you know you have the full backing and best wishes of this forum;
go for it!
After 2 years unemployed I applied for a Phd position at the local Uni that was sponsored by a local high tech company and also has a scolarship
attached.
Not being shy I phoned the tech director of the company and quizzed him on what they were looking for and what they would expect of a sucessfull
applicant. Suprisingly I got an interview and was grilled for 2 1/4 hours bt the faculty prof, the visiting prof and guess who - yup that tech
director - gulp.
Somehow I must have guessed the correct academic answers cos they offered me the job that day - Yahoo!
So what's the problem? I really am struggling with the subject it's in pure physics and I'm am engineer! I start Wednesday and have
been studying like mad over Xmas but still don't have a firm grip on the basic maths - also....
I'm about 40 years older than your average postgrad student as I didn't do my hons degree untill last year and I'm worried about
fitting in.
All in all not feeling confident here. Still it's unbelievably good money and being a grant is tax free but can I bluff my way for long enough to
pick it up?
3 1/2 years of academic bliss or 3 1/2 years of desperatly trying to keep my head above the water I wonder which it will be?
Cheers!
If you don't give it a go you are likely to regret it. What's the worst that can happen?
Stu
quote:
What's the worst that can happen?
Go for it... and don't be shy to ask for help!
Go for it !
If you don't give it a try, you'll always wonder what would of happened if you had...
quote:
Originally posted by mistergrumpy
quote:
What's the worst that can happen?
Exactly! They can't make you pregnant so give it a go, you may surprise yourself.
The thing to remember about a PHD (I did an EngD - industrial PHD) is that it is basically a big project. It is not like a taught course where you
need to know everything and regurgitate it at the end. You need to know the relevant bits to apply to the work your doing. I did mine in data analysis
and my maths is terrible - but using software I could avoid all the nasty theory and just get on and do the actual work. Also remember that this is
your project and you will be the expert on it so to that extent you have the power to drive the project you want it to go within reason. Also
don't worry about fitting in - it's not like being a student - it's basically just like having a full time job but being your own
boss
Good luck and if you ever need any help just shout.
Perhaps not the greastest way to put it, but here goes. If it turns out u can't do it, worst thing is you'll be unemployed again in a few months... But much more likely I think, you'll quickly pick it up again, and all will be awesome. Might as well go for it!
You could always talk to the big boss who interviewed you and discuss your concerns - if he's any good and thinks you've got potential then
he'll do his best to support you. If he's hostile or negative then it's the wrong job.
He might have already worked out your short-comings and thought that your background in engineering is worth the risk taking you on.
Go for it, and act like the Swan, grace and serenity on the surface, and paddling like hell underneath. I wish you the very best of luck, and I am sure that you will make a go of it. Cheers Ray
Didn't you find the idea of building the boat daunting at first? Go For it. You know that you will only regret it if you don't.
Better to try and fail than never try at all. And who's to say that you will fail. Nothing worth having ever comes easy.
Best of luck.
[Edited on 1/1/12 by Confused but excited.]
I am sure I am not ty[ing out of turn when I say:
you know you have the full backing and best wishes of this forum;
go for it!
Your not bluffing your way into a job when interviewed by the panel you sat infront of ! They would see through b6llsh1t immediately.
They have chosen you, as you were the best person for the job.
Think positive, and absorb all the experience from those around you, some bits you will like & use, others you wont.
Stick a line on this thread in 3 months time, when you have settled in...
Not a great deal to add, but you'll have got the very strong weight of positive opinion on here that you've got the position 'as of
right.'
It's not as if you've 'blagged' your way into it. You've been offered the post on merit. (Otherwise they wouldn't have
grilled you for over two hours). If they are any good as a company, they'd have sussed a charlatan in 10 minutes. You earned two hours of their
time and that got you the offer. Take the position.
Be honest, especially with yourself, but also, give yourself a break and don't be hypercritical.
One last thing------- Very best of luck.
Not working is not fun. Getting a new job is always going to be stressful. They saw something in you obviously, and if you start to have real difficulties, then go to your boss and discuss the options. Until then, do what you know. Congratulations by the way!
First up, congrats on the appointment.
I reckon a) you basically told them everything you are concerned about during the interview, b) you had the bottle to phone the chap in ther first
place, c) they think you have everything needed to do the job, or at least will figure out how to get the info to do the job and finally, d) you are
the only successful applicant for that post.
Get stuck in and enjoy it
Great start to the new year!
ATB
Simon
Congratulations!!!
First of all, my advice in response to your question is:
I'm sure as an engineer, you've had to become quite adaptable over the years and this will help no end...
You may struggle here and there, but be honest and seek help...
I was interviewed last month for just shy of 3 hours, and then a second interview of one hour.
I didn't think I stood a chance as I was up against unbelievable opposition, but I start on Tuesday and I'm quite nervous that I won't
be up to the task, however I do know how I've performed in most things in my life, so I think I will do very well after I've settled
in...
All the best,
Steve
You were interviewed and they chose you. If you can put up with the academic side of it, you'll be fine.
After 5 years of MEng, I couldn't face a PhD, but I'm sure there'll be plenty of support for you, from Uni, the sponsor company and on
here if you ever need it.
It's a brilliant opportunity. Good luck and happy new year!
David.
They're not exactly picking a daft laddie here are they ?
'nuff said ?
Thanks for all the positive support but I'm still nervous !!
I take comfort from the point that its very focused and perhaps I'm taking too wide a view.
I'll post updates on how I survive if I do that is
BTW I won't be teaching or affecting adversely other students and anyhow the first 2 years are fairly common to most science courses and
straightforward in Scotland where we have 4 year first degrees
Cheers!
Well nearly a month in and my how my opinion has changed!
Sure it's tricky and the maths is daunting but it's all coming back like a great flood of pent up facts, figures and techniques just
exploding in my brain. Superb but in a way quite stressful.
The university is really laid back and the staff can be quite frustrating at times but my sponsor more than compensates for that . It is certainly
a culture change from the world of commerce.
I would not swop this experience for anything and feel so privileged and honoured that I have been given the chance to excel (whether I do achieve or
not).
If any other forum members get the chance to do a PhD my advice, on 4 weeks experience, is go for it with all guns blazing.
Mind you there are the hard parts - I have to go to China later this summer and then USA in the autumn ( should I start saying fall?) all paid for -
it's a hard life!
I'll let you know how things go 12 weeks in it may change.
Cheers! and ta for the support guys I nearly bottled out you know.
Is it West Of Scotland you're doing it at ?
My niece is around 18 months or so into her PHD there.
Do they still have a faculty club at your uni? The thought of teaching at my old place was completely banished when I remembered that they closed it during my time there.
Ever since leaving uni, I can't wait to find a PhD studentship in something I want to study!
Very well done on your appointment and I'm glad you're settling in. Nothing quite like being paid to learn interesting stuff!
quote:
Originally posted by zilspeed
Is it West Of Scotland you're doing it at ?
My niece is around 18 months or so into her PHD there. [/
Yup but because I started in Jan I'm 6 months behind/ahead of the other PhD students and haven't really met the other faculty students yet.
Also quite pushed for time at the mo whilst I get up to speed it's a bit like work/eat/sleep cycle just now
It's not really stressful but it's a constant push to achieve even the smallest things - upside is a great sense of achievement early on - downside is occasional frustration But it will undoubtedly get better and I'll chill out a little
v8kid - 31/1/12 at 03:09 AMquote:
Originally posted by RK
Do they still have a faculty club at your uni? The thought of teaching at my old place was completely banished when I remembered that they closed it during my time there.
Call them student unions over here. Dens of iniquity full of depravity and your mother would tell you to cross the street.
Yup we still have One
Cheers!
v8kid - 31/1/12 at 03:21 AMquote:
Originally posted by PSpirine
Ever since leaving uni, I can't wait to find a PhD studentship in something I want to study!
Very well done on your appointment and I'm glad you're settling in. Nothing quite like being paid to learn interesting stuff!
Thanks for the encouragement. Most PhD subjects are a bit flexible and subject creep tends to set in as more is found out. Industrial sponsors tend to be very focussed on deliverables but the academics just want to publish papers and if bending the subject produces more papers in better journals it's a no brained. So there is a bit of latitude after you start.
Thing to do is look for CASE and ESPRC sponsored studentships cos the stipend is excellent and tax free. Also there are budgets attached - it's worth about £100k to the uni so they really want you to be there and to succeed consequently if you can present a good case and a good degree you will be accepted for quite a diverse range of subjects.
This one was my second application- course it might just be luck but if you fancy it chase it you can always say no!
Cheers!
v8kid - 5/3/12 at 09:34 PMPhew!
9 weeks in and I'm absolutely exhausted.
I can't believe how much I've learned and its not enough. I also can't believe how little I've achieved but everyone else thinks its great! I suppose that's education
I'm really lucky that my sponsor is extremely competent and patient but pushy and encouraging without him I'd probably pack it in. On the other hand I've spent at least 50% of my time on assembling/repairing/adapting mothballed equipment that really should have been better cared for. Ho hum!
Since I discovered the latest version of mathcad the maths problem has eased but now I need to pick up Autocad and Solidworks in a hurry - also looming is my first involvement in a paper - basically 'cos I'm doing the lab tests (donkey work) but it is really decent of them to give me credit this early in.
Would I have started if I knew it was going to be this tough? Dunno.
Would I recommend it to anyone else? Well it would help if the Ph.D. was in your area of expertise - moving outside comfort zones is really stressful and in all honesty I would not recommend taking the route I have. There is a fundamental disconnect between Engineers and Physicists with engineers focusing on building real world systems and physicists concentrate on understanding possible systems. Trying to do both is like living 2 lives
On the other side I get to play with some seriously high tech toys even if the technicians run to hide when they see me coming
Think I won't update this thread until I have good news to report.
Cheers!
zilspeed - 5/3/12 at 09:44 PMAutocad is one of my things that I do for a living.
Anything I can help with, shout out via U2U if required.
Regds
JF
v8kid - 10/12/15 at 11:27 PMWell nearly 4 years later and yesterday I successfully defended my dissertation!!
Yahoo - it was one hell of a lot of work just to put Dr Dave on my credit card.
Anyone else feel like doing a PhD in their later years I'd thoroughly recommend it and they pay you too!
But now I think I'll take a year out to catch up on life (and cars)
Cheers!
zilspeed - 11/12/15 at 07:00 AMCongrats Sir.
Should you ever do a sprint again, I'll expect to see Dr David C****s on the entry list ;-)
v8kid - 11/12/15 at 10:57 AMI'll be there!