Hi everyone!
I am nearing the end of my PhD - hopefully finishing my writing soon.
I will be dead broke by February - :) and I am consequently looking for a job.
I've had the PhD experience from hell (still not sure I'll actually get the bloody PhD) - worst supervisor in the world, lack of funding...project did not work out well, spent 2 years correcting the mistakes of my predecessor...
Anyway, I don't wanna go into this all, essentially I will graduate (if I survive my viva) without a publication.
How do you guys regard this impacting on my career prospects?
Lots of PostDocs out there seem to be requiring at least one paper...
Damn!

Just realized that I should elaborate - I absolutely want to stay in science. Just wondering how to turn these nightmarish 3 years into something positive.

Hi Emily,

first congratulations that you have come sofar and nearly have your PhD. That is a major achievement and something to be proud of.

The issue of publications has come up on this forum several times. I think the general feeling is that the PhD is the first priority and that publications are not a must. Saying that if you have managed to publish your work this would be seen as a bonus, especially if you want to stay in the scientific / academic field.

However I am not sure whether it is of any use to worry about this at this stage, as you probably have to concentrate on the final stage of your PdD / viva etc. Obviously it may be useful to look at your material to see whether you can make a publication out of it, although the process between writing, submission and actually seeing your work published is quite a long one.:-)

Be happy you're finishing your PhD! This is the most important thing.

On the publications front, try writing something between submission and your viva. Also look at publishing your thesis (or a shortened version).

Hey Emily! I have been told that publications are absolutely vital for your career, at least in my subject, but lots of people wait until they have finished their PhD to publish, and there is research showing that publishing as you go along adds another four months to your PhD on average. Getting your PhD is clearly the priority, but maybe you could start to think about publishing papers from it after you have submitted it, then at least you might have something on the way by the time you are being interviewed for jobs etc and by the time you have your viva. Good luck! KB

Hi Emily, publications are definitley an advantage if you want to progress in research. I know a couple of people who waited until they finished their PhDs before they published and are now successfully pursuing careers in their respective fields.

Wow, quite a few replies already! Thanks. I am not sure what people mean by publishing the thesis?
I wish I could afford to only think about writing up and the viva (as I have done in the past 2-3 months) any longer, but I need to find a job from next spring.
Maybe publishing some of the work after will be an option, but I doubt it. My supervisor has no interest in the project, it had so many problems and lack of funding it is probably never going to be continued - I am essentially alone in this.

Hi emily, publishing the thesis is just making papers from your work in your thesis :-)

Oh, I see. Not much chance of that from my work...:-(
Would you guys openly address this in application/interviews or gloss over it?

Hi Emily

The bible on this forum, Joan Bolker's 'Writing Your Disseratation in 15 Minutes a Day' has a chapter on how to publish your thesis, maybe you should have a look? And I'd gloss over this in your applications - don't highlight what you lack and focus on the positives. Even saying that you're writing/submitting etc would help, I think. If you're finishing and going to pass, then your thesis must have original work which you could publish! Have faith in yourself and your work!