// Archives

Alternative Ways to Find Postgraduate Funding

By Naomi Imms, Information Officer So, you’ve decided you want to do a masters or PhD? It’s an exciting prospect, whether you’re doing it to enhance your job prospects, kick-start an academic career, or for pure love of the subject. But have you worked out how to fund it? Perhaps you’re planning to get a …

On to the second; a post-hoc analysis of my PhD year 1 and where I think I’m going

By Andrew Wilhelmsen, PhD student It feels an awful lot like I started my PhD no more than a few weeks ago, yet here I am writing reflections on what has actually been an entire year. I’m not sure where those mysterious 365 days went in all honesty. I’m fairly confident I’ve spent longer times waiting to be served …

There’s More to a PhD than Studying

By Rowland Seymour, PhD Mathematical Sciences I chose to do a PhD because I enjoy doing research, but I didn’t realise the other skills I would develop along the way. Doing a PhD has helped me become a better public speaker, be more creative in my thinking and most of all, be more confident about …

How I Put My Postgraduate Experience to Work

By Kirstin Barnard, Employability Education Projects Officer I wanted to write this blog to share my experiences about how completing my postgraduate course not only gave me an extra level of qualification, but also a springboard to a new set of skills and strengths for my career journey. In the beginning Having had a successful …

Coffee and Connections – Food for Thought at a Networking Brunch

By Andrew Wilhelmson, PhD researcher A couple of weeks ago, I took a short break from my desk to head on over to a PhD Networking Brunch being held in The Studio. Asides from a great excuse to take a break from reading the colossal stack of papers sitting next to me. I hoped the …

Searching for Jobs Beyond Academia?

By Clare Jones, Senior Careers Adviser PhD researchers often begin a careers discussion with me by asking questions about where they should start looking for jobs. They may then add that they are uncertain about what career paths are open to them other than academia.  This second statement is crucial, as it’s difficult to effectively job search without having …

How Pedalling the Path Less Travelled Helped Me Explore Career Pathways

By Andrew Wilhelmsen, PhD Life Science After finishing my master’s degree, I had all the career focus of a wayward roaming, itchy-footed vagabond and all the wanderlust of a, well… wayward roaming, itchy-footed … you get the point. So, I hopped on a plane to Singapore and decided to go on a bike ride, for …

My PhD Journey – The Highs and the Lows

By Maria Lozano, PhD Education Maria has recently completed her PhD at Nottingham and she reflects on her journey – the highs and the lows – and offers advice to potential PhD students. Enchanted by research As a masters student I enjoyed spending time in the library, researching different topics and being a learner. It …

Why I Studied a PhD and How It Has Helped My Career

By Martyn Quigley, PhD Psychology alumnus Martin has recently completed his PhD and just secured his first teaching role. We asked him to reflect on his experience and offer advice to students considering undertaking a PhD. Make sure you know what your ‘why?’ is Undertaking a PhD is a big commitment and you need to give it …

My PhD Career Path: A Winding Road

By Clare Jones, Senior Careers Adviser, Research Staff/Postgraduate Research Students As a PhD student you may be considering your next step and looking for that ‘forever’ career. In the 21st century, you’re likely to have four or five jobs in your working life – if not more! Elizabeth Davey talks us through her career history …