*sigh* If I must spell it out - the comments were made in jest with sarcastic overtones which I guess is lost over the WWW.

Spending time outside or slightly outside your field of expertise is important to de-pigeonhole your options and career. It's a given.

I am neither a sweetie (???), nor a chauvanist in fact I strongly detest being referred to as one. I have many chicky babe friends who would be more than happy to stand (in stilettos) for me.

What you said about trying to explain the transferability (is that a real word?) of your skills astounds me. In the depts I have been involved in, academic staff all come from a myriad of backgrounds, each with a different set of skills that contribute to the dept as a whole. In fact my major studies were absolutely not related (although still in the same faculty) to the position(s) offered to me, and that meteoric friend I mentioned previously - his PhD was quite specific as well, right down to the specific enzyme he worked with. And yet where he is now is very very broad, his responsibilities cover a wide area.

I hear 'ok' stories in retail but I seem to hear a lot more horror stories (a few from the direct sources). Don't feel so bad about not getting a job in retail, you may be the best person for the job but that doesn't mean that the idiots interviewing you can recognise it. Same goes for the academic side of things, idiots are a dime-a-dozen at university/research institutions.

I saw it as sarcasm well-presented in the appropriate context.

Why does it say there are 19 replies in this thread but I am only seeing 4? Were the rest deleted by the mods?

You need a good foot massage from someone who knows how to give a good foot massage.

Melbourne is not such a bad place to be. There is a thriving biomedical industry (if that is your field), with a number of universities looking to expand in this area.

Incidently, a friend and colleague of mine went from completing a PhD to being lecturer and Principal Researcher of his own lab (consisting of all his own honours, masters and PhD students) in a highly prestigious university in Australia within the space of two, possibly three years. In retrospect I should perhaps have given him more grief for his meteoric achievements.

I would beg to differ that 31 is too old to start, far from it. In fact I find irony in that 31 can be perceived as an unusual age to begin applying a job as shop assistant, wouldn't you think? Not that there is anything wrong with that..

I would've taken the assumption that you'd lean more on the side of feminism, considering your inferred accusation of male chauvinism upon me when I made a comment about our admin girls in another thread. So in this context your comment in your second paragraph about what's not possible surprises me, coupled by the fact that you have spent so much time resources and made sacrifices to complete a PhD in your chosen field and yet you appear to be content to not aim for the stratospheres of academia which is open to you in your post-PhD years.

For his support over nine years, it does appear that your boyfriend deserves your support in return. But I guess there is a very fine line to consider if your job prospects consist of 'shop assistant'. That I must say is devotion not often seen in normally high-achieving partners in relationships.

Speaking of which, you feel you are held down (more or less) in Melbourne because of the current success enjoyed by your boyfriend, correct (more or less)?

Keep in mind - age is a factor if you are looking to pursue a career in the higher education sector. Would you be happy as a 'regular' lecturer or do you think you will eventually develop a bug to climb higher to the ranks of Senior/Principal Researcher, Associate Professor, or Professor? That process would take years and a lot of schmoozing (as well as academic achievement of course), an undertaking that would be best to start as soon as you can. It can be a cutthroat business in academia and you will need all the opportunities and advantages you have, plus time.

An overseas position is not essential but it does enhance your CV. It's a bias rooted in realms of status that permeates Australian academia as well as in other countries. It also helps if you can show professional experience in differing areas outside or slightly outside of the expertise exhibited in your specialist PhD studies.

In all seriousness, have you thought of working overseas? There is the tall poppy syndrome problem in Australia as they say, but until things genuinely start to change, there is ample opportunity elsewhere presenting with better work conditions.

Which direction were you planning on heading post-PhD piglet? Post-doc? Private sector R&D? Lecturer?

I'll be sure to let you know if a vacancy opens up for an admin girl position in my dept...

Why didn't you tell anyone, angie?