Hi all.... a new poster on this website (hoping to be a more regular poster from now on mind you...). Am looking to start a PhD next year at Leeds uni (funding permitting).... A massive, massive dream of mine is to do a years round the world trip (well closer to ten months) prior to settling into a career. Is this possible straight away after a PhD or would this have a major detrimental effect upon long term career prospects? Any advice appreciated....

Yes, if you have the money then go travel! Once you start a full-time career, you'll probably find it much harder to do so.

But, you have to bear in mind that many people don't finish their PhDs bang on the 3 year mark, but normally take 4 or sometimes 5 years...you need to factor these uncertainties in to you plans.

I can't see how it can be detrimental to one's career as academics commonly take sabbaticals.

Hi thanks for that.... Just seems everywhere I look a lot of websites advise that 'publishing must start straight away'....

======= Date Modified 23 Dec 2008 17:00:40 =======
Well strictly speaking those websites are wrong, as you should already be publishing during your PhD time. This process continues ad infinitum if you pursue an academic career.

Just to add.....upon passing your PhD, lots of people will spend time preparing their PhD for publication (e.g. preparing a monograph or slicing it down into articles)...you could always do this while you travel.

======= Date Modified 23 Dec 2008 17:34:54 =======
A PhD student from my uni spent a year travelling and working abroad after finishing her doctorate. She apparently needed the equivalent of a 'brain rinse' to eliminate all doctoral-related stuff from her mind to get back to normality (whatever that is!). She published a few co-authored papers/book chapters towards the end and after her PhD though, and was also part of a larger funded research project while she was doing her doctorate, so she's already got some publications, a lot of contacts and has marked out her area of interest, if she decides to return to academia in the near future.

It might be more difficult to get back into academia if you don't publish anything at all. I think you'd have to try to make some really good contacts and do the networking thing while you're doing your PhD, and keep in touch with your supervisors for references etc when you return though. A negative might be that if your area of interest is very competitive, there's nothing to say others won't pip you at the post for jobs, opportunities etc while you're away. Also, not sure if it's relevant for all subjects, but someone else didn't publish after his PhD and said he missed the boat with it in the end, as his work was part of an academic trend when he did it and then his time passed for getting any decent publications out of it - it wasn't exactly obsolete, but just not very current as a publishable subject any more.

If travelling is your big dream though, I'd go for it - it didn't do that student at my uni any harm. It's your life and if it makes you happy, why not!!!