT phd at Kings College,Cambridge-simultaneously working 4 days a week and i managed. This is the info you need summarised in 5 sentences. For more help Pm me.

Hi confused.com,

like you seem to be indicating yourself it may be an idea to do the job and the PhD. As you can read from previous entries the money while you are doing a PhD is not great, and as such, if it is a good job that has been offered, it would be a pity to decline that.

Obviously it is hard work to do a PhD aside of a (part-time) job, it can be done and it may also keep you "sane" as your we stay with both feet in normal society.

I am doing my doctorate and work full time

Hi Rick,

Yeah the consultant work I was doign paid really well but would have left no time for a phd at all, it didnt even leave time for a general life. The new job is 9-5 , how are you finding doing that and ur phd?? is it difficult ? is it possible to manage ur social life and work and ur phd? I have always wanted to become a uni lecturer thought it was about time I did something about it.

Well, I am working full-time and doing a part-time PhD on a field which completely different from my work. Moreover, my first language is not English. I really love my research and I want to finish, so I believe I can do it.

Hi confused.com,

from my employer I get half a day a week allocated for my research project, as such most of the time I spend on it is in the evenings or in the weekend. For some of my focus groups I used some leave days.

It is tough, but do-able.

I think the main advantage is the balance: My normal job keeps me in contact with "normal society" and helps to put research issues into perspective.

Do not know about changing to 100% PhD, as mentioned I like the combination of job and research.