In the future you should expect to stay in the same field but you'll have flexibility with topics. For example if your PhD is in Economics don't expect to become a sociologist later in life but you could venture from International Economics for example to Labour or Development Economics. That's what I'm doing right now.

The obvious questions:

1) Why a PhD in this topic?
2) Why our university/department?
3) What skills do you have that will help you succeed in the PhD?
4) What skills will you develop during the course of the PhD?
5) What novel contributions do you hope to make from this project?

Answer these effectively and the interview will go well.

Do you have the chance to have a colleague read it and let you know what he/she thinks? Why did you chose to use that model in the first place would be a question you'll definitely be asked it would seem so focus on preparing for this questions (preparing an answer).

Generally yes publications are more valuable than conferences, especially if you're looking to get a postdoc or fellowship. That is the case for the social sciences.

Yes I'm talking about the UK in general. Some PGCE do not involve teaching in schools but even the ones that do I find that it's overrated (from several of my mates who talked about their experiences). Patseya if the jobs you're looking for ask for it then I guess you should consider it. If you were simply curious about benefit/cost, then that's what I think.

In one word: No. I don't see PGCE as a certificate that adds much value to your CV whether you're going into research/academia or the job market in some other sector.

1. Visit career offices of nearby unis sometimes they would provide advice if you're an alumnus and you can even access some of their resources.
2. Know what you want! Do you want a PhD, do you want to work in research? Without knowing what you're aiming for you can't tailor your CV successfully which's why you're not getting that many interviews.
3. As TreeofLife says, work on your interview technique: get a friend or relative to role play the interviewer and practice or do it yourself at home as well this helped me.
4. There's no such thing as "the best places to work"- every employer has pros and cons and you need to research each employer individually. It's hard work but it must be done I'm afraid otherwise you'll be grasping at straws.
5. Consider volunteer work if you can- this will help you end the "unemployment gap" in your CV, build your skills portfolio, and will make you a more attractive employee to employers.

Both are great but if I were you I'd chose LSE as the course seems more interesting and I do know that its name carries cache whether you intend to continue with your studies or find a job after the course. That's not to say UCL would tarnish your CV of course but for these courses I'd hands down go to LSE.

If you make it to the viva you could still fail but here's how I'd put the likelihoods:

1. Pass with no corrections: Very rare these days (I'd say 1% of viva candidates)
2. Pass with corrections: Common outcome (I'd say 40% of students get this)
3. Revise and Resubmit: Also common (I'd say also 40% of students get this)
4. Get an Masters in place: Actually more common than people think (around 18%)
5. Fail outright: Very unlikely (around 1% as well)

That's just based on my uni, other unis, online bloggers, etc… What your supervisor tells you is important so if he thinks you're on the right track it's likely you are but it's no guarantee that the bad outcomes won't occur.

Having said that at 18 months in it's still too early to make impressions. Stick to your work and I'm sure you won't get any of the bad outcomes.

Hi AislingB,
Thanks! I do swim regularly (in fact I used to swim at quite a high level in my uni years). I think my issue (funny I was discussing this with someone yesterday) is that I'm so obsessed with confronting and resolving my issues that I drive myself crazy: what's the point of distracting myself with yoga etc…? I know it sounds silly but that's how I am. Yoga is one thing I need to do more of to be honest so that's something to consider. I am now at a stage where I so hate myself that I just put on my clothes, go to the gym, then work, then rush home to be on the net until I sleep. Makes me wonder what all the work (PhD, MSc, BSc, working in the private sector, etc..) was all for.

At any rate I hope my rosacea gets better first things first. I don't know why my brother is not responding to my 2 latest emails there isn't much I can do at this stage. As for the ortho, my appointment is next week- wish me luck!

I'm surprised at why people seem to restrict their skill set (or skill set acquired via PhD) to academia. To be honest, I'm still considering moving back into academia and have a couple of publications out, but am currently working in a different sector. So far, my employers here in Canada appreciate the skills I bring, and in my division alone we have four other PhDs (two in natural sciences as well even though we deal with economic policy), three CFAs, and five MBAs. The point is if you're one of those people that hopes to just go into academia after a PhD, then I've got bad news: it doesn't work that way, and it's not just about publications anymore it's also about networking, your supervisor's reputation and your department.

TreeofLife is right: PhD is for training both hard and soft skills (personality skills and technical). As for brown, Canada is also adopting a similar approach to Germany, and in fact the Canadians are hiring people from the States and Europe these days to take advantage of the educational experience there (hence why I was hired). I for one think as long as you are doing some research whilst not being in the academic sector you are getting a good return for your PhD, and can make the transition to academia in the future (with certain conditions). As for marasp, there's nothing wrong with working at a fast-food so chin up; I'm sure it'll be temporary but I would strongly advise people to be more flexible in their approach to job-hunting. Ultimately that's what helped me.

Hi human,
You're not alone- tbh I know PhDs who live with their parents and are jobless.

What's your PhD in?
What have you been doing since then in terms of publishing papers, attending conferences etc?
What sort of sector are you looking to get employed in?

All these issues can affect job prospects but trust me I know people with postdocs who are still unemployed after years of looking :(

Hey guys,
Just an update: feeling more stressed than usual even more than my PhD days- thinking about my youngest brother and my personal issues. Moreover, can't stop thinking about my appointment with my orthodontist Fri the 13th (hope it's not a sign lol). My rosacea is getting worse and I may need to get back on antibiotics. Any advice from people who are good at dealing with stress? Ironically my stress-management skills during my PhD were awesome but they are failing me now. Thanks