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I am invited to interview for a PhD position. I am very afraid about the questions which will be asked. However I have a big fear, and it is that I am currently PhD student, started 1.5 year ago. I was the only PhD student in the group who was not paid, so I needed to work extra for an international research project to finance myself. Some months ago I again spoke with my supervisor and he told me he has no budget and I am free to leave the group whenever I like!

Due to all this, I decided to change my group. Now I am invited to interview for a competitive PhD position ( in another university but the same city). I would like to get this fully paid position which also fits well to my experiences, however I do not know how to tell the new professor about my current PhD?

I did not mention my current PhD in CV, and just wrote about my working experience in the last 1.5 year.

How shall I explain this issue to new professor? Can this issue be a reason that he does not accept me?

ff524
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user42190
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    I think leaving your current PhD out of your CV is probably a bigger problem than being currently enrolled in a PhD. Why did you do that? – ff524 Oct 07 '15 at 06:01
  • @ff524: I have not recieved my PhD degree yet, and I donot want to finish this current PhD. I think when you donot have degree and you donot want to finish it, it is like you donot have it. – user42190 Oct 07 '15 at 06:12
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    Leaving it out of your CV makes it seem like you are trying to hide it, which looks bad. Typically if you are enrolled in a degree program, you list it on your CV as a degree in progress. – ff524 Oct 07 '15 at 06:14
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    You don't have the degree. You were registered as a graduate student for 1.5 years, and that should be on your CV. If you had listed it, there would be no problem at all: "Unfortunately, my current program was unable to fund me. I would prefer to give my full attention to my PhD studies and research, without the need for an outside job." – Patricia Shanahan Oct 07 '15 at 06:16
  • @ Patricia I didnot mention that. I just wrote about what I finished. I was actually thinking not to mention it also in my Interview, however I decided that is better to tell it. How shall I do that? – user42190 Oct 07 '15 at 06:21
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    @user42190 Just be honest and explain your situation, but spin it positively. Tell them due to the work commitment you were not able to focus much on the PhD, but nevertheless you learn some thing from it. With the new PhD with funding available, tell them you will be able to concentrate 100% on the work which you enjoy. – Mobius Pizza Oct 07 '15 at 15:54
  • @PatriciaShanahan Can you please turn this comment into an answer so that I can vote for it? – jakebeal Oct 17 '15 at 11:36

2 Answers2

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You don't have the degree, but you were registered as a graduate student for 1.5 years, and that should be on your CV. If you had listed it, there would be no problem at all: "Unfortunately, my current program was unable to fund me. I would prefer to give my full attention to my PhD studies and research, without the need for an outside job."

Patricia Shanahan
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If asked, tell him the whole situation if asked or in a situation to do so. Finances is a legitimate reason, and any reasonable person would understand. Be straightforward and tell him what you told us, this is my common answer on questions like this. I know this from a wealth of experience,