Hi! I'll embark on my PhD this October, as I have some funds available, but I'm not sure which offer I should choose (with regards to my professional life after the PhD...). I have a background in Psycholology (BSc Psychology, MSc Occupational Psychology) and my PhD will basically be an organisational psyschology project (as an application of positive psychology: examining work-engagement, psychological capital and staff retention) either in the educational sector (e.g. schools, school districts) or some type of organisations in the public sector. I hold offers from Warwick (Education)-where some extra funding may be availalbe-, Southampton (Management) & Nottingham Trent (Psychology). My long-term career goal is to build a career in positive organisational psychology primarily as an academic (but potentially-in the long run-as a practitioner as well..)

My dilemma lays in the fact that in NTU (last RAE:50) I have established a very good working relationships with two academics in the Psychology that would serve as my supervisors& have been realy supportive during my efforts in the last 6 months to construct a string proposal. And I will get a PhD in psychology after all...

On the other hand, in Warwick (RAE Education=15) there will be more research training opportunities for me not only in the Institute of Education but in the greater university as well. I'm afraid though if this decision limits my professional development (as in my BSc & MSc dissertations I examined teachers as well).I wonder if a PhD in Education carries me away from organisational psychology, increasing though the possibility of pursuing alternative careers beyond academia-if Ι need it in the future or if I have significant difficulties working as a lecturer in academia(e.g. consultancy in education:teachers' mentoring, school leadership,teachers' recruitment etc).I have made some contacts with my supervisors there&they seem very friendly and eager to help.

My last offer comes from Southampton in Management (RAE=20), having an occupational psychologist as a supervisor with a great "match" in our research interests (& with the research group where I will belong) that gives me the possibility to carry out research in public organisations the experience of which I could even use as a "path" towards chartership and of course be able to apply later for positions (e.g.for a postdoc) in organisational psychology/behaviour.However, when I got the uni's offer and I sent an e-mail to my prospective supervisor there about my thoughts on my project and my general research interests (as I was also familiar with his previous work in the field)he never replied back...That doesn't feel good.

If I want to pursue an academic carreer&relative positions in my home country (Greece) the lower in "ranking" is the uni where I undertook my PhD the more (double or triple or more..) should be my publications record to stand a chance for even a short-term position in a public university!