Just wondered are most of you hoping to stay within universities / academic life? I read a report somewhere that gave figures for this being the highest rating proffesion for people with PhD's?

How difficult is it to gain work at a new uni after wards other than the one you studied at, or travel abroad (esp) the US to lecture as the teaching system / standards are so different?

Postdoc salaries depress me :(

I'm with DanB, I don't want to become an academic. Hopefully back into industry for me!

yer, would like to go back to industry for a bit to pay off the student loan :(

i would consider a post doc.. but doubt will get paid much more than i get now! probably industry for me.

money not that important to me either. but if i want to save for houses/family/future stuff etc i think a few years in industry would be useful for the bank balance :)

I tried reality once and it was horrible. The thought of getting a job `outside` makes me feel a bit sick. I want to be an eccentric professor wearing hand made cardigans and talking about lots of clever things that noone else understands when I grow up

There`s the work to live versus live to work dilemma. But then, I reckon that since you spend most of your awake time at work during the week, you may as well do something you enjoy, rather than just making loads of money to enjoy the other part of your life which is mostly being asleep. Maybe I`m rambling a bit ...

I am staying in Academia. I have already tried both- industry and work at university. I definitely preder University. If you are very good, you can make a decent money in Academia as well.Plus, as many of you already mentioned- flexibility and better life style, especially if you want to have family and kinds and really spend time with them.

am definitely leaving academia. am gonna run my business and do some consulting. immediately after my phd, am considering a postdoc year in the states, just to pass time while getting paid. otherwise, am in it for the title. after that. research? never again! i like the flexibility tho.....but i find it quite boring as well. So i guess i prefer the hassle and an interesting life.

BTW people in Academia also make millions;)) There was an article in Times Higher supplement last week- some chemists in the UK universities etc. have made even 4-40 milj for themselves from their inventions:)) Good example to follow:)

i would like to go into consultancy....i dunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnno

I'd prefer to stay in academia- but it's not arcadia! I'd say the opposite to verdy about having kids: the women I know in academia are constantly being harassed for having to leave at 5 to pick up their children .... working 9-5 is considered (according to my supervisor) as "part time" . Real part time positions don't really exist in science and once you've been out for a few years to take care of children it gets increasingly difficult to get a postdoc (as you don't have as may publications as a male postdoc).

Plus, you can't be a postdoc forever, after a few years you've got to try to find a permanent position somewhere. Since there are more postdocs around then permanent positions there's a bottle neck coming up sooner or later. If you fit through and get a position depends on your work and LOTS of good luck ....

In academia you've got the constant worry to publish enough in order the get the grant you need, and people tend to work a lot of unpaid overtime. Which is ok if you are enjoying yourself, but if you are doing it because you feel you have to it's not so great anymore.

I agree with you AnonGerman regarding women and Academia, however, it strongly depends from the subject. As far as I know, in social sciences where you do not work in lab together with others, you can have more flexible working hours. But of course, in sciences labs it can be that leaving at 5 is considered as part time job:)
and different universities, even departments, have different attitudes towards working flexibly.

Publications, yea, that is a real, real problem...