Overview of Iman

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New job, research, and a long wait
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Congratulations!

I would say do tell your boos before leaving about this great news! and also the hard time that you and other colleagues were given while working. Be their voice. May be it will make a difference and the next time the management might treat its employees better.
Good luck for the future goals!

Advise Needed
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Thanks for this piece of advice. Also is it possible for you to share with me your entire experience of writing a paper (if u are from social science and humanities) as I am really excited about this but am scary also since this would be my first serious writing ever since my PhD writing. Like sharing your experience as to how did u manage to discipline your self? did u read and write everyday or did you fix specific days for it? Also did you use to send your drafts to anyone for reading even while you were writing etc.
I 'll be grateful if you take time out to share the experience with me.
thanks and regards

Advise Needed
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Hi, I have come to know about a special issue call for papers. The two special issue editors for the collection have written in the end of it that ‘To discuss initial ideas or seek editorial advice, please contact the special issue editors by email’. Since I haven’t even started publishing my work since I did my PhD last year in May 2013, and this issue is very relevant to one my key findings on which I wrote a chapter in my thesis, therefore, I am really keen to avail this opportunity. I however need advice regarding the following: Is it okay if I give a brief background of my research [2 para detailing my fieldsite, methods employed, and the group of women I have researched upon] and then tell them my initial idea and the sections that I have chalked out for the paper? Like after having written this, its about two and half page thing. Or shall I give an abstract of 500 words? Actually I wrote the abstract first but then thought that it’s not speaking out very clearly the relevance of my work to the special issue theme. I am willing to work on it for two more days though. I welcome any advice in this regard. My field is anthropology.
Thanks and regards

Unanticipated life after PhD: help needed
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Dear both,
Hi thanks very much for taking time out to share your experiences of post doc life. It’s consoling to hear that I am not alone in my struggles to make sense of my situation! Also thanks very much for the advice to dealing with it. I have reflected upon my priorities and have made a ‘to do list’ for the week. This has enabled me to take stock of how to limit myself for doing groceries all the time and wasting so much commuting time in it (since where I live all the shopping malls are in different sectors, the roads are broken as there is construction work going on in the major cities of Pakistan including mine due to which lots of traffic diversions are there which adds up to the driving time). Jotting down my coming week’s priorities and how to approach the second quarter of my current work contract gives me a sense of control and am now a bit relaxed and happy with the things that I can (hopefully!) achieve in the next four months with patience and staying positive.

Thanks again immensely
Kind regards and best wishes Iman

Unanticipated life after PhD: help needed
I

Hi All,
I finished my PhD in sociology/social anthropology back in May 2013 with a straight A pass. As an international student I was proud of this achievement and returned my country proudly. After eight months of wait I was appointed as an Assistant Professor in a Social Sciences University in Islamabad Pakistan. As a PhD student I worked hard in my student years and after good comments in the viva I was really motivated to write research papers and was very much sure that I can do that. However, I feel upset and depressed all the time now. First, because of the unrest situation in Pakistan, commuting eats all my time back and forth the work place. I plan that in the evening I will sit and read to reach the stage of writing but am very tired when I reach back home. The weekends are eaten up in the domestics (doing groceries and washing and ironing clothes) Second, the office space is shared. One person talks very loudly and even though I have tried to politely ask her to speak a little lower when talking on phone/ or with her students but to no avail. In fact, her department head comes all the time and talk to her. I as a junior faculty members (though in a different ) can’t report her anywhere. On top of that this room is used as a kitchen space (for heating food in the micro and making tea by other faculty members on the floor) so am unable to concentrate on my work and am frustrated most of the time. Third, my job is contractual. I am to apply for post docs after this year, which is only possible (I think!) if I have a few ublications to show on my cv. I don’t know from where to start as I am also to find time to start searching for and making applications for the post doc. The pressure of being unemployed in Jan and not being able to continue with repaying my PhD loan is upsetting me further. Can anyone kindly help me as to how to handle my situation?
I am really looking forward to talk to someone about my situation and am really worried thats why I have joined this blog. I never anticipated that I would have such experiences after the PhD. I ‘ll really appreciate if anyone can share their experiences / any advise as to how to handle this with me
Kind regards