Hi there my fellow academics. I am now doing my third postdoc. In total, I have been a postdoc for three years and a half. I have no chances of getting a permanent position in the near future (i.e., within the next five years). I am getting married next year and I am desperate to find a normal, permanent job. Almost any country is OK for me. I would prefer to find a job in the editorial industry or as a medical writer. However, I am aware of the fact that I can't be too picky given my circumstances. Are you in a similar situation? Have you been in a similar situation in the past? Please share your thoughts or your personal experience.

What are your areas of expertise? There may be a wider range of options available to you than you think.

Do you have any experience of medical/science writing beyond journal articles?

I got to two post-docs before leaving for the outside world. I will comment, however, if it hadn't been for a particularly nasty second post-doc with some bizarre personalities then I'd have been happy to push the academic route a little longer as I was enjoying the research component at least.

As Hazy Jane says, your skills may offer you a wider range f options than you think. When you browse job adverts, look at it from a point of view of what jobs you can do. You will realise there are more options than you think.

The hard part is you're a PhD holder entering the real world. The PhD will put some people off. With respect to this, fill up the first page of your CV with works experience and skills, demoting your PhD and other academic qualifications to the second page so "Uni. Uni. Uni." doesn't scream at them from the first page. Taylor your skills on your CV and covering letter to the post you are chasing to appear the ideal candidate for the position and tell the potential employer what they need to hear.

The subject of PhD, moving on when something better comes along and / or being bored easily with the post will come up if you reach interview. You therefore need to explain why this is not the case and why you find the post advertised an interesting one. Add why you want to change direction from academic to industry. I commented in interview that I was looking for a change of pace in a move to a more challenging environment, though the answer you give may depend upon what job you are moving to and what you feel is the right thing to say.

Finally, as much as you may be tempted do NOT remove your PhD, passing your PhD off as a research assistant post, as this can be seen as dishonesty by some employers.

Ian

First, it would be best to not apply to just any job that you think you could do. This is tempting and the first strategy many take on, but it's actually not productive and that whole "sending out resumes everywhere" is just not an effective way of getting a job. At a PhD level, it's expected and better if you have an inkling of what you want to do, and yes, be picky because this is your career.

1. Check out versatilephd.com. They have an excellent outline on what you can do with your degree and how to get there. Find a few jobs you like the sound of. You want to narrow down the industry sector you want to work in.

2. Write down all the things you can do/like to do (As Ian & Hazy Jane have suggested). With the right tweaking, these are transferable skills. For example, if a position asked for workshop experience, but you have teaching experience, you can use that to your advantage in arguing that teaching and what involved with teaching is easily transferable to workshop development and facilitation.

3. Pick an industry and join some industry specific organisations.

4. Network. Join LinkedIn if you haven't already and 'market' yourself in the area that you want to work in. Join LinkedIn groups and see what projects you could join to demonstrate your experience/expertise as a pro-bono consultancy. You don't want to make lots of contacts, you want to make good contacts. A few good contacts goes a long way in helping you land internships, or contract work which could lead to permanent positions.

5. When applying for jobs, tailor your CV to that specific role and if it says resume, you need to use a one page resume that highlights only skills relevant. A LinkedIn profile would be helpful here as some employers will check it out prior to contacting you for an interview, or after the interview.

6. Be prepared for some very low days, the job hunt is not an easy road.

Oh I agree Ian, but I think the idea is that the more you branch out and utilise different ways of job hunting as opposed to the standard black-hole resume, the better chances you have of being somewhere at the right time.

I spent about 2+ years after masters looking for a job/phd. I didnt manage to get into a phd position, but I did land a job recently. I had tried all the stuff peopl advise...review and tailor your cv, write amazing cover letters, join professional networks (I still have paid subscription to LinkedIn). In my experience, these days, you must reach out to someone in the organization, past all the walls that HR and administration put up. Its like a battle really...you trying to get a message to someone inside, HR trying to stop you. Things like LinkedIn may help in establishing this contact, or in seeking advice - but otherwise are limited in their usefulness.
My break came by complete chance at a career fair when i managed to speak to a research engineer who had come along with HR. At first, the HR people didnt even let me talk to him, despite him standing a few feet away! I dont know what they see themselves as...guards for the company?
Also, i read some good advice once about how to market your phd well. The article had written, tell your prospective employer that you know they probably wouldnt be interested in the topic of you dissertation, but they might probably be interested in the methods you used to complete it. So instead of the knowledge, emphasize the analysis, techniques, equipment, approach, experimentation, etc.
All the best!