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Dear CareerDoctor,
Due to the high volume of questions received, the CareerDoctor
cannot answer all queries on an individual basis. Look for an
answer to your question published in this column soon! Thank
you!
I started a Ph.D. in biochemistry 2 months ago, and
it seems to me that I'll be pretty much left on my own with it. I
do see my supervisor most days and get vague reassurances about my
progress, but this is not sufficient to make me feel confident
about how things are going.
I really expected to have more of an idea of what my
Ph.D. would be about by now. Instead, I just seem to be in the
library all the time and haven't got a chance to get to grips with
my project yet.
Christmas is approaching, and my first-year report,
which is scheduled for next summer, already seems to be a lot
closer than is comfortable.
How can I get myself on track? I really want to
finish my Ph.D. in 3 years and get a job in industrial research
after that, but when I compare myself to my friends who've already
gone into industry, I seem to be drifting.
Thanks for any advice,
Tim
Dear Tim,
First of all, I want to reassure you that you are probably
experiencing the same uncertainty as most new Ph.D. researchers at
this stage. The start of a Ph.D. can be a bit of a culture shock,
compared to your undergraduate or master's degree, when everything
was clearly laid out for you. A Ph.D. is a very different
qualification; one of its main appeals to employers is the degree
of autonomy it leads someone to develop. That isn't to say that you
have to work out how to do everything by yourself, but it does mean
that you have the responsibility of making sure your Ph.D. is on
track.
I'll outline here some of my top tips for getting your Ph.D. off
to a flying start and give you sources for further advice. I'll
also suggest a few things that may keep you ahead of the crowd.
To start with, you need to view your Ph.D. as a personal
project, not an exercise given to you by someone else. Therefore,
you must realise that you have to take the main responsibility for
it. That doesn't simply translate into doing the necessary reading
and experimental work. You also need to actively manage your
research project by developing a realistic but challenging plan,
ensuring that the relationship with your supervisor and other
stakeholders is effective, and monitoring your progress against
clearly defined goals.
After being in a very structured academic setting, such project
management may seem a little daunting, but it is a very logical
process and a skill that will stand you in good stead in your
future career. I recommend that you get hold of the Ph.D. planning
chart that has just been launched by the United Kingdom's GRAD Programme . "Planning a doctorate:
schedule for success" comes with advice on how to plan your Ph.D.
from Day 1. You can e-mail GRAD to order a copy or find out
where to get one at your institution. You'll also find some general
tips on project management that have been published on
Next Wave and the Business Balls Web site.
If you want your Ph.D. to be a success, you need to ensure that
you get appropriate help and feedback from your supervisor. Seeing
your supervisor every day may seem like a positive start, but you
need to make sure that this supervision is sufficiently structured
to allow you to discuss your research in depth. You should arrange
a dedicated, uninterrupted meeting with your supervisor about once
a month, and I'd suggest that you set an agenda for these meetings
(perhaps outlining this in an e-mail a few days beforehand) and
write up a record of what was discussed. The discipline of doing
this will help you manage your project and ensure that if there are
any slippages or problems, they can be identified and discussed
early.
Although you will be expected to develop as an independent
researcher throughout the time of your research project, most
Ph.D.s start under the careful direction of the supervisor. If you
feel this is not so in your case, make sure in your first meetings
that your supervisor gives you a clear outline of the project and
sets realistic milestones. This should help you appreciate what
kinds of techniques and research experience will be required and
the long-term goals of the project. However, be aware that the
majority of Ph.D. projects evolve naturally, so you may well not
stick closely to your initial plan.
You should also be discussing your respective responsibilities.
To help you plan for this type of discussion, look at your
postgraduate handbook, which should include the institutional Code
of Practice for Research Supervision. If you cannot find one for
your own university, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher
Education (QAA) has recently produced recommendations
, which should give you a clearer view of what you should expect
from your supervisor, department, and university.
As your Ph.D. project moves forward, your meetings with your
supervisor should focus on discussing your scientific progress, but
you should also take responsibility for seeking feedback about the
development of your personal skills as a researcher. Your
supervisor may not be familiar with giving feedback along these
lines, so you can help by being aware of the skills needed to do
research most effectively. The Research Councils' Joint Skills Statement
gives an excellent outline. Alternatively, the Postgraduate Skills
Record , produced by the Royal Society of Chemistry, will help
you manage your professional development.
Your supervisor isn't the only source of advice and information.
You are probably working with other researchers who have more
experience than you do, other Ph.D. students, postdoctoral
researchers, or technicians. You should consider them part of your
support network; they can help you learn the ropes of doing
research by showing you how they keep their research records,
explaining procedures for ordering materials or interlibrary loans,
and discussing your research ideas informally before you present
them to your supervisor. Some research groups have a strong culture
of support, but it isn't uncommon for a group to operate as a set
of individuals who rarely share ideas or help one another. Don't
assume that your fellow researchers aren't willing to help; they
may simply never have been asked before. Obviously, you need to
respect their time and not become a nuisance, but do ask for their
advice.
If you are planning to move into industry after you graduate,
you'll need to have more to offer than laboratory expertise and
understanding of your research project. Most industrial research is
done in multidisciplinary teams, so you'll also need to be able to
work in teams and communicate with people from a range of
disciplines. Maintain your contact with friends who have gone into
industry and talk to them about the skills they need to be
effective in their workplace. Make sure you build into your project
plan the time to go onto GRADschool and look into
initiatives such as Researchers in Residence or
Biology 4 All to build
your communication skills.
Alternatively, most universities now have researcher-training
programmes, so you should be able to attend workshops focusing on,
for example, communication and team-playing skills. Your
university's graduate school, faculty, and career-services offices
should all be able to advise you on the content and scheduling of
their training programme.
Looking beyond your Ph.D., your career success will depend on
your impact on the wider scientific community. So, I'd recommend
that you join relevant professional bodies to broaden your
awareness of your field and to start building your professional
network. Some of the research councils pay membership fees for
their funded students to join a professional body, and most
societies offer students greatly reduced fees. During your Ph.D.,
you also need to make the most of the conferences you will attend.
There are articles elsewhere on Next Wave (see box below) giving
tactics for maximising their benefits.
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To make the most of your conference experience, read on.
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An extended literature review is a logical starting point for a
Ph.D., as it should give you an appreciation of the field to which
you will be contributing. As you carry out your first piece of
research, you will be learning the technical skills as much as
anything, so your progress may be slow in the beginning. With time,
your confidence and independence will grow. As they do, the nature
of your responsibility for the Ph.D. will change. You will begin to
develop ideas and suggest new lines of work. All of this is the
natural development of the skills you'll need to be an effective
researcher.
Be reassured: It sounds as though your Ph.D. is on track, but
you need to take responsibility for your progress.
I wish you all the best in your career,
The CareerDoctor