Hi all,

I'm just wondering whether you think it would be unreasonable to take on another job, for some extra money.

I'm finishing off my Masters at the moment, but start my full-time PhD in September, and I'm funded.

I currently work 1 day a week as an RA, 1 evening a week doing voluntary work, as well as 3 hours once a month for another paid activity.

But I've just recently seen a job advertised, which is for 1 day a week, and I'm really keen on applying.

This would mean that basically, I'd be busy for 2 1/2 days each week. Would this leave me with enough time to do my PhD, as well as allowing some time off, or would it be pushing it? I'm also hoping that there would be some teaching available during my PhD, so that added on too would be involved.

What do you all think?

Depending on who you are funded by there are rules on how much extra paid work you can take on. I was funded by the AHRC and there was a limit to six hours a week but this didn't include teaching. You need to check what the rules are and also think about how much time you will need to spend on your PhD and don't forget to factor in some time for relaxing and socialising as you will need that to keep sane!

If you need the money, then if it were me, I'd be tempted to get extra work before the end of your masters, save up some cash and then drop back down to the hours you are currently doing for when your PhD starts.

If you want teaching work, then you will have to be available to do it, and it is very time consuming in my expereince, especially in your first year.

Hey Button- it depends on your PhD really, and whether you are lab based or will be out testing participants during the day time etc. Personally I wouldn't have a hope of doing my PhD if I was working 2 1/2 days per week on something else, but others from different subjects that are more flexible (i.e. not being committed to a lot of lab work or a lot of testing between the hours of 9-5 Mon-Fri) might find it quite possible. So depends on what your PhD involves really! Best, KB

I couldn't have done done it. The first couple of years I was testing or setting up experiments 9-5, 4 days a week, and then the 5th was spent on taught modules in the first year and internal/external seminars and busy work for the second. I only managed to get time to fit teaching in towards the end of my third year because data collection died down. The weekend was then overflow for whatever I hadn't managed during the week, or the occasional visit to actually see people.

Even if you could fit it all in though, do you want to? You don't want to burn yourself out before you get to the end of it all.

That would be my concern too - burn-out.

In my first year I've been teaching a module on an MA course at another university (a course I was teaching before I started my PhD, so it wasn't really that much work as I'd done all the preparation and knew the module backwards) and to be honest, I've resented every moment when I've been having to support the students from that module rather than work on my own research, it's felt like it just hasn't been worth it, even though the (small!) pay has been useful. I also do voluntary work - I'm Chair of a voluntary group and while it doesn't take that much time really, it's just another thing to keep thinking about.

I've felt under pressure to find the time to do the job and the voluntary work as well as all the PhD work, and that I haven't given enough time to my PhD as a result. I started out wanting my PhD to be very much 9-5 so I had a life outside, but it's taking over, and the pressure of trying to do it in less time than the bursary really allows for because of the other things I've taken on has just felt too much at times. I think the easier you can make your life the better!

But it's different for everyone, of course!

hi button :-)
Another job is a good idea :-) but first how will your phd go, is it one where you have to do everything (run around, do recruitment or lots of experiments in the lab or field work etc). If you have a rather "safe" one where time is not spent on running around and you know more or less how the supervisory meetings take place etc. AND if this 1-day a week job is easy and not taxing for you, then go for it :-)

If the job can give you more stress, don't do it :-)

Teaching is nice too; only thing is it's time-consuming and marking assignments can give you headache.
love satchi

======= Date Modified 15 Jul 2010 19:40:38 =======
Hi, I'd also worry about burnout but as all the others have said this depends entirely on what the nature of your PhD is. I work 10 hours a week as an RA (two days, 5 hours a day) and it kills sometimes. I find it hard to get going again on those days when I get home as its pretty stressful and tight deadlines and I find that I'm working 7 days a week - 5 days on the PhD, 2 days on RA. I'm not allowed to teach as I'm only allowed to do 10 hours a week (including teaching) and tbh at this point I'm glad that even though I was offered a post my sup put his foot down for me to do that and the RA work and refused permission. I do need to get teaching experience but it's likely to be end of 3rd year stuff which is a shame, but then you can't do everything or your PhD suffers and so do you.

edited to say I've just noticed that you're funded (missed that bit - skim reading - sorry!) in which case its unlikely you'll be given permission. Depending on who provides your funding its normally a max of 10 hours a week - more often 6 hours. I really wouldn't risk doing it without your sup's permission - not wise at all!

This. A thousand times over. I only taught one afternoon a week but I felt the evening afterwards, and even some of the morning before, was written off. It might not be too bad for some but I found it really difficult to get back home after teaching and shift gear back into the PhD. I either did nothing at all or something really light (like cursory glances at papers), and ended up feeling terrible the next day.

I have worked 20 hours a week from day 1 of my full time PhD, and am going to submit in 2.5 years.
Its roughly 2 hours teaching and 9 each on two pan European projects.

I havent burnt out yet, but might very soon.

So, if avoidable dont do it.

Bug.

Hmm, I'm currently working 3 hours a day Mon-Friday (and, like you, just finishing my MA beginning PhD in Sept). I work to cover lunch, so 12-3pm most days. I must say, this has been tough with my MA seminars and writing around the middle-of-the-day hours, but I needed a job and, with the economy, I had to take what was offered. Having said this, I enjoy the place I work for, and it isn't tough going, just admin.

Your post has made me think though, I will need to drop some hours -- well, not hours, but days -- if I want to get some teaching experience. I was thinking of maybe suggesting a job share where I work 2 or 3 days (perhaps for more hours in the day) but also have 2 or 3 days off. I don't know if this is possible, but worth a go. Basically the PhD is more important than this job, and if I have to, I will quit. You can always take the job and see how it works out for you. If you think it is harming your research, then leave. After all, the research is more important.

Thanks for all your responses! My PhD is in social sciences, so I won't have the pressure of labs and so on.

I'm sort of undecided about what to do- I definitely don't want to work 2.5 days a week on things unrelated to my PhD, but there is a possibility that my RA position may stop soon- we're only contracted until November but there is word that we will be kept on. The deadline for the new job is not until September, so I wouldn't be starting that until October.

I'm just a bit worried that if I don't go for this new job then I won't be kept on as an RA and then I'll have nothing! Should I just apply for it and then turn it down if I am kept on as an RA?

I would say: yes!

YES!...it is better to keep your options open I would think

Hey, I don't want to put a dampner on things but you really need to read all the details from your funders.

My people have quite strict rules on how many hours you can work for your university (reseach assistant / teaching) and also I am not allowed to take on any other paid employment unless it is directly related to my PhD and special permission is given. The idea is your PhD should be a full time job - that's what they're paying you for.

Just be wary - a PhD in my dept was working in a cafe over christmas not for an overwhelming number of hours but somehow the funders found out (ESRC) and she/her supervisors/university got in trouble over it. I'm not sure if anything happened in the end (apart from warning emails from our head of dept) but she certainly quit her extra job!