thanks all for sharing your experiences. I find out today whether or not I've got it and part of me is hoping I won't - I've thought about it a lot and I think I'd rather concentrate on the PhD for now. Thing is I also have a young family and I'm worried it'll be unwanted added pressure for myself and my partner.

I'm also worried I'd be burning bridges if I did get it and refused it.
Admittedly I do waste an incredible amount of time worrying about anything at the mo!!!!

Thank you for your reply Shani. The set-up, as I understand it, is that it'll be 2 teaching blocks of 3 hours each with 20 students max in each session (evening classes).

By the looks of it the GTA is expected to come up with all their own resources and not all classes are equipped with a projector or even an OHP. I'm worried that (if I do get it that is, and that's a big IF...) I'd have to spend ages producing resources from scratch and come up with my own assessment criteria, so it'll effectively be a lecturer's job without the salary (although the stipend is reasonable) and a PhD on top.

On the other hand, the fees would be waived and the stipend really isn't bad. If only I could get my hands on a studentship...

Thanks for your replies: they confirmed my worries about the workload and time spent on preparation and resources. I know it looks good on the CV though...I'll just have to wait and see whether they actually offer it to me first!!

Just wondered if any of you were teaching (GTA for example) whilst doing your PhD, and how you're finding it.

I've been short-listed for a GTA post which involves 6h of teaching per week. The job sounds good, and the prospect of being fully funded and getting some teaching experience at Uni level is quite appealing but taking into consideration prep time, marking, assessing...I was wondering whether it wouldn't be too much to take on on top of a PhD - not that I've actually been offered the post yet, I'm jumping the gun a bit but wanted to have some feedback from people who've managed it.

Apparently Kevin Spacey has just accepted a 1-year contract to teach Drama at Oxford: not sure what his title is going to be though

I won't be of much help I'm afraid (mainly due to not knowing anything about your subject!) but I'm guessing you'll probably be getting more constructive feedback from your potential supervisor or contact at the university you intend to apply for.

Good luck

blueberry, good on you for saying like it is: it takes a lot of bottle and if your sup is a sensible human being, surely you'll be getting a bit more support from now on...I hope that you feel better for saying how you feel and that you've managed to take some time out.

I meant Lara - one thousand apologies

sounds like you're having a very bad time of it Laura: I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure it isn't easy and you probably can't contemplate it right now but once you've finished you'll be so proud of yourself for fighting that much adversity and coming though the other side a Dr no less!

I really hope it gets easier for you.

so you don't see the Brits as being 'gregarious'?! I personally find those I know very sociable indeed!!

Seriously though, I take your point entirely and I have no problems (even a history would wearily say those who know me) challenging discriminations of all kinds!

I just hope this whole discussion is superfluous and cynical and that actually, people ARE being employed through merit and hard-work only regardless of age, sex or race.

I certainly agree with you Olivia but it isn't as easy as maybe you make it sound like (in substance the Brits are a gregarious bunch happy to accept their fate without a fight).

I have recently been witness to one particularly discriminatory decision based on age and the person on the receiving end of it took to challenging it by lodging an official complaint. Unfortunately in her case although obvious it was very hard to prove concretely (the law protects employers really well in that area) and ended up being a long-drawn, very stressful and humiliating experience for her.

So sure age discrimination needs to be challenged when the case is clear but employers know how to play the law to their advantage and sometimes it's not that clear-cut.

Age shouldn't matter but sadly it does. The reality is that it is very difficult for over 35s to find a job in many fields, not just academia, there is no doubt about it.

If you have the right motivation and support it isn't impossible but younger, cheaper labour will always have the edge, especially when the younger graduates are of high quality (and they almost always are in my experience).

Granted it can help to have lived a bit before going into post-grad studies as it can give a different perspective on what is important/relevant...but it certainly is a huge hindrance when entering the job market.

I for one know that it'll be a struggle (I'll be starting at 34 in September and will be 37 when I finish) but I come fully prepared!

Good luck to all

Straight to the point Badhaircut - I like it!

I definitely see your point blueberry, hence the serial posting these past few days!!

Hope your day gets better

After reading lots of posts on the forum re post-phd opportunities, I'm starting to worry a little bit.

I love my subject and can't wait to get stuck in (starting in sept) but I'm not just doing it for pleasure. A career in academia is definitely what I would like to do, and I know that it won't be a walk in the park but I'm a little concerned that maybe I hugely underestimated the difficulty of getting a job after the PhD, especially as I'm not really familiar with how things work in the academic community.

Is the world of academia that full of backstabbing and nasty politics or is there still hope for a hard-worker with a passion for their subject?

Thanks for the replies. I know my supervisor from being a student of hers a lifetime ago so I guess it would have been superfluous. I'm grateful for it though as I'm not at my best at interviews!