Dear Ian,

Thanks for your reply.

To clarify, I am referring to general employment rather than anything related to the industry or area with which research is associated. For example, sales assistants, customer service, administration positions.

Going part time in my case will give me much more control as it releases me from unpaid teaching commitments - which are so variable in terms of hours/dates per semester that they inhibit any further 'employment'. Equally, departmental changes and uncertainty is creating a negative atmosphere that is deeply troubling to F/T candidates, including myself. By going part time, opportunities to accept opportunities at conferences etc, have time to work on articles for publication can also be accepted, that would otherwise have to be passed over at Full Time.

I'm sure individual circumstances and departments impact differently on candidates, as will the area of research. I'm a humanities candidate halfway through my PhD at Full Time and the 'pot' for the bursary I had has run dry.

I am changing to Part time from September in order to gain some more independence and control of my PhD.

I was wondering how are other candidates finding either the search for full time or part time employment.

Do you find employers are less keen to employ you when they see you are undertaking research even on a part time basis?

Do you leave your current studies off applications or from your CV?

Thanks for your feedback.

:-)

I'm in quite a rut with my PhD at teh

======= Date Modified 09 Mar 2011 16:12:32 =======
It seems apparent from a number of recent posts that I am, indeed, not alone in wishing to leave the PhD. This is not out of dislike for my topic, area of study or supervisor but rather all the external factors currently affecting my funding, department, university and sanity. The department I am in has already seen a 50% cut in staff since the beginning of this year, impending retirements will also add to the thin bank of staff, yet there is still a hiring freeze. The funding has been cut, a bursary I hold is for the first 2 years only of my PhD and not the all important 3rd and final year. My first panel was lengthy and productive though the secondary member did not turn up - the outside panel member outrightly explained that due to retirement they would not be on my panel for the full 3 years and the cuts in the university mean that my supervisor is the only staff member remotely related to my area of study.

Frequent conversations with my supervisor involve them saying they are looking at other jobs - this also fills me with dread. Realistically I'm 8 months into my PhD and the state of my department's future, supervisor's future and my own finances mean I am not sure that I want to continue at this institution.

Though my options seem rather limited - I have applied for another round of funding, the outcome of which is May, and my next panel is June for which I'm working towards a 10k submission and various other pieces.

Has anyone had a similar experience with so many important factors go astray in the first year?

Stressed.

I'm not alone - I am sure of this. Six months into my PhD now and I seem to be working a lot more to keep myself financially solvent than actually engaging with my literature review. Any other Humanities students struggling with the meagre funding options available?

This is a general moan I guess, but the knot in my stomach (from hours of funding searches) tells me it is likely to be an ongoing problem!

I've finally gotten somewhere close to the funding needed to start my PhD and have decided to take the plunge and start in September. It's taken almost three years to get to this stage. I'm going back to my old department at Manchester and am very excited! I was wondering if anyone else was starting their PhD in Manchester this autumn?