I've been applying for PhD's and jobs for months but only gotten two interviews thus far. Unemployment is starting to really bug me, I don't feel I'm making any progress at all, banging my head against a wall. I've got a decent Bsc and Msc degree, plus a few decent internships on my CV.

For those of you who have some experience of this, can anyone make suggestions on how I can improve my chances of getting jobs and PhD's? People to approach for internships, alternate places to look for opportunities? I'm also interested in the best places to look for job in the biology field, especially genetics and neuroscience. I've been checking university websites, but I'm not sure who else to investigate. Should I check pharmaceutical companies etc? Are there any good websites with lists of the best places to apply?

To be blunt, I'm grasping at straws to make any kind of progress in getting started with a job or career. I've been using and making contacts as best I can, but I'm getting pretty despondent on the whole thing.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

You are probably better off working on your interview technique - If you have got 2 interviews then you must be doing something right, but now you need to know what will give you the edge over other candidates. You need to find out what to do to make them pick you.

You have a point. My firist interview was for a job, and the interview went fine, but they gave it to someone with a PhD+10 years experience. Fair enough I guess. The second was for a PhD, and feedback I got was that the successful candidate was apparently more enthusiastic about research. I'll remember that for next time.

Can anyone else make some suggestions please?

1. Visit career offices of nearby unis sometimes they would provide advice if you're an alumnus and you can even access some of their resources.
2. Know what you want! Do you want a PhD, do you want to work in research? Without knowing what you're aiming for you can't tailor your CV successfully which's why you're not getting that many interviews.
3. As TreeofLife says, work on your interview technique: get a friend or relative to role play the interviewer and practice or do it yourself at home as well this helped me.
4. There's no such thing as "the best places to work"- every employer has pros and cons and you need to research each employer individually. It's hard work but it must be done I'm afraid otherwise you'll be grasping at straws.
5. Consider volunteer work if you can- this will help you end the "unemployment gap" in your CV, build your skills portfolio, and will make you a more attractive employee to employers.

Take any work you can get your hands on - Tesco, Administration, anything! Save as much money as possible! How old are you if you don't mind my asking?

1. Visit career offices of nearby unis sometimes they would provide advice if you're an alumnus and you can even access some of their resources.

Good point. I've already been using the local resources as best I can, but perhaps they need another visit.

2. Know what you want! Do you want a PhD, do you want to work in research? Without knowing what you're aiming for you can't tailor your CV successfully which's why you're not getting that many interviews.

My CV has been tailored for PhD work, partially with the help of the local uni offices. Perhaps it needs work for employment use too.

3. As TreeofLife says, work on your interview technique: get a friend or relative to role play the interviewer and practice or do it yourself at home as well this helped me.

Yep, this would be a good idea, I'll remember it next time.

4. There's no such thing as "the best places to work"- every employer has pros and cons and you need to research each employer individually. It's hard work but it must be done I'm afraid otherwise you'll be grasping at straws.

Equally good point, but I was just looking for some suggestions on where to start. I don't apply to jobs I wouldn't want to actually do, seems sensible to treat employers the same.

5. Consider volunteer work if you can- this will help you end the "unemployment gap" in your CV, build your skills portfolio, and will make you a more attractive employee to employers.

Been doing this, alot. Finished a 6 month internship at the local uni in April, been caring for a family member post-op since then.

If it is any consolation most 25 year olds who want to do PhD's are in the same financial predicament as you. I am 33 and about to start a PhD self-funded, I am doing my Master's right now and all the Master's students are 21-25 with no money left after this year. I worked from 25-33 and saved as much money as would allow me to come back to Uni self-funded. Not to put a dampner on the whole thing but it was a hellish journey of pain and suffering.

Having said that I could have been applying for funding while doing all of that which I didn't out of lack of faith which I wouldn't advise.

Job market is hellish. If it were me I would take a normal 9 - 5 in Tesco/MacDonald's whatever and work on my CV and funding applications during the evening. Some work is better than no work and it is easier to get a job when you are in a job - also helps with morale. Casual work employers will know you won't want to stay with them forever so they will let you go to interviews for regular science jobs. In your spare time you can write research proposals and do your literature reviews. By the time you start your PhD you will already know a lot about it.

I'm in exactly the same predictament as you, solo, and am very worried about umemployment also. I've had a PhD interview where they told me i was a good PhD canidate and the interview was fine, but i was less experienced than other candidates. Fair enough. I'm currently looking for anything in which i can actually work in a lab and get some more research experience (my field is biological sciences) but its proving difficult to find. I'm now even looking for some temporary voluntary placements just to fill the umemployment gap and to add to my experience as i look for related jobs and PhDs.

Its really hellish at the moment, so i know what you're going through.