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Thanks cleverlogs, I do know that website by the way. Go play somewhere else.

Thanks for the other helpful answers. I guess one of the problems is confidence - mine is really low right now, so I am a bit apprehensive about how to contact people I'd be interested in working with let alone find the funding to do it.

Maybe I should just email a few people saying "Hi, I'm really interested in your field of work, are you by any chance seeking a Postdoc?" I'm just dreading that so much.
And yes, the actual email would be more sophisticated phrasing-wise.

If anyone wants to throw their "How I found my Postdoc" story in the mix, please do so, searching the forum didn't reveal many topics relating to that matter.

Hi ladies and gents!
I am currently writing up and hope to submit ASAP - very early next year.
So, I need to figure out what to do next...I actually know exactly what I'd like to do research wise for a Postdoc, but how does one approach this? Just informally contact groups?
I am a bit scared - I have had the PhD experience from hell - still having it really, most demonic supervisor ever - so no support there. I am barely hanging in there with my PhD thesis - don't even know if I actually have a shot at the viva. No publications to date, nor are any likely - how do I overcome this? I really want to stay in research, despite the nightmare PhD.
So, how did you guys start your post-PhD planning? I am freaking out because I haven't lined something up yet.
*gaaaaaar*

Absolutely - this is the whole point of research!

Oh, I see. Not much chance of that from my work...:-(
Would you guys openly address this in application/interviews or gloss over it?

Wow, quite a few replies already! Thanks. I am not sure what people mean by publishing the thesis?
I wish I could afford to only think about writing up and the viva (as I have done in the past 2-3 months) any longer, but I need to find a job from next spring.
Maybe publishing some of the work after will be an option, but I doubt it. My supervisor has no interest in the project, it had so many problems and lack of funding it is probably never going to be continued - I am essentially alone in this.

Just realized that I should elaborate - I absolutely want to stay in science. Just wondering how to turn these nightmarish 3 years into something positive.

Hi everyone!
I am nearing the end of my PhD - hopefully finishing my writing soon.
I will be dead broke by February - :) and I am consequently looking for a job.
I've had the PhD experience from hell (still not sure I'll actually get the bloody PhD) - worst supervisor in the world, lack of funding...project did not work out well, spent 2 years correcting the mistakes of my predecessor...
Anyway, I don't wanna go into this all, essentially I will graduate (if I survive my viva) without a publication.
How do you guys regard this impacting on my career prospects?
Lots of PostDocs out there seem to be requiring at least one paper...
Damn!

You are absolutely right - I need to avoid choosing another rubbish project.
I am, however, 100% sure that a PhD is what I want and thus don't want to loose any time in continuing if my current efforts in rescuing my project fail.
I have definitely developed skills in the last three years, both in the lab and through the university's excellent skills programme.
It is just my supervisor that is completely unsupportive. The department is lethargic at best.
I am consequently trying to suss out how to turn the work I've done into something positive, but I am obviously worried I will not be able to convince anyone to give me a second chance.

I've read in several threads about people who are on their second PhD.
My project (end of third) year, has been falling apart over the last year so I have to face up to the possibility that a successful outcome is unlikely - if you are keen to read more check out my other topic " What would you do".

I still want a career in science and thus a PhD, the last awful years haven't changed that, but while I do my best to sort out my current project, I want to try and apply to other projects - as a safety net in a way.

I am just not sure how to explain the past three years. Being brutally honest - i.e. my project is failing due to lack of funding and shitty supervision - would be an option, but I am scared of being considered a trouble maker. Skirting the truth would be an option, but a MPhil obviously is recognized by anyone as a failed PhD.

Any thoughts?

Thanks - though it is not worrying what to do after the PhD - if I get it, it is the insecurity what on earth I am gonna do experiment wise to get the project to any kind of reasonable level.
I can't think of a single thing to do that is realistic...

Thanks. ;) Been trying to keep writing and to make up my mind.
I guess I'll finish the bloody thesis as it is now and in the meantime start looking for other positions. Just to be safe and see where I'm at.
Though how I am going to turn these 3 years into something good, I don't know yet.
And while doing that, maybe there will be a miracle, I'll find some extra funding and something useful to do about the project.

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Unfortunately also agreed that circumstances were exceptional "difficult", project probably should have never been allowed due to lack of expertise and that there is nothing to do in the present lab to improve on the thesis.
Sup 2 also thinks that another whole year would be needed to make sure it was PhD-worthy. There is complete insecurity about how and where that is to be achieved, though he seems reasonably confident he might find me some funding.
Or I could submit what I have for an MPhil with reasonably little risk.

Situation with sup 1 is that she will never get another PhD student - due to repeated complaints by me and others, if rumours are true uni will not renew her contract and the group is pretty much finished.

I am struggling on writing trying to decide what to do. Another year fills me with dread - right now there is no idea what I might do, plus this has turned into a subject I never, ever wanted to work on. So, stop flogging a dead horse? If, by some miracle, I scrape through the viva now, it is always going to be a bad thesis - nothing is publishable right now.

On the other hand I have spent 3 years working day and night.

I still want a career in science, so I need a PhD. So, take the MPhil (still lots of work on the thesis left) and run? Find a new, more solid project and start over? I would actually do this - though I am terrified I have ruined my CV already.

On the plus side, my uni has a great postgrad programme that allowed me to developed lots of skills outside of the lab. I have made some great friends and I seem to be getting better.

Oh boy...

I am coming up to my three year registration deadline and have been writing the past six weeks or so, which is almost killing me, but progressing slowly.

Over the past six months however I've been struggling. The PhD has never been going well - see below - and I was so depressed that I was bordering on suicical at times. Spent half my time hiding in toilets around uni bawling my eyes out - and I am usually a sunny personality.

Problem is that I chose the worst group, project and supervisor imaginable - judging by this forum lots of people do...,-)

The project advertised and agreed upon has nothing to do with the work I have been doing, because I discovered some mistakes and had to start afresh 18 months in.

The first 12 months I was in the honeymoon period. New lab, new project, good personal funding and renowned uni. Things like a severe lack of group funding, unhappy co-workers a very bad supervision seemed not apparent - I still thought I could do it all. Eventually, in the second year, things began sliding. My supervisor has no interest in the progress, no funding and I eventually found out that she had been lying outright about some background information - which, together with severe mismanagement of the project lead to me discovering the mistakes and more severe delays. Just for fun, some bullying was thrown in the mix.

Being rather vocal in general, I started complaining. To the department head, postgraduate supervisor etc. Meetings ensued, promises of improvement were made - which lasted about two weeks, then the cycle was began anew. I found out that many previous complaints had been made, which I was never told about before enrolling.

I was still hoping I could make the best of the situation, was trying to forge (as I am the only one in the whole dept doing my type of work) collaborations etc - all of which have been torpedoed by the sup.
Due to the lack of guidance, facilities and funding I am sure I have tried to re-invent the wheel several times. I am pretty much self-taught in all methods - which is rather inefficient. At the beginning of the second year, the only post-doc left after a row with the sup, shortly thereafter the last phd student. Since then I have been on my own, still struggling on. Probably delusional - a stupid "I never give up" conviction made me stay.
Tried to establish new things - nothing worked. Continued complaining, tried to establish some sort of working relationship with my sup - nothing. Eventually, 6 months ago, the stress started getting to much and the depression mounted. Productivity went to zero. Eventually, after I hit rock bottom I went and got some counselling, was diagnosed with severe depression. Been working through that - and wrote up my results. Primary sup doesn't give a damn. Secondary sup, who has been trying to be helpful, but did not use to be the most assertive of people, agreed with me that based the current state attaining a PhD was mainly down to luck.