Signup date: 11 Jul 2017 at 4:27pm
Last login: 29 Aug 2017 at 4:00pm
Post count: 6
I would advise not making any contact until you have the outcome as you won't be able to change this now. If you are unsuccessful you will then be able to ask for feedback. You sound like you may be over analysing the situation. A variety of factors are taken into account during the interview process, including academic background. I have had job interviews in the past where I have been nervous, slept little the night before, struggled to answer questions etc. and been successful. I have also had interviews where I felt I had come across as confident, knowledgeable etc. and couldn't have done much better and not got the job. In the latter case it was due to someone with more experience in that field going for the job, a lot comes down to who you are up against and how well they are suited to the position.
Still considering the new opportunity, its part of a CDT which isn't in the same area as the PhD project, it was a way for the supervisor to get funding. It will require doing an extra year and training in an area that won't really help me in my PhD, but is still of some interest. Otherwise I am thinking of doing a masters course, in an area I want to go into, and applying again for funded PhDs next year.
This week I get told I should have my aim and objectives set, was asked to list these with no prior warning, the lead supervisor was very abrupt, said I was being too specific etc, then wanted me to be more specific. He questioned me about the project plan, asked me what steps i will take, i got so far then my answers weren't what he wanted to hear, I didn't know what to say then and he said i should at least say something instead of saying nothing, said I should have my own ideas not expect them to tell me what to do. I have ideas but its hard to share them when made to feel uncomfortable and afraid of the lead supervisor being angry if I say something wrong.
When I have previously talked about ideas I have they just kept narrowing the project scope.Throughout the whole meeting this week the lead supervisor had an angry tone of voice. The other two supervisors barely said anything throughout the meeting, one just moved their leg impatiently throughout and the other just acknowledged they had noting to add. I also feel its too many supervisors, its not helping me, two would be enough. No future meeting is set, just been asked to email the project plan to supervisors for comment.
Its hard to fully explain whats been going on, I find it hard even put into words how I was made to feel in the last supervisory meeting, at one point in the meeting my eyes welled up, I held back the tears, I felt in shock a bit for a time after. This surely isn't normal, I was never spoken to like I have been at UG level anyway. I have also been in employment, worked up to manager level, so I have varied experience.
I have now secured another position, there have been a few changes to the opportunity but I still think I will end up being in a better situation if I take this up, as opposed to staying where I am.
Some confusion arose early on as a postdoc with a two year contract, who will become a fourth supervisor for me (as part of their training), is going to be doing the project I thought I would be doing, I will pretty much be assisting them. It is a situation I would prefer not to be in, not sure how common such an arrangement is, I haven't heard of it before, I thought I would be working more individually.
Tudor_Queen was right when they said it would probably get worse where I am. I am just a couple of months in currently, I started in July. Early on, a few weeks in, I started to think about the aim and objectives, had this all written down, the supervisor didn't want to see it then and said I should just be reading. Each time we met he would say I should read an area other than what I had been reading, then in the next meeting he would question me about the area I had been reading into before he said I should look into another area. The other two supervisors would try to catch me out in their questioning, to find gaps in my reading. One thing that is new to me is that there has to be at least two supervisors present to have a meeting, a meeting with a student individually isn't allowed, this has just led to three weeks with no meeting.
I'm finding it difficult to really get into my current PhD and I think its only some emotional attachment keeping me where I am and not wanting to let down my supervisors. The new PhD is in an area I am passionate about and if I had the two to compare initially it would have been an easy choice to go with this second option. I just feel bad about potentially leaving where I am though.
I started a PhD this year, things weren't quite as expected, there was some misunderstanding between myself and a supervisor which although resolved have affected the relationship I feel and I wasn't sure if the project was right for me once I started this. I didn't get my first choice of the projects I applied for, the one I have is okay but there is still some uncertainty about what I will be doing. I considered leaving and looked into my options. I found a PhD elsewhere that suits my interests very well and the supervisor would like to offer me a place, this is also funded as is my current PhD. Part of me thinks I should stick with what I have, despite the uncertainty and not feeling entirely happy about what I am doing currently. The opportunity that I have now been offered elsewhere suits my interests better, and offers some good opportunities that I currently don't have as it is part of a DTP and hence involves doing a masters year first but I don't mind doing that as it will just add 6 months and would be quite beneficial to me. Just not sure what to do now.
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