I don't think it will make a difference - you will be judged on your research and also of course it will depend what is around at the time. It is going to a tough market for us all with all the job cuts that are looming. Rothamsted is a  really respected research establishment so this will help you but maybe you can also look at whether there are opportunities for you to do a small amount of teaching at Rothamsted or other universities nearby (if Rothamsted would support this). I teach on a distance learning course and have done odd slots at another University - I hope all this may help me in the longer term.

Not to divert from Mark's posting but hopefully to add to it I would be really interested to hear what others are doing to increase their job prospects. Now my uni offers new PhD students the chance to take a Uni teach qualification (a postgraduate certificate)- this wasn't available when I started and I wondered if I should try and do this. Has anyone else out there done this and is it useful?

Cate

Hi

Only you can answer what is right for you but don't base the decision on comparing yourself to others. If you got there it means you can do it - it isn't easy to get in to a great university. When I started I also felt really intimidated - I just didn't know or understand all the research vocab - as a PhD is a big step up - but over time you get there. Having said that I am still full of self doubt about completing (just starting to struggle with the writing up process!). A PhD is a tough journey.

I think you need to write a list about what the pros and cons are for doing it and what you aim to do in the future. A PhD is potentially useful in many other disciplines, e.g. consultancy, policy work, the discipline to which it relates etc. The key question is will you enjoy the 3 years. If not forget about the embarrassment factor and just assess your other job prospects - the world is tough out there at the moment so don't quit until you have something else. It may be worth doing the year and getting an MPhil? But as I said at the start think hard about the right choice for you and forget about the other students aroung you.

Hi all,

I am desperately trying to put in a bid for the early years researcher grants because they are going to be pulled in February. Ideally I would have done this later when I had written more. I want to stay in academic work so its a long shot as I know they are hugely competitive. I wondered if anyone out there had managed to obtain one and had any tips on the process? Or is anyone else struggling through this process too?

Cate

Great thanks so much I will look forward to getting that Kikuka

I am following a systematic literature approach and so the table will help me demonstrate that I have followed through on this. It also should show how I have limited my searches given that I am investigating computer mediated communications and there are potentially millions of sources.

Kikuka

Just grappling with the same thing. Did you get any good examples that you could share?

Cate