So there I was, I had passed my viva, and pending a few minor corrections, I had completed my PhD.
Now what?
I had accepted some short-term data analysis work whilst I was finishing my thesis, however, I was awaiting data from colleagues to get stuck into this. I was also offered an interview as a research associate/fellow for the day after my viva. Whilst, I considered it to be an activity in procrastination, it is important to consider your next step in the final couple of months of your PhD. These things take time, keep your eyes open and your options broad. I felt that this paid off for me.
As part of the interview, I needed to prepare a 15 minute research presentation and be prepared to answer questions on the content (As if a viva isn’t pressure enough!). Thankfully, I felt that the viva was excellent practice for answering questions about my research and I felt very confident and prepared. Following a few drinks the night before, I was up early and ready to impress.The interview went well and I was told that I would hear in the next week.
In that period I was considering returning to this blog and felt that I wanted to get more involved in social media. Because of this, I decided to become a curator for the Early Career Psychologist Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ECPsychologist/) and Twitter account (@ECPsych), please feel free to check us out, like or follow.
I was successful in the interview and begin post-doc work on the 11th January, I can’t wait.
What have I learned during this process? Passing your viva is great, but you also need to consider your future. You need to stand out from the crowd and early in your career, this can be difficult. Become involved in as many things as you can manage without burning yourself out or spreading yourself too thin