Hi,

Had a question about that awkward post-submission-but-pre-viva period, w.r.t. jobs. So I handed in my thesis in July, my viva should be mid-December or so, though still tbc. Was v happy to be offered a job starting early December, and they'll give me time off for the viva itself. It's not an academic job (scientific consulting), and the offer is not conditional on my PhD viva at all...in short, I now care far far less about it and about the PhD to be honest!

Just wondered if others have started full-time work before the viva, and if so how it's gone, especially with regards to inevitable post-viva corrections (my thesis is rushed and a bit crap)? Is it risky at all? Part of the reason I ask is that I was actually offered a different job with a much later start date in 2018 (also not academic, also not viva-dependent). There's very little between the jobs, so start date is actually a significant factor. My feeling is it'd almost be quite nice to have a job pre-viva, might discourage examiners from any such horrors like getting me back in the lab haha. But I'd love to hear any thoughts of others, maybe if you've done similar - most in my lab went onto post-docs, which i consider a bit different. I'll add that working hours are pretty reasonable, so I would hope to be able to fit things like corrections around these...

I did this; actually I started my post doc before I had even submitted my thesis.

Corrections and papers were mostly completed in evenings and weekends for me. Most academic employers should be fine to let people do these things in quiet moments, but mine wasn't, which was annoying. I was living far from home so it wasn't as if I had much else to do anyway.

So, I wouldn't say it was risky, but I would say I would have much rather had not had to start a job that soon. It depends where your head is at I guess. If it weren't for financial reasons, I would have wanted to take a good few months off after submission, write my papers and prep for the viva.

I don't think it will affect what corrections you get either way.

Hmmm interesting, cheers. I'm fine with doing corrections in evenings / weekends, I wouldn't expect to do anything thesis-related in work hours given non-academic job, and I'd also be living far from home and from my partner for the first 6 months. It's not so much financial as sheer boredom. I've already had 4 months essentially off (except 2 weeks after submission working on a paper, now under review), and am kind of thinking that 9 more months of this might slowly drive me a bit insane!

I guess more my concern is whether there is any risk that corrections could involve lab work - my thesis has a heck of a lot of experiments that I feel are largely decent, so I'd hope not, but with a full-time job that just isn't even possible (especially a non-academic one). Whereas without one, of course it is. Other than that, I'd definitely prefer to start work sooner, but this is a bit of a worry, even if a hopefully unlikely one.

It's very rare to be asked to do additional experiments, job or no job. There may no funding left for example, or supervisors just want you to finish so they can concentrate on the next student.

Sounds like it will be best for you to start work sooner rather than later then.