Just got an Email back from Manchester, they are waiting for the applications to all be in. A bit of progress :)

hi everyone, thank you so much for your input.

hi hazyjane, yes I will go and see the careers advisor in the university. I have a meeting next month with my supervisor as well, so I'll definitely fit it in! I think I also let go of that job application because I was having "down"-days and couldn't think properly. It's like I saw myself being depressed--all those depressing thoughts and I struggled to separate myself from being swallowed up. And in that struggle I couldn't think properly.

Today I am definitely feeling better that's why I am online now. I'm ready to go again!

Hi stacy, yes you are right about the positive side of things. Eckhard Tolle says we should focus on the Now, and now I really don't have any real problems. He said that people have been conditioned into thinking that being job-less is not a good thing, whereas being job-less can lead to many other things.

Janine so good to have some hopeful news :-)

does anyone know what is meant by this:

"Knowledge and experience of NHS"

can anyone give me some examples?

I saw this in a research assistant position advert. Maybe I should email the principal investigator and ask her how much NHS experience she is expecting?

thanks very much
love satchi

After getting another rejection letter today, just thought to write here. The strange thing is I did not feel bad at all. I am so much used to it now !! Never thought that after all the hard work to get PhD, life will be so difficult again. I now have left energy to apply more but I also feel bad to make my PhD a complete waste. Just for the sake of this I will be applying few later next week :( :(

hi Swetchha
It's nice to hear from you! thanks for posting and sharing your experience. It looks like we get better at handling rejection letters :-)
I have not heard back from another 2 job applications I sent, and that was almost 4 weeks ago--so I think I am not shortlisted. Never mind!

Yes at the moment my phd is not helpful for securing a job---I think the most useful point in securing a job is work experience...

and yes again at some point I did think my phd was useless.

For example---if there is a vacancy for ....say junior lecturer position in health and social care, they look for someone who is a registered nurse--who does NOT have a phd, or even masters degree (although a postgrad qualification would be advantageous).
So the phd is not helpful.

another example---say junior lecturer in social work/social studies. Even if you have a phd in a social work topic, they look for social workers---people with social work qualification (certificate) WITHOUT a postgrad degree, they prefer social workers who want to teach (in a university!) so again the phd is not useful.


HOWEVER ---

on the other hand, I did learn and gain positive stuff from the phd....

So I like to remind myself---hey satchi your phd is not useless, not useless, not useless.... :-)

oh yes, I do have some good news--

it is that I will be working for about 18 hrs (per week) in a chip shop!
not my dream job---but this was the first to say "please come and work here" so I'll be taking it on.
It's also a friend of a friend's shop so I didn't use a cv to apply etc.

I start in 2 weeks :-)

please do keep in touch

love satchi

I just wanted to respond to that last point about social work/health and social care. I am in the final year of a SW PhD and a qualified SW. From all the job adverts I have looked at, at lecturer level, universities expect you to be a qualified SW AND have a PhD - I haven't seen one so far that doesn't require a PhD.

hi socpol
nice to hear from you, many thanks for posting!

Since you are already a qualified SW---and almost at the end of your SW phd, you will definitely have high chances of landing a lecturer postition in social work/health and social care (if you decide to apply to some lucky university!)! Thats great.

I did see advertisements that said it was "desirable to have a postgraduate qualification", desirable but NOT essential, otherwise I wouldn't have posted about this earlier.

I tried to find it, a position was advertised on jobs.ac.uk but I couldn't locate it today, the ad has expired.

They were looking for social workers who want to teach--and are willing or interested in working towards a masters or phd...so that is not the same as already having a phd without having SW qualifications.

So it seems better to start off with having SW qualifications/work/training :-)

thanks again
love satchi

Hi Satchi, Thanks for yr reply. I do have more than 8 yrs of experience but not in UK. Also. The experience is working with international orgs, not in academia. Therefore, I do not have teaching experience & I am not looking for the one in Uni as well. But, I do love researching & applying for Researcher positions - mostly rejected as I have no publications as yet. Have been applying in charities where I always wanted to work but seems my lack of UK experience is a hindrance. Don't know when my day will come :( :(

hi Swetchha
I'm sure you will find something. Do you think that you might get higher chances with EU jobs instead of jobs in UK?
Maybe a job in Spain... :-)

Or a job with the UN?! They could post you to Switzerland--or New York!

but then again if you really got a job outside the UK, what about your boyfriend?
Would you take it? he's so nice isn't he

At this moment--now that I think about it, yes I think I can be content being a housewife.
:-) I don't know if I will change my mind tomorrow, but for now housewife is ok :-)

love satchi

More rejections for me. Developmental chemists and working for the food standards agency and got rejection for Manchester PhD. Been almost a month for the Durham PhD and heard nothing back from them.

Hi Satchi, thanks for yr reply. I live with my husband & daughter - I can't think of leaving them for job. It is not easy for me. Life is comfortable for me as hubby earns well & yes I don't mind being a housewife. The only thing that kills me is that I do not want all hard work done to get PhD wasted. I don't need PhD to become a housewife. SAD !!

hi janineG and Swetchha
thanks for sharing, Janine have you found other applications to go for?

Swetccha it would be really nice if you were offered a job which is located near where you live with your family---that would be ideal! True we don't need a phd to be a housewife.
Since this thread started---now-- I feel that I am at peace with myself. I still look at jobs.ac.uk but I no longer have the feeling of despair (that I previously had) anymore. I think I have got over it.

love satchi

I'm applying for a science technician at the local school, but there is no other PhDs tickling my fancy at the moment.

hi Janine that is a great idea! I don't see how they can turn you down, I'm sure you will get the science technician post :-)

I received a letter from UWS today (the rejection I was telling you earlier about), wow it took so long for them to send it. Never mind.

love satchi

I agree it is definitely harder in my area if you don't have a SW qual - I know a few people who I have done my PhD with who don't have SW quals and they are really struggling, as they don't 'fit' anywhere. I've been lucky to get a year's position as a lecturer - I think because SW is less established as an academic discipline, perhaps it's less competitive (I mean for those who do have a SW qual and a PhD). But what about research fellowships? The research unit attached to my dept advertises sometimes for research fellowships in 'social work' areas, but becuase they won't be teaching SW students a SW qual is not necessary. You're sounding pretty positive anyway, which is the most important thing :-)