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Many thanks for all replies and advice and comments.

Re. The self-funding issue.

I'm not sure about this. Some subjects particularly in the humanities have less funding opportunities available and huge competition for such funds. I know of a phd graduate who went to three very good universities and was fully funded but just could not get a job and eventually had to retrain and do something else. On the other hand, I know a phd graduate who was self-funded and after a few years of temporary lectureships he just got his first permanent job.

I don't think it is all about the funding but who you know seems to be a big issue these days. I worked with someone who told me his son was nearing mid-30s and still no full-time or permanent work and that any phd is a risk in the first instance. I thought this was a good point.

Hi Emmaki,

How easily do you feel you can talk to your supervisor?

Rather than letting frustration and resentment pile up I would ask my supervisor about that as you need to know what parts were perceived as good or very good and what parts where apparently poor quality. Could it be that the other student was given a good example of the form? Maybe your supervisor was commenting on your idea when they said it was poor quality to you.

I really think you need to communicate as it seems like the best way to resolve it!
Hope it all goes well

Just noticed you said you had to pretend you had no qualifications - it is dreadful, isn't it? That this is what the world seems to have come to where hard work and qualifications mean nothing. Someone I know who has just an undergradate degree at honours level also only found work by removing it from their CV. I also know people close to completeing and what they say is to similar to you - overqualified for a lot of jobs but no luck with academia and they sound almost ashamed of their phd.

I know saying a phd is a huge achievement is no help right now because it is obviously irrelevant to you right now. But someone said to me, despite the lack of jobs would you want to be someone with no degree or no phd? And for me the answer was no!

Hi Mlis,

Really sorry to hear this and I completely understand.

I am current third year phd and becoming increasingly worried about this myself. I have also considered quitting my phd because I am worried I will not find academic work and as a result find myself over-qualified for 'normal' jobs.

I definitely find myself starting to disagree with the recruitment of phd students. Universities need the students and the money but are they putting that ahead of the the student's needs? I have found that phd student recruitment needs to be more realistic in explaining to students how difficult it will be to get a job. Since I started my phd the world has changed drastically with economic recession and all sorts of problems which all makes it worse. You are definitely right in that it used to be that a phd student had a phd but now there are so many more expectations and demands on phd students to have teaching experience and to be published also. I think this is probably why many people with a phd choose to work elsewhere and leave academia.

What also worries me is that even if you get a job, many academic jobs are temporary and you have to proove yourself often for several years before you are given a permenant job.

Are you certain you want an academic career? Have you got any other work experience which you could take further? It may be that you continue your search as long as you can put your life on hold but you may eventually have to retrain or work else where. Before you graduated where you aware of the job market in academia?

I think the professor who said 'it's not my problem' sums up the issue and there needs to be a drastic change. Talented people are leaving academia and going elsewhere simply because there are no jobs and it is academia's loss. I hear someone say once things pick up there will be lots of jobs when the 'dead wood falls off' but who knows how long that will take.

I find myself, even just starting my third year, becomming increasingly realistic about this phd and I don't even think I will bother with conferences any more. I know it will be hard to get a job and I dont want to put my life on hold or work in temp positions for god knows how long, I also want to do other things.

Maybe you could try to find a research post somewhere, even if it is unrelated but it will still show your research skills, keep writing and keep up-to-date in your topic. I hope things pick up but it is hard to answer when they will!

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Thanks Mog

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Many thanks to everyone here