Yes, I am leading a double life: I am both a PhD student and a (pre)Postdoc.
I have not yet submitted my thesis, but I have started working else where as a postdoc. I know I am not alone in this. I have PhD friends leading/led a double life as postdocs, secretaries or stewardess.
When I was offered my present job I was advised on not to start on it I have submitted. The worry was of course the danger of dragging out the submission process. Why oh why then so many of us take on another job while we are still in our PhD?? The answer, obviously, is money. My 3-year studentship ran out although my submission deadline is 4 years…. What do they expect us to live on in that final ‘writing’ year?? Maybe it’s my own time management problems that I cannot finish in the indicated time of the studentship, but chatting to a retired professor, he said only 2 students out of all the ones he supervised finished within 3 years. I don’t know how many students he supervised in his career, but 2 seem a small number. There are 4-year PhD studentships available now, although the first year is usually a rotation. I genuine hope that funding sources recognise the flaw in the length of support. The final year of PhD is the most stressful period, you don’t want them to be juggling with another job too do you?