I didn't express my point as well as I could. I agree that marketing is key. If, however, you simply rely on "I have a PhD therefore you must know I'm awesome" I don't think that will get one very far. Better instead to demonstrate how the skills and experience gained are relevant to the needs of the employer.

Hi ginga,

I agree that "nastiness" on the part of employers is often how job applicants generally (and not just with PhDs) perceive lack of response from employers to whom they've applied. Personally, I would stop short of describing it as "nasty", but agree that it's rude. How many times have we read "if you don't hear anything within two weeks, please assume..." yadah-yadah? Unfortunately, we live in the disposable era. Yes, the internet has empowered, but it has also degraded our treatment of others. Look at on-line social networking sites, where having 1000+ friends is seen as a badge of honour and friendship itself is degraded. So with on-line recruitment, i.e. employers vs applicants.

To be fair, with the job market being particularly rancid at the moment and with PhDs way outstripping the number of post-doc jobs available, employers are getting hundreds of CVs for every post. Whilst it still doesn't cost them anything (well, much) to notify applicants of outcomes, I do know that things like wrong font and spelling mistakes on CVs and applications are used to ruthlessly weed out applicants before their applications are even read.

I think HazyJane has hit the nail on the head in her responses...

Self-marketing is the key. As PhD graduates, we have emphatically demonstrated a raft of very relevant skills, e.g. self-motivation, tenacity, problem solving, learning agility, patience, etc. Have them on your CV. SPEAK to people. In addition, a lot of positions in industry DO value PhDs - many say "PhD preferred...". Having undergone a period of introspection and studied the positions available, that is where my search for a PERMANENT position is now concentrated.

Hi ginga, You r not alone. I have been struggling for more than a year now - passed PhD with no correction & no job despite 100s of applications to academic or non academic jobs. I do not hope to get any job sooner :( :(

Don't give up!!! I was in the same position and now I got a temporary job. Will keep my fingers crossed for you!

You've got more than a temporary job - you've got a fixed term contract. :) Nine months (with potential for extension) is not to be sniffed at, so don't undersell yourself!

Thanks for the "mental spank" HazyJane lol I needed that as have been going through a rough patch in other aspects of my personal life. Signed the contract a few days ago and starting Monday.

Welcome to reality lad. I admit I went into my PhD not thinking much more about the aftermath except I wanted a research or development-type career and I thought the PhD would help. However, in part due to the overqualified tag and in part due to the problems I've elaborated on elsewhere with my second post-doc, it's not turned out that way and I'm virtually back where I started.

I'm simply grateful to have a job after the nearly a year it took to find work after the second post-doc. I've been in that job a few years now.

Until the University system stops producing more PhD graduates than are actually needed, people will continue to have their illusions shattered once they emerge with a qualification that does little to enhance prospects no matter how you sell your acquired skills. The truth is a PhD student is cheap labour. A research associate costs more. Guess what Unis. etc. are going to do.

Ian (Mackem_Beefy)

Spot on, especially the remark on 'niche' topics. The funding system and the financial attractiveness of hiring a PhD student compared to a research associate encourages that.

The outside world's perception of a PhD moving on as soon as a better opportunity comes along or being overqualified for a position (and thus easily getting bored with it) doesn't help matters. But how do you educate the world about what exactly a PhD is?

I'm still glad I did it, but as I said I feel I've got little value out of it despite a reasonable publcation record.

Ian (Mackem_Beefy)