Signup date: 22 Oct 2006 at 4:43pm
Last login: 15 Jan 2012 at 11:29pm
Post count: 1602
I did my honours degree and have been working in a diagnostics lab abroad for nine months since. The last interview I went to was at Dundee, there were ten applicants and I think everyone had some work experience and/or further study. It's not essential but it certainly helps to have done a bit more, whether it's summer work or a year in industry. Friends who went direct to PhD from Uni had all done an industrial year as part of their course.
I think it's a pretty normal response to feeling pressure, neccessity can be the mother of invention, and the mother-of-all confidence crisis. It might help to consider the following:
*It's down on paper but it can always be revised if you're not happy.
*This seems like the biggest deal in the world...it isn't, you'll still be breathing tomorow if it's not perfect.
*Break it up. Don't sit with ten million notes and a vast expanse of blank sheets, that would scare the crap out of anyone. Start by dividing your tasks and only think about the one your doing at that time.
I've got an interview there soon. Just weighing up options as I've had an offer elsewhere and still have another interview to go at another place. Rather hope I get this one but I know it'll be competitive.....we shall see! Thanks for the frank input, they didn't specify and I didn't like to push it but it's good to know the score.
This made me think. I work in a lab in Norway with two people who were political refugees from Iran many years back. They're great scientists and are grateful to have a safe home for themselves and their families. I understand that there's a need to be more cautious (ie - stop applying our expertise to directly train the terrorists of tomorow, that was clever), but it's sad to think of what how many worthwhile people we'll exclude in the process.
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