I'm looking for jobs at the mo, to start when my funding finishes in October. I'd be ecstatic if I managed to get a post doc research position or a lectureship, although the latter seems very appealing because there is more chance of a bit of a longer tenure - as opposed to 18 month research contracts.

Problem is, every lecturer post that comes up is about £35k + I just feel like little old me, having just gone straight through with undergrad, masters, little RA role, then PhD - should I be applying for these roles? They just seem too much?

My hubby says apply anyway, the problem is that I often know the professors or other lecturers in the departments, and I don't want them all thinking I'm above my station!

So I wanted to be a little nosy - what kind of salaries are you expecting when you finish the PhD?

hi sneaks this is a good question!
As for your postdoc position or lectureship; I encourage you to go all out for it!!!
And remember to post us the good news :-) :-) :-)

As for me, I havent really thought about what kind of salary to expect after this phd :-)
I might join in my friend's business; at this point I'm just not sure yet. I guess it all depends nearer to the time when I'm almost submitting; I should have some clearer idea what to do or where to go from there by then :-)

but I hope you get a big salary xxxx

TBH I'm not feeling very optimistic. There are hardly any jobs about and I need to earn £8K more than I need because it costs £6k to travel to London (and there are NO jobs where I live) and it costs £2k for dog sitting. My supervisor has already said don't bother asking her cos she hasn't got any funding available :-(

I'm seriously looking at getting a minimum wage shop job in October just to pay the mortgage.

Hey Sneaks! Well I think you should apply- a guy I know in our department is just finishing his PhD off and was just last week offered a lecturer position at a different university, so there is hope. He's done well, got a few publications, been to quite a few conferences etc but it just shows that it can be done. I don't what his salary will be, I am guessing about 30K. I'm aiming to carry on to do a post-doc in the same department when I'm done. I'm not very optimistic anout getting the funding but I'm going to try. Two of the other post-docs under my supervisor got their positions straight after their PhDs and are earning 28-29K. I'm not saying I'm 'expecting' to land this type of position, but I'm going to give it a shot...I would just apply for everything you're interested in, you've got nothing to lose and you may as well aim high! Best, KB

My only concern really is that my field is VERY tightknit, i.e. you see other lecturers all the time - I work with lecturers in other unis all the time on different projects and our research group is always going out for meals and drinks with researchers from other unis - mainly because at some point they have all worked with each other. They all guest lecture on each others courses as well. As I say, its very tight knit.

So I'm worried that everyone will find out I've applied, OR at least the hiring lecturer (i.e. one I know) will know I've applied and then laugh because I'm so underqualified (or so I think!). And although I work with them, I don't really consider them chummy chums, who I could just drop an email to so see if I was suitable!

ARGH!

Hi Sneaks

I think you should go for the lectureship positions - even if it turns out they're after someone with more experience than you have, I reckon they'll just think it's good that you're ambitious, rather than look down on you for daring to apply. Probably most people would never know you even applied for the jobs, and those that did might be more inclined then to think of you if a suitable vacancy did come up. And there's always the chance that they'll like your attitude and approach and you'll get the job anyway, and then you'd be off to a flying start with your career. So I say go for it, the possible benefits far outweigh any potential (and unlikely, IMHO) embarrassment about applying for something you don't have the experience for yet.

As to the salary I want when I finish my PhD - like everyone else, it's wait and see what's around. But in my mind I have a minimum I'd be happy with, which is 28k, and I'd really prefer more (bearing in mind my work experience before I started the PhD). When I first finish I think it would have to be an ideal job for me to apply for something paying less than 28k, but as time went on I could definitely see my minimum acceptable dropping until I was applying for anything vaguely suitable! But I still have a while to think about that, so who knows how I'll feel when the end of my phD approaches.

Good luck with it all anyway!

Thanks BatFink (really think you should lobby mods for some bat wings)

I think I've decided on a course of action. There is a lectureship on a popular academic jobs site (although I advocate using findapostdoc.com 8-) ) The advert, and the calibre of the existing staff suggest they want someone with a bit more experience of living in general - i.e. work expereince BEFORE the PhD. However, I know a junior lecturer pretty well from there. So my plan is to email and say "have you got any posts coming up? part time or full time? I've seen the lecturer post, although I assume you're looking for someone a little more senior than me..." and see what comes back. That way, I'll know a) if they have any other jobs coming up b) if I'm suitable for lectureship and c) they'll keep me in mind for any other work, even part time work! (up)

Whatdya think?

Sneaks have you read the further particulars on the uni website? Generally this gives you some more clues about what they are after. My general rule of thumb has been that if I meet the essential criteria for appointment, then why not apply, even if I'm missing some of the desirable criteria. Tbh though unless you're in a field where doing postdocs really is seen as compulsory eg lab-based sciences, I can't imagine anyone thinking you were presumptuous in applying (unless the ad specifies a completed PhD as essential).

Ooh, bat wings would be cool!

That doesn't sound like a bad plan, Sneaks, but it might be that the person you email doesn't really have a true picture of what they're after with that post, so you might end up with no clearer picture (or even with an inaccurate picture!) I agree with the idea of looking closely at the person spec, that should give a bit of a hint. If there was nothing there that screamed 'experienced people only' I think I'd apply anyway (unless the person you know really does have some insider info!)

I would agree with all of the "just apply" messages below - seriously, nobody will think that you are getting above your station. The absolute worst thing that can happen is they look at your CV, feel you are underqualified, and put it in the bin.

Just a thought as you mentioned commuting to London - does the £35k include London weighting? Because at my northern university Grade 7 (entry level) lectureships are around the £29k mark, and Grade 7 posts at the LSE are £35k because of London weighting.

For the record, my own meagre postdoctoral research job pays £24k, although I am shortly moving jobs to another meagre postdoctoral research job that will give me £28k (due to my year's experience).

yeah, all the lectureships are in London, so have london weighting, whcih I desparately need considering the cost of transport. I think the girl I know - she is a lecturer will have basic info about the post. There isn't a person spec which is wierd, on their website, it just links back to the job finding website advert. It is a university that is known for only their course in my field to people who have had a lot of experience, so I'm guessing they want their lecturers to be more or at least as experienced as their students. THeir advert says they want PhD, publication record etc etc and that significant work exp would be an advantage.

I think you are right though - I will apply, although I think I will drop this girl an email first, I think it may be politically good to at least give her a heads up.

**runs off to write a CV**

I would say 'just apply' - with the caveat that I haven't even started my PhD yet and know nothing about academic jobs. But I know that I spent years being defeatist about myself, thinking 'oh, they wouldn't want someone like me' whenever I came across an opportunity that looked good, and have only recently started to get over that. I think sometimes you have to dare to aim 'above your station' in order to get anywhere, and if it doesn't work out, don't take it as confirmation that you should never have tried, just take it for what it is, and hope for better luck next time.

I don't think anyone would ridicule your application or think it was inappropriate - again, I don't know the academic job market well, but certainly in the sector I work in, the worst that would happen is we'd say 'hmm, maybe they're not quite ready for this role yet, maybe this person with a couple more years experience would be a safer bet'. Or depending on the exact situation and the standard of the other applicants, they might decide to give you a go, especially if you 'sell yourself' (hate that term, but you know what I mean) well enough in interview. You never know unless you try.

hi sneaks its satchi
I wanted to show you this:

A woman goes into a store to buy a fishing rod and reel for her Grandson’s birthday.
She doesn’t know which one to get, so she just grabs one and goes over to the counter.

The salesman is standing there, wearing dark glasses.
She says, Excuse me. Can you tell me anything about this rod and reel?’
He says, ‘Madam, I’m completely blind but, if you’ll drop it on the counter, I can tell you everything you need to know about it from the sound it makes.’
She doesn’t believe him but drops it on the counter anyway.
He says, ‘That’s a two meter Shakespeare graphite rod with a Zebco 404 reel and 5-kg test line. It’s a good all around combination, and it’s on sale this week for $44.’
She says, ‘It’s amazing that you can tell all that just by the sound of it dropping on the counter. I’ll take it!’
As she opens her purse, her credit card drops on the floor.
‘Oh, That sounds like a Visa card’, says the salesman.
As the lady bends down to pick up the card, she accidentally farts.
At first she is really embarrassed but then realizes there is no way the Blind salesman could tell it was she who had farted.
The salesman rings up the sale and says, ‘That will be $58.50 please.’
The woman is totally confused by this and asks, ‘Didn’t You tell me it was on sale for $44? How did you get to $58.50?’
He says, ‘The Duck Caller is $11 and the Fish Bait is $3.50.’

OMG Saatchi this is the funniest thing I have read in a long time!! This has made my day! (I am stuck in work early on a sat morning, so it takes a lot to make me laugh out loud just now!!)

x

:-) good one Satchi! My hubby loved that