Hi everyone ! I am going into a PhD this september and I just wanted to know what are your plans after completing a PhD. What are the career prospects ?

Hi masters! I think alot of us are just trying to get through the PhD and not automatically assume that we're going to pass! Although most of us would say that we want an academic career, when you start your PhD, you'll realise that you can't try to look to far ahead, and just focus on trying to get through day by day.

Re: career prospects, academia is a fiercely competitive world, and much can hinge on what field you're going into?

Totally depends on your field. My topic is unfit for anything except academia.

Hi,my answer to your question most probably will not satisfy you.I'm in my last year of the PhD studies and I study in a foreign country (other than my place of birth).I am struggling to finish the thesis with no funding for the field research (except my own pocket),research which should be done in a different country.
I often think about my job prospects and I've already taken steps towards that, but working and studying at the same time it's really difficult.And trying to finish the thesis can be frustrating especially when you compare your situation with that of your non-PhD friends.

I've found that making plans while doing your PhD is a pretty futile endeavour. You have no idea how things are going to pan out, and as xeno suggested, to make plans is to assume that you're actually going to get through the PhD! It's an epic pursuit with so many variables. We have no idea what's going to pop up. For instance, my friend's dad passed away a couple of days ago, and he has since decided that he doesn't want to carry on with the PhD, and wants to move home to be closer to his family. I have some vague ideas about what I'd ideally like to be doing post-PhD, but for now I've decided to just do the best I can to get through.

sorry masters, hope my post didn't sound cynical! It wasn't intended that way.

thanks everyone , because I have not decided rather to go into teaching as it is a profession and have a stable future or go for a phD which I really like to do but with an uncertain future after 3 years of phD.

I have currently got an offered for a place in the field of cellular biology (cancer research ) , any suggestion ? I heard that it is very difficult to get into an academic job !

I find I need to have an end-goal in mind to keep my motivation going. I know I may not get a postdoc but if I didn't carry on as if I will submit, pass etc I would find it hard to keep going.

Masters - I used to be in molecular biology and cancer research and still have friends in that field. It is a relatively well-funded field and as job prospects go certainly better than many other academic areas. You also have the option of working for biotech and similar companies. I would be tempted to do thePhD and keep the idea of teaching as a second option. You can always do a PGCE - in fact it helps to be a bit older - but as time goes by it would be very hard to get a science PhD place as science is less forgiving about years out of the field.

to become a professor, get some ambitious and motivated students, help them make big achievements beyond my own capability.. hopefully they will get a Nobel or Turing award..

Hmmm, I'm not really sure. The academic thing might be nice if the right project came along, but I might go back into the conservation job sector and see if I can use my Phd to get a job doing something pro-active. Its exciting really... seeing what might happen!!

thinking a lot about whats coming after the PhD has been a huge impediment for me. take every day as it comes (i know, easier said than done!) is the only way forward (i am trying to convince my self that it is at least...)

I'm trying not to think about life after the PhD so much, I need to concentrate on finishing first (still about 2 years left) but I definitely want to be an academic. I'm thinking I'd like to do a postdoc as I like research but as I say, too early to think about it now. I'll have a better idea of options when I've made more progress