There seem to be a number of posts about applying for and getting jobs (or not) at the moment so I thought we should have one thread where people can discuss this and let others know if they get interviews, ask for advice, and let us all know when they are successful so we can congratulate people. Also it might help that we are all in the same boat when we get rejections and need support. I'll start. I found out yesterday that I have got an interview next week for an art gallery job. It's part-time and local and quite well paid which means if I get it I can devote at least two days a week to my PhD and hopefully get it submitted later this year.

Good idea Pam for a thread. Best of luck with your art gallery interview next week - sounds a nice one (up)

Hey Pam, congratulations on your interview. And, yes, this thread is a great idea - I've had two interviews in the last year for which I was told came very close, but an internal candidate that had been in the role for a longer time than me won out both times.

This whole issue was on my mind a lot this morning and I am pretty worried about the cuts and how that will affect my job prospects - I am starting to feel a bit hopeless about getting an academic post - even though I have loads of experience and my research is going well. I've been wondering about alternatives - plan bs, I suppose.


Keep us posted on how hings are going with the job interview x

My back up (in my mind) was civil service :-s

Stupid pretend, made up 'deficit'

I thought teaching was a possibility but that's just got a lot harder since funding for training has been cut. hhmmm more debt if do that...

I was speaking to a top civil servant 2 weeks ago who was advocating 'teach first'

I've looked into it and its basically a teacher training programme, but you get trained up quickly and into 'difficult schools' (read: have to wear knife proof vest). You then can get fast tracked easily into a headteacher development programme. he was saying that for people like us it would be a great next step.

However, I looked it up and it was only £17-21k (21 in london) - I really don't see how they can expect people to be on that kind of wage for a few years, especially in london. Its annoying, but potentially worth a look if you enjoy teaching (kids I mean, not HE)

my job update emails tell me that there are at least 2 posts (1 academic 1 not) I need to apply for today, and I already have 2 others I need to apply for. Please let 1 of them come through!!!

I've also not been rejected (yet!) for the one I had a psychometric test for on monday (although I'm SO bad at them I reckon I've failed)

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thanks Sneaks, that's a really good idea - so long as I could cope with the dodgy schools which are bound to get dodgier since the cuts and immense class chasm that is probably aorund the corner. I did some compp school teaching on supply once and lost 2lbs in three days, just from stress!


I'm so used to having no money that, financially, it would be a step up for me - so long as I don't have a beak down...


good luck with the job applications, that's a lot to apply for, are they all academic posts?

There's 3 academic posts come up - although realistically I'd only have a shot at 2, but will apply for all of them.

THere's one non-academic post come up and I applied and am in the selection process of another non-academic one (hence the psychometric test).

I don't really want a non-academic post but I am literally a begger now, so I can't be a chooser :p

I didn't get the art gallery job so it's back to square one. I was talking to my second supervisor last week and trying to explain that it was difficult finding time to do my PhD when I was travelling back and forwards to do the only work I can get 200 miles from home. I told her I needed a local job so I could have more time at home to work. She suggested I try waitressing which really annoyed me as she isn't living in the real world. There are no waitressing jobs around, the pay would be crap meaning I'd probably have to work 80 hours a week to make it pay, and I'm not even qualified to waitress so if there were any jobs, people with experience would get them. And there is the self-esteem issue, after being turned down for so many good jobs.
Oh well, the next application has to be in by Friday, another museum job, but a learning role, which is what I really want to do.

Hard luck about the art gallery job Pam. I suppose being fair to your supervisor he/she probably trying to suggest something and the traditional student occupation was waitressing. Things have moved on since then though and any job is hard to come by.

I too didn't get a job I applied for recently. "Due to the volume of applicants ... wish you best of luck in the future ...blah, blah, blah" Also didn't hear at all from another one I applied for a month ago so I presume that one is gone too. I did however manage to get my daughter's friend a job - waitressing in a local cafe! She has been looking for a part time job for ages but they're are just hardly any out there. One came up in a local cafe and I was waylaid to come up with a cover letter. She dropped in letter and CV and returned on Saturday to enquire, got the job and was told it was becuase of her really good cover letter! She started the very next day. Finishing her first shift on Sunday she was told again "great cover letter!" So it seems I can get other people jobs, just not one for myself!

I do a lot of examination correcting, both university and at secondary school level. It's pretty tedious and the pay isn't great but at least you can fit it in around your own work. Would that be worth exploring?

Sorry to hear that Pam W. Musuems are a really hard sector to break in now, like academia heavily hit by cuts. Best of luck.

I have almost given up on getting an academic / museum job and am applying to re-train as a teacher in a years time.

I didn't get the non-academic job, seemed they wanted someone intelligent. D'oh!

I have a ton of applications to make this week though - but its SO hard finding the time!

I know re applications so I shouldn't be here but it has a calming effect as I've been stressing about measuring upto job expectations/requirements as I would like research job but you can't seem to get one without any publications, know a ton of stuff or experience!  Practically talked myself out of applying for a job which was in a different area to what I want to do but in the same broad general area as it's a large topic in a prestigious uni!

Anyone else having nagging doubts about whether they are good enough?  Thought it was supposed to be "easier" once you've passed but it seems like an uphill battle and you are only on the bottom rung especially given the current situation! 

yep I definitely have the nagging doubts, I've talked myself out of applying for several jobs because I don't think I'm 'worthy' - but then I see the people who end up getting them and think I could do a much better job! :p

Have you put a list of 'in prep' publications? I have a load on my CV - I reference them as you normally would but put (in prep) and then put the journal name I'm aiming for, it shows you are at least thinking about developing a publication record :-)

I also have a list of 'lay publications' e.g. articles I've written for non-academic publications (ok, so there's only 2 :$ but anyway...)

I also list all the conferences and workshops I've attended/given on my CV