I think sometimes people are worried that you may not stay for long enough if you are over qualified? Also, I think many people already have someone else in mind, but are just interviewing to go through the formal process required to choose a candidate. It sucks really. I'm wishing you all the best, you are taking all the right steps to gather feedback and use it, so I'm sure you'll be in a good position very soon.

I also think that most PhD students (especially if they haven't submitted their first draft yet) are at the most stressful stage, and are just really stressed out, and employers are a bit hesitant to take students on at that stage. I think once you can write on your CV that you have submitted the first draft or you've submitted, my guess is more people are keen to take you on. (I can't see myself recruiting a final year PhD student unless first draft was submitted or the student was part time).

I'm very sorry to hear that, it is really tough out there atm. I was surprised I was shortlisted but it is a RA post (and not postdoc) and the requirements are below my skill set. Have you asked one of your colleagues or your supervisor to give you feedback on your CV? I applied for two associate lecture positions during my PhD and I was pretty sure I'd get an interview for them, but I didn't get shortlisted. Last week I was applying for a job and looked through those two applications and realised in the previous employment list I had left the job description and date blank for two jobs - and I don't even understand how or why!

I'd second Mendeley. You can make notes in it too, and highlight text etc.Plus you can exclude unpublished material (your own notes for example), and its also a reference management software,

Funnily enough i had a very similar experience for my epistemology section too. It was very painful to remove, but it had to be removed. It took me so long to figure it out in my head!

Thank you!

Re Acknowledgments, I was like you, I didn't let myself write it in case I jinxed it, but I glad I wrote it in the end, because it made me realise that there were lots of people who have indirectly contributed to my thesis, and if I don't make it to the end, it wouldn't be fair on them. Its a good source of motivation for me :)

Well done on the editing! I've been polishing them too, and my partner warned me yesterday not to get too bogged down with polishing and formatting the thesis, as I may need to make further major changes once my supervisor sees the full draft.

Interview is for a RA job. Its my 1st interview in 3 years and I'm dreading it a bit ... I've forgotten how to talk about myself :-| Have you been for any interviews recently? What were they like?

Thank you IntoTheSpiral, this is all very reassuring!

I have declaration with papers, but not specifying which chapters they are in, though it is obvious. Since editing again, I have made minor changes to them, and added things too, so all of it is not exactly the same, although most parts are the same. I think part of my publications is also in introduction and recommendations, so its scattered around.

Thank you Zutterfly (and chickpea)!

I'm hoping my panic is over now. This weekend I'm hoping to continue the final proof read for my 1st draft submission. I'm hoping to have it finished by Monday evening. Then I've got to prepare for interview and take some time off.

I can do this. I can do this. I can survive this. This is what I keep need to repeating to myself. I will make it to passing this PhD, and all of you will too! :-)

Chickpea, my problem is that I don't have access to TurnItIn, and had to ask the office to put it through, and that's where it was flagged up. I'm hoping my supervisor says it'll be fine when he gets back on holiday (I just hope he doesn't keep me waiting for long) :-(

Thanks so much for replying Chickpea, I'm panicking less now.

I truly hope you are right. And I've always believed this too. My supervisor has never told me otherwise either. My PhD isn't by publication though.

My thought was that they would exclude my publications as 'sources' from TurnItIn so it doesn't show a match to that.

If I had known it was going to cause problems, I wouldn't have published.

What do the rest of you think? I am not re-writing 3 chapters. I'd rather give up on the PhD. (Yes I've reached that stage!)

Hi, I need your help please folks.

Three of my chapters have been published as papers, and I've just been told by the research office that that will be flagged up as self-plagiarism and therefore I need to re-write those chapters (TurnItIn produced a high score). My supervisor is on holiday and I am panicking! Please tell me they are wrong? :'-(

Hi,

I have a research assistant panel interview coming up, and I was wondering if anyone can share their experience or share some tips please?

Thanks

Yes I think it'll be fine like that :) thanks!

I'm not explaining this very well at all. Sorry. It's not for the contents list, its for the footer, where I am placing Chapter number and page number. I'm just making life complicated!