I've been working on my PhD for 20 months now and am having a ball. There is one huge financial problem and that make finishing my PhD improbable. I need to find a properly paid job again. It won't be easy to find a job that pays well enough to get through this, thus a bit more money, or a part-time job won't cut it. And there's not any more funding money for me.

I've just been offered a job interview, and the question is what my notice period is. I can't find anything! My PhD is sponsored by a company, but I was only given a slip of paper stating the amount of stipend and maximum duration. No reference to further terms and conditions. I can't find anything on my university or faculty website either. There's a handbook for PhD students, but it only touches on absences for more than a month. Of course I don't want to talk to my supervisor before everything is sorted as I might in the end have to take on any job that I find that pays more than the stipend and council tax.

Any suggestions?

Hi. If the company stopped payinng your stipend, why do you care so much for their interest? They have screwed you. You just see what is convenient for you and inform the company and the supervisor.
Do what is best for you only.

What? Nobody screwed me. The company continues to pay the stipend. The financial difficulties are completely unrelated to my PhD. But the stipend, and any work I could do next to it won't cover these difficulties.

Sorry didn't get it first time. I think you can assume a maximum of 3 months. If your new employer is happy to wait 3 months, it is absolutely fine. If not, you may try to speak with your tutor or admin in the department.

Where does the 3 month period come from? That makes it completely impossible to find a job. Just stopping and hoping for a job won't help as I'd need to pay council tax then and am off even worse.

My contract says a month, but all colleges differ.

Ok, just phoned the student support advisors and with their help finally found the right document. Apparently I don't have a notice period to withdraw from this university at all. As there's no additional documentation referred to in my contract I suppose that is also true for the stipend. After all, one cannot make unknown t&c not referred to anywhere in the signed papers part of a contract. I'd think anyway.

Ok, that's something. Now lets prepare for the job interview.

For my university, I can apply for a suspension of studies effective immediately, for up to a year. But i need supervisor and grad school approval. I think that for most leave's of absence you will need approval, so you might want to at least hint at it.

Can you get a teaching support contract or tutor some GCSE/A-Level students? It is a bit of money on the side that doesn't require you to leave the PhD.

Thanks a lot for your experience. I looked through all the paperwork, and there's no mentioning of any requirements for stopping the PhD. Only a suggestion that it would be a good idea to talk to the supervisor. This is also what the student advisor said.

I'm currently demonstrating as much as I can, but it's not possible to get enough money. Basically, I'm trying to avert a legal battle with regards to something I inherited. If this goes legal then it could go either way but will cost a lot regardless, and will have very big financial consequences if I lose. Paying up to avert it means I need the money for exactly that. So I'm paying the lowest sum I could possibly negotiate monthly, which is still too much for my current stipend, demonstrating cash, weekend job, and already low cost of living. Doesn't help that this is not a UK issue.

Sorry to hear this. What a horrible situation to be in. Maybe try and suspend studies instead of withdrawing? Then if it works out ok, you could come back to it.

Thanks a lot :) I could suspend for a year but that would not solve the matter as in such short period of time I could neither earn enough nor lend the money required (student status, matter in other country). Think of it as long-term, like a mortgage. I constantly kick myself, but of course know that this whole situation was so unlikely that it never would have made it on any financial risk assessment (yes, I did one before accepting the PhD).

From what you've said, it sounds like notice isn't required. Good luck with the job hunt!