I'm due to submit my thesis within the next three months and have been looking for jobs for the last month. I am looking to go into academia (lecturing or RA in a relevant area) and this is the sole reason why I have done a PhD - to go into academia

When I started this hunt I went to careers for some advice and was told to expect to be unemployed - helpful

My sup has looked over my CV, but not sure what else he could do anyway

I have applied for 16 jobs so far and have heard nothing - well except for 2 rejections

I feel completely despondent about the whole situation - several of the jobs i have applied for I have heard have lined up internal candidates and have had hundreds of applicants.

I feel I have wasted the last 4 years of my life.

I feel like there is no point my finishing my thesis as there is little hope of my getting a job.

I am feeling really angry that academia is not giving new post-docs a chance - we are willing and able to do the job, are incredilby keen, are cheap to hire and are carrying out cutting edge research and academia isn't interested.

This isn't just me - I have spent some time today talking with a friend who is in a similar situation which is probably why I am so down about the whole thing.

At the moment I'm mostly p*ssed off that PhD students seem to be supported through the PhD, then afterwards/during the job hunt - nothing.... no support.... no help....
In business there are internships/starting positions/training schemes for those entering that field - for us = nothing

I am seriously facing the prospect of having a PhD and going back to stocking shelves.... what a waste

Anyone else in a similar situation?

======= Date Modified 10 May 2010 14:47:21 =======
DrSeeker, please don't lose heart - it's still early days. Academic jobs are indeed scarce but not impossible to get hold of for someone who can show the right sort of resilience. As someone once told me: "In the end, it boiled down to which one of us [i.e. those who had gone on to obtain their PhDs in that department] had 'staying power'. I applied to over 80 positions, and did several part-time jobs before I landed my permanent contract. In the end, it was well worth the wait!" So carry on what you're doing; just keep applying & finish your PhD - you're so near the end now, there's nothing left! Also, ask your Sup for more support: ask him/her if there are any mailing lists which people in your field regularly post on & which you can join? Any websites he/she can receommend that advertise post docs & jobs in your field? Any thing else he recommends you can do to boost your CV & application (e.g. more publications, etc.)? If he's unhelpful, then ask someone else in your department politely over a cuppa! You're on the right track, just keep going!

Thank you for your words of support UnderVerse
I know it is a long hard game - with HARD being the operative word
Honestly this process of applying for jobs is the hardest bit of the PhD yet - the rest has been a doddle compared to this!

At the university where I work they are concerned about the grade imbalance (too many senior lecturers) and so are offering them redundancy which they will back fill with post-docs.

At the university where I work they are concerned about the grade imbalance (too many senior lecturers) and so are offering them redundancy which they will back fill with post-docs.

Sorry Pal, I can understand your position. I will request you not to give up your efforts. Do submit the thesis and you will eventually get the job of your dreams. May be you have to work in ordinary graduate/contract jobs for a while. Keep your hopes alive. Do not let other people demotivate you.

Hi DrSeeker,

I just wanted to say don't lose hope. I applied for so many jobs that I eventually lost count... at least 20, probably more. Many I have still not heard from. I got direct rejections from about 7. But I've also had 4 interviews and 2 job offers (one of which I have now accepted). The key is perseverance. For my first few rejections, I made sure to email and get feedback on my applications. I found out I was unsuccessful because it didn't appear I had enough successful funding application experience. I did have that experience but it wasn't on the person spec for the jobs so I made sure with all others to highlight that I did have this experience. Then I started to get interviews. For my unsuccessful interviews I have also sought feedback (which in all honesty was completely not at all constructive... "you were great, no weaknesses, but we didn't chose you"...thanks). The thing to remember is that you can get careers advice from prospective employers that you apply to. They know what they're looking for and can tell you that which will only make future applications more successful. It's frustrating and time consuming and in all honesty, completely depressing, but you will get there! 

Keep applying, make sure you get feedback if you're unsuccessful, and build on making your applications stronger!

Good luck!

I'm also submitting in the next 3 months and have been looking for a job for the past year. You're lucky you've found 16 to apply for - I've found exactly 3 in my area, one of which pays less than half what I can earn in the civil service, my previous career. Lots of us won't find academic jobs - I'd suggest to start thinking about a plan B.

It's not just academia that's suffering - I've been looking for a non-academic job for months, and have had a few interviews and many rejections. I now face the prospect of having no job after my viva in a few weeks. It'll be hard to get even a 'shelf-stacking' job as so many people are applying for those, and who would want to take on someone with a PhD when they'll probably leave the job when they find a better one?

It's definitely a bad time to be job hunting!

I agree with Sue that you're in a lucky position to be able to find 16 jobs to apply for! I've been looking for months but so far only found 2.. Sound like there are lots more academic jobs going in your area. So keep trying and hopefully you'll land one soon!

Good luck!