Hi

I am doing MSc in pharmacology finishing this August and I have in mind to do PhD some day.
The ideal for me would be to take some time off after i finish MSc, maybe a year, to work and make some money. And after that year, to try to get into PhD.

But I was wondering whether this "year off" scenario would be disadvantageous when I later try to find a PhD position, because of how it will look on my CV. On the other hand what if during this "year off" I find a job that is related to pharmacology? Would that make my CV better for finding PhD? Or will it still be bad?

I wanted to ask here you guys.
Thanks.

I took 15 years off between finishing a masters and starting a PhD (in an unrelated discipline). :-) I guess it all depends on what you do in the meantime - having some relevant practical experience could be an advantage. I also think it's good to get back into the 'real world' every now and then. :-)

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

I took ten years off between UG and first masters (but I did do professional qualifications during that time), then another 6 years between my MA and MSc (working and having babies). Have taken 5 years between MSc and starting (part-time) PhD (working and trying to find a subject that interested me). I would echo that it is beneficial to spend some time away from education as it gives you a broader perspective on the world.

If you apply now for a funded PhD you will probably start next year anyway. It doesn't look bad, a lot of students leave gap years for personal reasons: save some money, have children, travel etc. It can look good on the CV too, a lot of unis appreciate mature students with working experience.

Hey! I don't think it will look bad at all...as one of the others said, it might be tough to find funding for a project to start this year now anyway, although there may still be a few lurking about. It would be helpful if you spent your year getting some relevant practical experience but I don't think the year is a mssive problem anyway- lots of people do all sorts of things and take on whole other careers before starting back at uni to do a PhD! Best, KB

Hi girls and guys.
Thanks very much for your answers, they are most helpful and encouraging.
:-)
Bye.

I think that if you do paid work related to your prospective PhD subject, then it's very likely to be a positive thing, especially if it's research or lab type work, it will help you stand out compared to other applicants who 'only' have their undergraduate/Masters work to talk about in applications and interviews.

If it's less relevant work - well, that's still not necessarily a bad thing. I spent several years working in a job that's only very tenuously related to my PhD subject, and have got a fully funded studentship to start this year. The thing to do in that case is to make a point of any skills etc from your job that are relevant, especially technical ones but also the soft skills like project management. And expect to be asked about how you've kept in touch with your field by reading journals etc, keeping your knowledge up to date (though if it's only a year, this shouldn't be too much of a problem).

I would do whatever you feel would suit you best at the moment. If you're keen to get into paid work after so long as a student (I certainly was) then I wouldn't necessarily advise against it. It's very nice to be making proper money :) and having some work experience is always a good thing for the future, and helps make you more employable in case the academic route doesn't work out. And if you're not sure you want to do the PhD, a year doing something else can give you a bit more perspective and of course time to think about it!