Hi glimmerbat, thank you for sharing your personal experience! If you don't mind, what skills did you acquire from the degree and are you doing anything related to it now?

Hi chrismuhawe, thank you so much for sharing your insights and advice with me. If I may ask, if given the opportunity to start over again, would you still choose to pursue your PhD? Why or why not?

Hi abababa, thanks so, so much for taking the time to read my post and providing such helpful insights. I really appreciate it and it definitely helps me make a decision that I'll be content with!

Hi Jhowell,

I've applied to two UK institutions and had one interview in December. I didn't receive any interview invitation from the other university so I thought I didn't get a place even though the application status kept showing 'decision pending' for several months. But a few days ago I heard back from them and received their offer. Unless it has been stated clearly there's an interview, I guess different universities have different timelines, and maybe the pandemic has slowed things down for them as well. I hope this helps a little! God luck!

Hi all,

I've recently received Literature PhD offers but I'm not sure whether I should accept any of them. I've established my career, I love my job, and I'm lucky enough to be considered a candidate for promotion in the future. The reason I applied for a PhD was to see how far I could go and I thought at the time, in the unlikely event that I got accepted, I could try something new because I love being intellectually challenged and I am passionate about literature. I've loved it for as long as I can remember.

I've been recently given two offers and while I'm grateful for them, I'm stressed by the decision-making, something I didn't foresee. Both offers are from another country. Accepting either doesn't only mean I'll have to abandon my career, but maybe even face the consequence of financial difficulties and a tough time finding a job after graduation. I've learnt from multiple sources there are limited teaching positions in universities. Although I'm not looking for another job that offers me the same salary and prospect of my current one, my mind is now filled with the worst-case scenarios like being jobless, being unable to graduate, facing huge student loans etc. And so I'm not sure whether it's worth giving up a job I love for literature...which I also love...

What I also didn't foresee is my parents' reaction. They are worried about my career opportunities and when I told them if there was one in the country I studies in, I would consider it. They were upset that I wouldn't be there to take care of them in their old age, and this adds an extra burden to my decision-making.

I'd be very grateful if anyone here could tell me what it's like to do a PhD and whether the job market in academia is as dismal as it sounds. Having some concrete ideas would help me make a most informed decision! Thank you so much!

Alex