• Set out what your aims are at the start of your PhD (and let your supervisor know) for instance if you would like to spend time in a different lab or learn a specific technique.. TELL THEM. They aren’t mind readers
• Plan, write plans (revisit and revise plans) and keep showing them to your supervisor (even if your supervisor appears uninterested)
• Get to know your supervisor, learn how they work and how to get the most out of them
• Learn to communicate what you are doing to someone outside of your field (and your parents/loved ones)
• Adapt, learn that plans are not set in stone and things have to change and shift. Learn to live and love(if you can) this
• Things will take longer than you plan them to
• Read the PhD comic strips (http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php)
• Join a select number of societies related to your field (when the time comes to present work at conferences most societies insist that you have been a member of their society for 12 months in order to apply for travel funds/grants – I wish I had known this!)
• ‘The Unexpected’ WILL happen. You can’t plan for it. You don’t know when it will happen. But it WILL ARRIVE. Promise.
• There will be additional courses, learning and support you can get from the university along the way (for example presenting, writing or computer skills courses). Identify where your weaknesses are and find out what courses will be able to help you
• Learn to communicate with your supervisor and lab mates/others in your group
• Gain a set of friends who are all at different stages of their PhDs, you can draw on their experiences, pass on your experiences and go for tea breaks with them when ‘the unexpected’ happens 
• Politics will probably create more problems and stresses than your research
• Not all research is ground breaking or exciting, but it all helps
• Something you have to do will be incredibly dull
• Something you have to do will be exciting
• You will find yourself in a different world where only your PhD project exists (try not to spend too much time in this world, it helps to get out from time to time)
• At some point someone will ask you to teach someone else
• Blog it. Blogging the trials and tribulations of your PhD can help get you through it and you might make some friends along the way
• Think about (and plan for) what you want to do when it ends. Although it may not feel like it eventually you will finish it!
• You will not tick off everything on the plan you created at the start of your PhD
• Your PhD is your project you need to OWN it, manage it and be responsible for it.

I probably need to add something about ‘being organised’ and ‘writing everything down and filing it properly’ these two will probably become more of a concern as I try to put all my work together in the thesis!

But how do you deal with conflict? Do you keep quiet and agree with everything your supervisor says and suggests? When you disagree,  as a student, how do you get your point of view across without completely sabotaging your relationship? Is a harmonious relationship necessary? Or does conflict breed better work?

I asked people who have been dealing with this kind of situation if they had any tips to share…

“I think the first rule is having the confidence to stand up for your self, and the second is knowing when to pick your battles.  There is no point breaking out into war over little things, but you have to put your foot down sometimes, otherwise you will lose complete control of your project.

There are times when my supervisor (Prof A)  asks, “why have you done that?” And I want to reply with “because you told me too”, knowing fine well Prof A has simply forgotten that she told me to do something. I shrug and keep quiet,  for a quiet life.

When Prof A tries to take control (when I write anything) I let them make the changes and I then work through each one, and I decide if I like it or not. Then do my best to put it into my words. I have had to stand up for myself, explain that the project is mine and argue for my point of view.

An important point, always question why your supervisor wants to do something, don’t just blindly obey. Knowing the end point they want to reach, allows you to choose how to find the answer.  9 times out of 10 the student will know a quicker/better way(s) to get to that answer (or will already have it!).”

Have you ever had to deal with a conflict? Do you and your supervisor argue on a daily basis? Or are you the best of friends?

“I’ve found out the hard way that a PhD does not make you more employable outside of academia, unless the job in question is explicitly related to the PhD. Most employers won’t know what a PhD entails, and you’ll be at least three years behind everyone else in the job market.”

Given that Vitae tell us over half of PhD students will leave academia (only 48% of PhD graduates working in the UK remain in the education sector), most of us need to be prepared to account for that 3 (or 4, or…) year gap in our employment history when we eventually face the interview panel.

So what does the PhD graduate have to offer to the real world?

Independence
We have got to be among the most well versed in working without a manager’s direction, or agenda, or oversight. Surely this is an attractive prospect for any potential employer? Although, entry level positions might require you to show that this quality doesn’t simply mean we’re stubborn hermits, and can submit to authority when appropriate!

Commitment
Were you listening to the bit about it taking 3 years or more? That’s a long time to be working on one project. Completing a PhD shows that you can be dedicated to a task and to getting it finished, whatever that takes.

Time management
Again, the PhD is a long project. By the end, we’ve learned to identify our tasks, accurately predict their demands, prioritise them, and get them finished, often while working on more than one thing simultaneously.

People management
It might seem lonely and isolated at times, but we do encounter a number of people, and so can give evidence of working successfully together. We manage upwards when we engage with our supervisors or other academics in our home departments or at conferences. We work with the administrative staff in our universities, and comply with the regulations of our funding bodies. We organise things together, attend things together, and advise each other.

Problem-solving
We don’t start our research knowing the answer. Doing a PhD demonstrates the ability to work on something new, cope with the uncertainty, and find a solution.

Quick to learn
By the end of the PhD, we’re the experts in our chosen field (even if it is rather niche): that’s what the assessment criterion of originality really means. By that time we’ll have taught ourselves what we need to know to get there, demonstrating independent learning.

Writing skills
90,000 words. Legible ones. Comprehensible ones. Interesting ones. Structured ones. Engaging ones. Necessary ones. This is the bit most ‘normal’ people find most incomprehensible, so celebrate your achievement.

Can you think of any other ways of articulating what skills we doctors of Philosophy can offer to potential employers?

P.S. If you’re an English Lit student, like me, you don’t have to worry. See here for a vision of your future.

I’ve noticed there are lots of great opportunities to receive training and advice for the Big Wide World (the one where you have A Job) available at the moment. Last week I was at Life Beyond the PhD at Cumberland Lodge, which was wonderful, and on 13th September I’m off to Vitae’s Careers in Academia day in Birmingham. I also know that the Guardian are running a half-day workshop on 24th September, in London. Does anyone have any others to share – especially from further north, or the other countries of the UK? Post a comment here and help other beleaguered PhD students on their journey to employment!

p.s. An interesting fact for you, for free: the title refers to the OED’s first definition of ‘career’ as from the French carrière, meaning racecourse.

The Obvious

Perhaps the most obvious route to take when finished is to get a postdoctoral placement at a university. These are advertised on university websites but they are also available through word of mouth.  If there is someone or a place you fancy working, get in contact with them, tell them what you can offer and why you want to work with them. They might have some money available to employ you, or might have an idea of a grant you could apply for. I think you really need to put yourself out there and ask. People very rarely will come to you. Networking in academia is incredibly important, so make the most of opportunities at conferences. Post doc positions are also advertised on www.jobs.ac.uk  alongside  a wealth of advice and support.

The only problem I see with post doctoral placements is that they are short contracts, they are not permanent positions and many people find themselves in an endless circle of post docs, never reaching that elusive permanent job.

The Not so Obvious

There are of course, many other options available post PhD. These options are available to anyone, but just think about what edge someone who has done a PhD may have in these areas.

A brilliant idea may have occurred to you whilst doing your PhD, you could follow this up by starting a business. There is a lot of support for young entrepreneurs out there. The Biotechnology YES competition is a great opportunity to meet others that have started their own business and learn about starting your own. The Scottish Institute for Enterprise also offers lots of help and support for budding entrepreneurs. They also run a summer boot camp to learn business skills. You do not have to have an idea already to do either of these, they will prepare you to spot a good idea if when it comes along.

If you are not quite ready to go it alone but you have had enough of academic life, the chances are that you are looking for a job.  Doing a PhD gives you many, many, many skills and the government, not-for-profit organisations and industry all need people with the skills you have. Check out www.jobs.ac.uk and you will see that there are a wide range of jobs and opportunities available. You just have to pin down what it is you want to do and go for it.

If you are still doing your PhD, now is an excellent time to try out different career options to try and pin point what it is you would like to do when you finish. You might think you know exactly what that is – but what happens if you start your dream post doc placement then find you hate it? Now is the time to explore different options, so use it! Take part in business competitions like Biotechnology Yes, enter The Guardian writing competition, and try work placements in different industries.

If anyone else has any other hints, tips advice or links please share in the comments.

Although studying for a PhD involves investigating a subject you love, it can become incredibly monotonous. Repeating experiments, trawling through endless data sets… My PhD is research based and I have spent an interesting but challenging amount of time setting up new experiments. Now I am at the stage where I am repeating experiments to confirm results. The same experiments, over and over. And over. So how to deal with the monotony and keep it interesting (without avoiding the work you have to do)? These tips could help with any monotonous jobs.. including when it comes to writing the dreaded thesis!

Keep it fun, make sure you plan time in your day for a lunch break with colleagues or friends, it will give you a break from work and give you a time to moan about the work…if you need to.

You could tidy up your workspace and put up pictures of friends, family, places you love or want to visit to remind you that there is life outside your PhD.

Take regular breaks and listen to music if it is appropriate.

See if you can introduce a new task each week to add a bit of excitement to your working day. If that is not possible, you could organise activities for the evening as something to look forward to!

I have been learning a lesson recently, one of patience and taking time over things. PhDs do not happen overnight, they take time, an awful lot of time (and patience). My PhD is lab based. Experiments that I think are pretty simple and will not take any time to get going have been the ones that have tripped me up. I had a reminder this week that thinking time is important and can save time in the long run. I launched into doing something in the lab thinking that I could repeat what someone else had done and it would be OK – it wasn’t. Now I am having to peddle back on myself to work out how I can make it work. A learning curve – but I am getting there and I have learnt from it. Take a an hour/half a day/ a day out to think regularly to make sure that what you are doing is correct and plans for the future will work out as you wish. I think thinking can be as important as doing!

Firstly a point to note is that the route people take to get a PhD can vary dramatically and the requirements for undertaking a PhD are not set in stone (but generally you need a first degree and then a masters degree). PhDs are awarded differently depending on the country you study in. In the UK full time PhDs take 3-4 years (you can do part time PhDs and they can take 5 years +) and involve the student writing a thesis then being examined on the thesis in a ‘viva’ exam (which is an oral exam). The examiners are usually specialists in the area of the PhD, there is usually one internal examiner (from the institution of study) and one external examiner (from another institution).

The support you get as a PhD student will vary depending on your PhD, the institution you are studying at and the funding body for your PhD. Most institutions offer courses that are free for PhD students to improve writing, presentation and teaching skills. Funding bodies can offer further support in the form of courses or networking opportunities. Do not underestimate the importance of these transferable skills, they will be important to you throughout your PhD and after completion of your PhD.  Make sure you check  out what is available before you commit to one institution or funding body.

There are number of routes to finding a PhD but here are a few tips that might help you out. Jobs.ac.uk advertises PhD studentships, as does http://www.findaphd.com/ . Individual institution websites also advertise studentships and awards available. If you have an idea to propose for a PhD there are several ways you could go about it. You could approach a Professor/Dr you already know that might know some sources of funding for your topic. Universities often advertise sources of funds that are available on their websites. The most important thing to do is to contact the person that will be your supervisor if that is possible, do this offline (most people’s contact details are available via university websites).  Say you are interested in the PhD, ask for any papers they would recommend for reading (make an effort to have already done some background reading) and perhaps ask them a question about the subject/PhD/research. You could also ask to come and visit them and see where you would be studying (if the PhD is lab based, it would be advantageous to meet the people you will be working with for the next few years, see my post on Starting Out!)

I will share my story; I picked my institution due to the location. I applied for a PhD that was advertised on the university website; I went for an interview and met the supervisors. One of the supervisors then offered me a PhD, I came to visit the lab, the supervisor and the PhD sponsors. I knew that I would be happy here and jumped at the chance! The PhD I originally applied to was awarded to a student that had emailed the supervisor previously and been up to visit – it’s all about making personal connections.

Please share any stories/tips you have for people who may be searching for a PhD in the comments section, I know peoples experiences vary.

Before the conference:

• Have a look over the sessions that are being held (read all the conference information available) decide which you will attend (do not just read the title- make sure you read the abstracts because, as I found out, sometimes things are not all that they appear to be!)
• Do a bit of pre reading  around some of the talks/events that you are attending
• Have a look at the social activities planned (if there are any) make sure you pack/ take any specialised clothing you may need

At the conference:

• Arrive early, leave yourself plenty of time to orientate yourself and take part in any pre conference activities (these are great opportunities to meet people)
• Make sure you attend all ‘social’ events organised at the conference (pre drinks/meals/activities)
• Check out the poster sessions – these are a great way to meet and talk to people.  Talking about the work presented is a great conversation starter
• If there aren’t any social activities planned and you are struggling to meet people, many conferences will have a spot which becomes a ‘talking point’ (for example at this last conference there was a computer game competition at one of the trade stands) if you get involved/hang around at something like that it is a great conversation topic and ice breaker!

After the conference:

Don’t rush straight back to work. Take some time out to summarise what you learnt any follow ups and write down who you met at the conference. Follow up any connections you made with an email/phone call. Write down information about people you met on their business cards or in a notebook. I quickly forget information and you never know when these people might become useful connections in the future.

Don’t forget to have a good time; you don’t have to talk about work 24/7 with everyone you meet. I find that the connections that I make are stronger if I find I have something in common with the the other person (other than the work I am doing) so make sure you get chatting about their life outside work too!

I hear a lot of people moaning constantly about how their PhD is AWFUL.  Most information on the internet seems to be about how rubbish life is as a PhD student. Whether it is supervisor issues, lack of money or struggling to write a thesis – you can find any problem under the sun on the internet, written by a poor PhD student somewhere. It seems like a constant barrage of why PhD’s are rubbish. I do admit I don’t wake up every single day and immediately shout to everyone I see about how much I LOVE MY PHD.  But, when I do take time out to think about what I am doing, I realise how much I really enjoy it. I get to spend my days researching, reading and investigating a topic that I love. I think of my PhD and biology in general as a great big puzzle and I am (hopefully) putting some of the bits together with my research. Plus there are tonnes of opportunities that open up (conferences, meeting people to name just a few) whilst you are doing a PhD. Not every day is fantastic, it does have its problems, but would I rather be doing anything else? No.

I think people are too quick to say how rubbish PhD s is and how horrible life is as a PhD student. But really, if you are granted the opportunity to do a PhD in a topic you are interested in you are extremely lucky. Lots of people want to do a PhD but can’t and plenty of people are stuck in jobs which are far harder work than being a PhD student– so make the most of it. Unless there is a serious problem within your PhD I think you should try to learn to love and enjoy what you are doing as much as possible. If you are struggling trying to remember why you are doing it, take some time out and think about the good points, think about the  opportunities and remember why you are doing it. It’s your life, it’s your project and most importantly, you chose to do it, so – ENJOY IT!!!