I am quite worried. My tutor today asked me whether he/ they/ the department was 'training me out of a job' - apart from academia and academic posts, there isn't much of a place for my PhD (minus those 'transferable skills' in the job market. I had thought about this before, but now it has brought it home - I do want to make it in academia, but I know that it is a matter of there being the post available and my PhD being suitable for that post, not to mention the competition. I love my PhD and my discipline - but do worry about what I am going to do afterwards...

Whatever it is,it has to be something to make your PhD worthwhile in my opinion.

A few years ago I left my well-paying job on a career break to do my masters. Then instead of going back, I decided to do a PhD. Now I find myself in the same dilemma. I am now looking for jobs for September because my funding ends in August. If I stay in the academia, it looks like I will have very limited options. The pay is so low, in a way it hurts to know that I'll get 10k less than what I used to earn. If I go back to my industry, I'll feel like I've given up for money. I can't seem to find any fellowships, I really want to do something related to my PhD. I don't want to start from zero as a trainee in academia, on the other hand I don't want to end up starting with a high salaried job that wouldn't need a PhD in the first place. Grrrr this is so annoying. I have sent applications to 6 jobs that I really like (related to my PhD and pays good), let's see what happens.

Add to these problems the fact that if your partner isnt a shop-asisstant or in similar profession where jobs are widely available,attempts to find a job in academia for you and a job for him/her in the same city is almost mission impossible. Worse, if you both have PhDs in the same field and both want job in the same city.

Salaries are really crap considering how much time one has to spend to get a PhD.In old time, at least, Academia was place where on could experience a relatively freedom in activity in ones job compared to business. But thanks to increasing 'management by performace' facilitated by RAE, small salaries are not even compensated by this luxury of freedom.

Well, still I am looking for the job in Academia;)) Must be crazy:)

Ack! I know. My boyfriend is an aspiring academic too. We must both be crazy.

There would be more jobs for me in the US...but there I would compete with art history PhD's who had gone through the US system, have done classes, for 6 odd years and learnt foreign languages as they went along.

I fear I'll end up with a PhD and not be able to get a job in the field - and then struggle to get one elsewhere.... eeek

I had better start thinking of alternatives....I still want this PhD...but I need to prepare myself for the eventuality of it not leading to employment in academia. Whatever happens, I can't end up in a call centre again. It was awful.

But Chris, you will be fluent in Swedish by then!

Chris / Piglet,

excuse my ignorance / stupidity but are you really learning Swedish or is that a joke?
If you are in Sweden could you let me know? I am thinking of going there, in fact I have been invited for an interview in August

Rick - I have been teaching myself Swedish ( with the help with some Swedish firends too) for the past year.

Where will you be going in Sweden?

My situation is similar, studying a subject in which there seem to be few posts available (albeit if compared with other humanities the situation is not too bad). In fact, due to a couple of more frustrations I had earlier, I am now so pessimistic that when last week my supervisor suggested me to start thinking about an academic job (i.e. starting to publish, serious network...) I looked at him in such a way (as if he had proposed me to start thinking about Britain's PM or something like that, completely out of my scope) that he mumbled something like "Well, if you don't want to go into academia it's just fine". But although I am very pessimistic to that regard, academia is really the place where I want to be after I finish my PhD!

Maybe this is a very stupid question Chris but aren't you doing a PhD in Museum Studies? If so, can't you work in a museum afterwards as curator or something? This is an option I've thought about (some PhDs in my field have ended up working in museums, albeit very few of them). I wouldn't mind trying to go for an academic position abroad (I'm a language and travel geek so I would be more than happy to do it). Plus going into secondary teaching is always an option, I think, if you love teaching of course.

I tried to get a museum job after my MA and found it tough - I had interviews but never had enough experience. I hope my PhD will make a difference - though it is very academic and not experiential as such. Still, secondary teaching and academia would be good alternatives. I'll work on the foreign language too. Gruuu.......

I'm looking for jobs in the museum industry too, but the hierarchy is as big as in the academy and the pay is s**t.

Hi, I worry about the same thing as I approach 'the end'... I love what I do, but where are the jobs? And both my partner and I work in the same field (great planning!). Even post-docs are difficult to get (I've been applying unsuccessfully so far, but it's true I haven't finished my PhD or got publications yet!). Don't know what else to do. Gave up well paid job to do this, but definately not going back to that again. I have no desire to become a secondary school teacher (lecturer yes, but not schools!). Think I'll just go with the flow and see what happens. But it's difficult for trying to organise potential family life (got to that mid thirties stage) around contract work when my partner and I are in the same boat. It's disheartening. But we both love what we do, so just figure it'll sort itself out (I hope!). One couple in a similar situation take it in turns to have priority - her PhD in one place, followed by his post-doc in another etc. It works for them!

Hi Chris,

and how is it to learn Swedish? Is it easy? My impression is that it is a mix of languages like German, English, Dutch. Is that right? Do you feel that you would be able to work in Sweden based on your current knowledge?

I am going to Dalarna county, with is just north-west of Stockholm, nearby Mora. I understand that the country is very beautiful there, but have not visited it yet.

I feel a bit apprehensive of learning Swedish

As one of the Germanic languages Swedish has some affinities with several of the languages you already speak (clever you!) - Dutch, German and English. I wouldn't say it is easy - but only because this is the first second language that I am trying to acquire. Since you already are trilingual - I would say you could pick it up pretty quickly. I find some of the long compound words a bit tricky, but only becuase English doesn't use them much - but you speak German so you must be used to them!!!