I’m considering a PhD, where do I start?

Speak to as many people as you possibly can about doing a PhD in your scientific area of interest. PhD experiences vary dramatically between scientific fields, countries, universities, departments and even within individual research groups. As well as being super variable in space, the PhD is also super variable in time. I highly recommend speaking to current PhD students to better understand what a PhD is like right now. If you’re not on Twitter already, then get on it, there are loads of PhD students willing to share their experiences.

If you already know exactly what you want to work on, then that makes this bit a little easier. You should start 'googling' labs which work in your interest area. The easiest way I’ve found to find research groups is by looking at the author’s university address on papers and then googling them, most labs now have their own websites. Usually in biology the last author on a paper is the research leader, or principal investigator (PI), this is the person you will want to look up.

If you don’t know exactly what you want to work on (this is most people). Then find a few areas that interest you and repeat the above.

Alternatively, if you want to do your PhD in the UK you can wait for the yearly lists of doctoral training partnership projects to come out and search through for something that interests you at Find a PhD. These projects usually come out November time and applications are usually needed by early January.

Fina a PhD

Now you have your list of labs or short list of advertised projects! Woo! The next best tip I can give is to informally reach out to the person advertising the project, the PI. If the lab isn’t advertising any specific PhD projects you can ask about the possibility of doing a PhD with them, this is particularly useful if you are applying abroad, the PI will know how to get funding (extra tip: enthusiasm is everything!). If you’re contacting a PI who already has a project advertised, then you can email them asking something specific about the project or asking if you would be able to visit the lab before you apply (if you live close by).

Reaching out in this way shows you’re really serious/interested in working with this research group and when your application goes in you’re no longer an unknown random person.

Another extra tip: even if you are financially able, do not fund your own PhD, there are plenty of scholarships and funding routes out there. Securing a funded position looks excellent on your CV (you need every CV boost you can get in the post-PhD job market).

Most PhD applications (at least in the UK) require a cover letter and CV. Yes, it’s cringy to big yourself up in the cover letter but you must do it! The judging panel need a reason to pick you. You should also get as many people as you can to give you feedback on your application. Ideally lecturers who themselves take on PhD students each year and people who have successfully got onto a recent PhD program. 

Every cover letter and CV should be specifically tailored for the position you’re applying for. The judging panel will immediately be able to tell if you send in a generic application and it shows you aren’t that interested in that particular position.

We all hate them but do your research (online/current PhD students) and find out what questions you might be asked. Then ask someone to give you a mock interview or three. A lot of PhDs (in the UK) are funded through doctoral training partnerships and so the interview panel will consist of people from a variety of fields.

Therefore, you should make sure you prepare for non-technical questions. Believe it or not, I was genuinely asked “which famous scientist, dead or alive, would you go for tea with and what would you ask them?” … *eyeroll* I’m not even joking … (on a side note I actually gave a crap answer to this and it definitely went against me, a topic for another blog post).

I can’t believe I forgot this one when it’s probably the most important piece of advice I can give on this topic. Make sure the lab is right for you! Don’t be afraid to ask questions before/during/after your interview to find out if the lab environment and the supervisor are a good fit for you and how you work. Ask current PhD students about their experiences. A good supervisor should give you the chance to chat with people in their lab away from them so you can get honest answers to questions.

Some things you might like to know:

• How inclusive is the lab/department? What are their policies on protecting and supporting underrepresented groups?
• Are there specific working hours expected of you? Does your supervisor want to see you in the department 9-5pm Mon-Fri or do they not care as long as the work is done? (Pro tip: if they expect/demand >40hr working week, RUN!)
• Does the supervisor’s style suit you? Do you prefer independence with light guidance or do you want someone more hands on / involved?
• Are the current students/postdocs happy? Is there anything they would change about their current experience?
• How flexible is the project? Can you define new aims and pursue your own questions as you progress or it the project already set in stone?
• Does the supervisor support diverse career development opportunities? E.g. if you know you want to work in industry, can they help with that? If you have no idea yet, are they willing to let you try other things during your PhD? E.g. public engagement / teaching etc.

This topic is discussed in much better detail in multiple HelloPhD podcast episodes.

Hello PhD podcast

Life is full of rejection, especially academic life! The truth is there are way more exceptionally talented people than there are PhD positions, this doesn't mean you're not good enough, it's just that someone else was better on this occasion. If you end up in an academic career, resilience is essential, you will be rejected for jobs, awards, grants etc. and you can’t let it throw you every time, otherwise you will just live in misery.

I was personally rejected for about 15 PhD positions (I’ve lost count) over about 3yrs between my undergraduate degree and my masters degree. I interviewed for three before my masters degree: one clearly already had a candidate lined up, one I didn’t get because the other interviewee had a masters and I didn’t and one I was offered! However, this one then went into a pool for funding and was rejected, bad times.

This was all before the age of doctoral training partnerships (DTPs). During my masters degree I applied for three more (all DTPs) and was invited for interview for two of them. I royally screwed one interview up and was rejected, however I did get offered the second position, happy days (although this was from the reserve list). Long story – short I was recently awarded the departmental PhD prize for best PhD/thesis of my year. So, don’t let rejection phase you, it does not mean you’re not good enough!