First IT placement

DB_SamX · 9 Aug 2006 at 17:19

burnsy2023 said:
I've just ordered 70 more fujitsu workstations from Fujisu Siemens. I've found their customer support to be top notch, and I've had to use them on more then one occasion.

I'd highly recommend them.

Burnsy

Personal experience - rubbish - tech support. But then again, I still have (7 years later) a semi-faulty pc (but still runs) they never collected after sending me another good one.

DAVEM · 9 Aug 2006 at 17:24

D.P. said:
Was working for Sun Microsystems in the US, wasn't your every day placement. Doing software and hardware support for the big boys like US military and Ebay/google etc. The novelty of playing around with 1/4 million dollar systems wares off after a few months though. I once loaded up an E15K with $200,000 worth of memory- when your fingers start bleeeding and your halfway done the appeal is quickly lost.

Funded PhD have to be about ~12.5K min depending upon the funding body. The standard funding such ERSC etc have a min of 12.3-12.6, and you sometimes get a bit more. An industry funded PhD is often around 17.5k. All tax free of course.

Extended ESPRC stipends are 13.5 K :cool:

plus any teaching more like 15K after tax!

D.P. · 9 Aug 2006 at 18:10

DAVEM said:
Extended ESPRC stipends are 13.5 K plus any teaching more like 15K after tax!

turned down one at edinburgh since it was a 4 year thing with an MSc (which they pay the full stipend for as well) which was 15.5K + teaching bring it to 17K tax free.
I'm applying for an amazing PhD in switzerland that will pay £20K, EU funded.

Figers crosssed....

Una · 9 Aug 2006 at 18:12

D.P. said:
turned down one at edinburgh since it was a 4 year thing with an MSc (which they pay the full stipend for as well) which was 15.5K + teaching bring it to 17K tax free.
I'm applying for an amazing PhD in switzerland that will pay £20K, EU funded. Figers crosssed....

What area you doing it in? Good luck with that.

D.P. · 9 Aug 2006 at 18:48

Una said:
What area you doing it in? Good luck with that.

Robotics and artificial intelligence.
Thanks- I'll need all the luck I can get for this one.

On a similar note, I just got a phone call from a company in london who want to interview ASAP since they really like my CV etc, working for BMT doing some marine and offshore defense stuff. They wouldn't pay for any interview expenses! Told them that I could stay in London for free at friends and don't mind youth hostels but i'm not paying £150+ in train fares to get down there and they said "well, we are really only interviewing people from london". Not the kind of company I want to work for with that arrogant attitude.

SiD the Turtle · 9 Aug 2006 at 19:35

D.P. said:
Robotics and artificial intelligence.
Thanks- I'll need all the luck I can get for this one.

On a similar note, I just got a phone call from a company in london who want to interview ASAP since they really like my CV etc, working for BMT doing some marine and offshore defense stuff. They wouldn't pay for any interview expenses! Told them that I could stay in London for free at friends and don't mind youth hostels but i'm not paying £150+ in train fares to get down there and they said "well, we are really only interviewing people from london". Not the kind of company I want to work for with that arrogant attitude.

If they won't spring for expenses then it shows what they're going to be like for an employer!

And good luck with robotics/AI. I went to Reading to do CompSci, and they are very into Cybernetics there. I only did two modules and it blew my mind!