Hi again Wj

I think you have been more than unlucky - that's an understatement! But then again, from my limited knowledge I can also see why that might be. Your work is pretty controversial (some of the more traditional global movement Unis centred on neo-Gramscians might raise eyebrows! But that shouldn't detract from the fact your work is clearly of very good academic quality). This is going to sound like an odd phrase, but your work is also very much redbrick-style. Although there are clear links between your teaching and research, I can see why applying for IR posts would be odd given your work really isn't the traditional IR theory type stuff (because the world really needs another thesis on neo-realist interpretations of WMD/Terrorism/Iraq. Apologies to anyone who is actually doing that!!!).

Saying that, your teaching record is similar to mine (IR theory) with other bits of extras, but you also balance Pol/Soc with your research rather than straight IR, which is the position I was in. I was about to mention that a few jobs have come up in Australia recently, and with much better pay than the UK - but I completely understand why that might not be the best option for you. From what you've said, I honestly can't see any reason why you wouldn't have been more successful - despite the fact that more tradtional unis are slashing budgets. Its such a waste of real talent that this is happening... especially as I know more than a few lecturers with nice permanent jobs who produce minimal research outputs and of dubious quality.

Yes, I did give the neo-Gramscian approach a bit of a kicking - but so it should, its assumptions about the automaticity of the development of shared interests in a global neoliberal economy take absolutely nothing about the complexities of cultural translation, or about activists' own fantasies concerning how power operates, into account. I used a psychoanalytical and critiacl thoery approach to attack those arguments, which makes my work even more of an obscurity. But it was exmained by Jan Aart Scholte (big globalisation theory) with lots of strong praise and hints about where it could develop. I published work in Global Society and in Alternatives. I do have other articles in various states of completion, although as I said earlier I don't have the ability to get the momentum going to finish them whilst in my current circumstances. And I'm getting to the point whereby I've been out of academia for so long (18 months and counting) that it will be difficult to convince departments that my knowledge is up to date, given that I am in no position to update myself on it. I do have a good understanding of IR Theory and can teach it. I'd like to write on a Lacanian approach to IR and the role of fantasy therein, but that won't be possible at the minute. It's frustrating and upsetting beyond belief.

You got Scholte to examine - that's amazing! I have taught his stuff, and with a name like that behind you, your situation is even more bizarre. I completely agree with you on neo-gramscian approaches, my last uni was obsessed with him (but then anyone studying IPE/global movements at Manchester or Nottingham for example can't escape neo-gramscian influences). I've never heard of a Lacan being used in this way though, that's really interesting - if only you could find the time to get something published along those lines, I'm sure you'd get some interest, although again like you said, you're edging farther away from pure IR.

I don't know if you have already done this, but have you submitted any speculative applications; by that I mean applied to universities that haven't had jobs advertised, but which you know have research centres/clusters in keeping with your work? I guess that's a last resort though. And as an aside, some of the best professors I know had 'career breaks' - working in industry of some form before they found more solid academic work. I wouldn't worry too much about that for now, its only been 18 months, but I know that it must feel like a lifetime!

The fact that you have not been interviewed points to your CV being the problem. It could be layout/content or both. Make sure you really sell yourself and 'embellish' on your work experience - try to match what is on your CV against the competencies they are requiring e.g. do they want organisational skills and/or leadership? I recently read a friend's CV, I know her career history and I was shocked at what she had left out because she thought it irrelevant!

Also - most employers check the web now, so make sure your facebook page is for friends only, and create your own professional webpage selling your skills and a good professional biog - assuming you haven't got one already.

As I am sure you are aware people hire who they know. So keep up your profile, try and get those extra bits published, ask to 'guest lecture' on any course going, and keep going along to the academic conferences, network and get your name out there.

Sorry to be patronising, its just I have been through this (although pre-doc) myself and have seen successful and unsuccessful attempts by others.

I'm sure you have indeed been through some of this, Sneaks, but you need to appreciate that to do what you suggest requires me really to think about leaving my job, which is a professional, 9-5 endeavour (often more hours than 9-5, in honesty) and which requires me to work hard and is thus intellectually difficult. Guest lecturing is out of the question in those circumstances, and it's very hard to really finish any writing off unless I more or less give up my other outisde interests in life entirely and spend all of my time outside work on it. I've had my CV checked over by a few acdemics and other than some tweaking they can't see anything wrong with it.

I think the OP's advice is good actually. We all need a plan B that's workable in the present climate, and one that you can see yourself doing. Having watched a few folks do this now getting bitterer and bitterer, I'm increasingly sure that it really isn't a great idea to hang around the fringes of academia on odds and ends of part-time teaching. It's badly paid and exploitative. Nor are series of fixed term research contracts much fun unless you have a well-off partner / parents. I think you need to give yourself a certain amount of time to get a permanent academic job, and the appropriate time varies for each subject depending on norms of postdocs etc, but if it doesn't work out by that deadline, walk away and go for plan B, however hard that might be.

OP - I'm in a different field of Politics to you but in case this helps you at all: I went into the civil service after my MA but still knew a crowd of people who carried on to do PhDs at London universities. They were finishing up 2000 - 2002. Only one got a permanent lectureship in the UK (a couple got things in their home countries) and the rest had to look elsewhere. These were people who'd been module leaders, had edited books, good articles, edited Millennium etc. The Politics market was bad then and it's really bad now. I think IR theory is now as bad as political theory to be in jobs-wise, unless you can clearly show that you can research and teach security studies/ IPE/ some sort of public policy as a back-up. The impact bit of the REF is really not good news for theorists looking for jobs. But it really is less about you and more about sheer luck. It's serendipity that gets someone onto the job selection committee, who is really into what you research, and makes a case for you above a hundred equally qualified people (and frankly that is from what I've heard is pretty much how it is for permanent Politics posts last year).

I am clearly an idiot, as I knew how bad it was before I started from my friends, and still gave up a good job to do a PhD and now postdoc. It sounds like you didn't or were convinced you would be OK. It's not worked out and you feel rightfully bitter about it. I have given myself until the end of this academic year to get a lectureship and then I'm calling it quits and looking elsewhere myself too. The only thing I can say that might make you feel better, is about my friends who didn't get academic jobs nearly a decade ago: after a tough few years, all of them are now in very satisfying and decent jobs and earning more than academics do. They're fairly content with how the cookie crumbled. I hope it will be the same for you.

That's good advice, Bewildered.

I allowed myself to be convinced that winning my ESRC postdoc would really advance my cause. Prior to that I did think about alternative careers outside of academia, but as soon as I won that I did think that this would settle things nicely for me, I could publish some work and stand a very good chance on the open academic market of an entry-level lectureship. It hasn't happened for me.

I took the current market research job really out of necessity. I needed a job that paid a living wage, end of. I've been here well over a year ad I'm becoming very keen to move on. I work in total obscurity. At least I could feel more like my academic achievements (I'm very much a straight A sort of student) meant something. At the moment I really do feel like I might as well have spent my postgrad years drinking and taking drugs. It might have been more fun and I'd be about as far advanced in a career as I am anyway. :p

But in all seriousness - academic depts are very poor at informing PhDs of the viable alternatives. We end up with less of a clue than we did after finishing UG degrees. I'm thinking that working for a government department or a think-tank is the way for me to go but it all seems a very long way to get even there from where I am. But I'm wasted in my current job. I really am.

I understand your predicament. I think guest lecturing i.e. 1 lecture per term would surely be doable though - just a day off work, you could use your holiday time, or convince your boss its part of your professional development.

In terms of the CV, I really would consider having someone non-academic check it out. you should be thinking about adapting your CV for each job, so you highlight the skills they are looking for. And not only listing jobs, but pulling out the skills you have learnt from them, really smacking the reader in the face with stuff you may have assumed they already know.


if you have had 142 applications and no interviews, it will be your CV!

I would be surprised if it is just your CV - it would have to be very, very bad for it to be the case, e.g. you forgot to list your publications, you wrote it in Chinese, etc. :S

Are you getting poor references? By poor this does not necessarily mean that the referees are slating you but it could be something like your referee just printing off a very imperonsal standard letter (very common with busy senior academics). Are your referees sufficiently "heavyweight"?

Have you talked to your HoD or other senior academic about your career plans? If you are being rejected so frequently they can probably tell you straight away what is going wrong.

Some organisations sift CVs using word checks - i.e. they run it through a computer programme that sifts them for the correct words e.g. 'leader' - I am not joking, it, unfortunately is used a lot.

Maybe you are missing out on the sift!

This is a really interesting discussion as only recently I have decided that my Plan B is now my Plan A as I don't expect to get a job in academia. I was trying to build up my CV with conferences, teaching, publications etc etc but I have realised that it is very unlikely I'm going to get an academic post when I have finished (My Phd is interdisciplinary and in humanities). I recently went part-time and finish officially in April next year but have until 2012 to submit. I've now started doing other things to get my CV in a better state for other jobs - I'd like to go into the heritage sector and have some experience in that but I'm looking at how I can get in at a higher level when I have finished the PhD. I'm doing a short course on teaching in the lifelong learning sector, some volunteer work as a consultant setting up a small exhibition (using various transferable skills - but also getting experience I could not get in a paid job as I wouldn't get it in the first place). And I am going on one-day training courses run by heritage organisations. This is all costing money and time but I'm doing it alongside the PhD which I am struggling on with and will finish but it is not my main priority as I know it may help with a job but it isn't going to be vital to get a job, as it would be in academia. I think Wj_Gibson's advice is very good and timely.

I know they do that in industry but I have not seen it done in academia. Most departments I have encountered in my institution still do it by hand.

to be fair, I have never seen a job in academia go to someone who wasn't already known by everyone in the department, someone they have worked with before and meet up for drinks etc. that's just the way it is!

Ah, the old networking issue... The graduate school tells us that 80% of jobs aren't advertised (but I have no idea where this statistic is from!) so this is an excellent point!

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142 unsuccessful applications is not uncommon (although as others have said, I would also say go over your CV, and possibly consult someone who specialises in careers/cv writing). My cousin made over 200 applications before landing a permanent post - he got just one interview and then an offer at a beautiful US university. So I would say don't give up, wj_gibson!

I agree with you about having another career option/marketing oneself outside academia. It's very important to be more than just an academic now - I've been advised to privately practice/dual qualify before going into academia because competition is fierce.

Edit: Have you looked abroad, Wj_gibson? In my discipline at least, there seems to be more positions being advertised abroad than in the UK.