I know my advice may not be for everyone here, but I would like to say that there are opportunities and very good ones in Universities outside the UK (for those wanting to go into academia). I originally come from South Africa where a PhD qualification is valued. However whilst studying for my masters degree I noticed that some of the lecturers discouraged us from pursuing PhD studies because they thought it was a waste of time and there were no job prospects. I felt this was unfair of them to make this judgement, yet they had no PhD qualifications themselves.

I would like to encourage you that there ARE good universities out there in Africa if you dont mind working there. I must say the quality of life and the perks you would get are much better than you would get here too. The reason why most of us are studying here is that an English qualification is highly regarded in Africa.

Why not look beyond the English borders, probably that strategy may work and give you good experience in academia. Countries like South Africa and Botswana are good. The BRIC countries would also be worth checking, as their economies are developing rapidly and experiencing more growth than other developed countries at present. I appreciate that this advice may not be for everyone, but I hope it helps. Well done for completing your PhD and all the best.

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I think you bring up such a real concern for students today, and something which is completely disregarded by supervisors and committees. I am sure most of us feel the "get in and get out" attitude. I am in Canada, and have been told that the average time is 4 years to complete your PhD. Within those 4 years, you are to be a conference and publishing mill to beef up your CV. I think that's fantastic and applicable to academic jobs, but I feel there is not enough of a push to apply for practical placements and work opportunities during that time.

I have pushed to get more practical experience, and have gone against my committee's wishes to take on 5-6 hours of actual 'work' directly related to my field. I feel that without it, I will be entering a job market with no "skills" that would make me an ideal candidate. I think there needs to be a shift in thinking, and pressure needs to be put on a more rounded student that has experience outside of publishing and presenting.

I hope it works out for you, and that at some point you look back at your PhD as a positive or learning experience.

I feel very sorry about the way PhD's are treated in the industry. I know a PhD family friend who is even in a worse situation than yourself. I don't have a PhD, and I am working in the engineering industry. People tend to envy PhD's a lot, so most of the time you are not employde just as a form of punishment/revenge. That said, you have done the first step: taking your PhD out of your CV. I have some advise that is working for that friend, and it includes the first step that you have done. If you are still looking, please let me know and I can complete what I wanna say, in an email. Please hide all your personal details like name, address, employer's name, university name, etc on any forum or emails with strangers. Stay anonymous for professional reasons.

Hi vilee,
Sorry to hear about this. Move on and be happy. Good luck.