Don't know where I'm going wrong

LegacyUser

Hi all,

I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice.

I've a PhD in social science and have worked part-time as a lecturer for 5 years. I've a huge amount of skills/expert knowledge/experience. My take home pay last year was €7000

I cannot continue living like this I've just cried all day after yet another "thanks but no thanks" rejection.

I've applied for over 200 jobs in the last 2 years and am getting nowhere at all. I've had 3 interviews. The first job was given to an internal candidate, the second wasn't a good fit for either me or the employer, the third I didn't get cos they thought I would be "too bored."

FAQ I get from friends and family are these

Q.1) Have you thought of looking at jobs outside your field?
A.1) Yes, I've applied for loads and loads. I've applied for every job I'm capable of doing, including minimum wage jobs. Employer's wont give me a chance cos think I'll get bored and move on quickly

Q.2) Have you thought of moving abroad?
A.2) Yes, but have a sick family member and want to stay in Dublin

Q.3) What about the civil service? ESRI etc...
A.3) I've applied for every competition advertised never gotten anywhere

Q.4) Have you thought about temp work?
A.4) Yes, and every agency in Ireland has my C.V. and has done for a year. Nothing has come of it.

Q.5) Is your C.V. up to scratch?
A.5) Yes, its been examined by recruitment consultants and I've been told by 3 separate consultants that its excellent and that my cover letters are exactly what employers are looking for.

I do not know what else to do. I feel like my life is slowly slipping away from me. What else can I do? I'll do anything it takes but I feel like I've exhausted every single option.

Diziet

Part time lecturing is exploitative - you are right to want to move on. Do you have other experience in the past 5 years other than the lecturing?

When I finished my PhD (in a previous life) i made over 250 applications before I got my first lecturing post. 200 in two years is not that terrible :-)

The only advice is to vary your approach, network as much as possible, ask people who are working in the sectors you are targeting for advice, do additional targeted training, there are lots of things you can do. I don't know if you want to put here what kind of roles you are applying for and try and get some fresh input?

I can recommend 'Answers to tough interview questions' by Martin John Yates as an excellent job search manual, and not just for interviews. It is one of the best books on the subject, and very good for reframing one's approach.

Stealthfins

Maybe you're over qualified as I have a degree in horticulture and some garden centres wouldn't employ me as they'd think I might get bored,demand too much wages or be a bit of a know it all.

I'm a gardener now in a state job with all the perks,after applying for all kinds of job's from landscaping to a horticultural lecturer.

It's nice to be pulling weeds for the day and getting well paid..or designing a Victorian walled garden,my job has a great variety of targets,there's day's I'll happily weed a herbaceous border.

Rose bed's are full of pricks,but plenty of **** helps them grow.

Keep on trying

_Brian

How about volunteering to get your foot on the door somewhere.
I know people who secured jobs after volunteering where they wanted to work. It's a way of proving you can do the job and get on with it without being bored.

Also, how's your interview skills. How was the second job not a fit ?

I'm not saying you deserve it but if you are applying for minimum wage jobs have you a seperate Cv without mentioning your PhD ?? I would have different CVs for applying for different types of roles I'm interested in.

Mrs OBumble

Make a alternative versions of your CV which are dumbed-down, and used them for some jobs.

For the really basic jobs, just say:

Employment history:

<<Name of institution>> <<dates>>
<<description of duties - in really simple words: eg "helped with running courses in the XYZ department">>

Notice - no job-titles, no qualifications listed. Don't lie outright, but tell the truth in a way that will help and employer think you will fit into their team: no shop owner (or whatever) wants an assistant lecturer bossing their staff around.


For the version you use for mid-level jobs, don't make it sound quite so dumb, but do put things simply, and emphasis the administrative / organisation aspects of what you did, not the teaching.


For professional jobs - what exactly does social science qualify you for? Government research / policy analyst jobs, I think. For these, you need to work your networks and find out how to present yourself.

Speedwell

An excellent CV is not the same as a CV that is excellent for a specific position. I am a firm believer in editing your CV for each and every position you apply for. Now that desktop publishing has been a thing for nearly 30 years, it's shocking how many people don't take the time to do it. Mrs OBumble has the right approach. I'm only going to add that you need to emphasize the aspects of your experience and interests that dovetail well with the job and the employer. No need to lie; there is almost always a fitting truth. Although hardly anyone heads their CV with a meaningless "objective" anymore, it might be worth your while if you want to say something to the effect of "I want to use the terrific skills gathered over my career to succeed in a different direction". God knows that's true, and has been true, of me; I used a statement like that to move from being a receptionist to being an art director and from there to being an office technology troubleshooter and from there to becoming an oil business IT analyst and from there to getting well away from the oil business. The common thread in all of those is "I can take something and use it in unexpected and interesting ways and with great versatility to add better value than the next guy can". See if you can formulate such a general statement for yourself.

LegacyUser

Op here,

Thanks so much for all the advice and suggestions. Its really helpful! Just to answer some queries that have come up…

Dizet- I am trying to get a role in the NGO sector. I’m not fussy about what role as I need to get my foot in the door. Obviously as a social scientist/researcher, policy is the natural fit, but I’ll do anything to get in. As I said though, I’ll do any job at all, in any sector, just to make some money. Thanks for the book recommendation, I’ll definitely give it a shot!

_Brian- I’ve applied for numerous volunteering opportunities. Its intensely competitive and despite what it may look like from the outside, its usually specialisations that are required. It’s as bad as looking for a job. I’ve gone to numerous information events, have a public profile and have applied for loads. Its seriously hard to get volunteer work.

Also I cannot leave off my PhD on my CV as I will just have to explain the 4 year gap at some other point and it will seem incredibly disingenuous when I’m asked in an interview what I was doing during that time.

Mrs O’Bumble- Just like you suggested my CVs are of varying levels of ‘dumbing down’ depending on the role. Social science qualifies me for an number of jobs. Everything from market research and advertising on one end of the scale, to policy development and social justice advocacy on the other. The transferability of my skills is huge which makes it all the more depressing.

Speedwell- Some of what you said echos Mrs O’Bumble. I assure you that each CV I send is specifically tailored to the job that I am aiming for and I leave out (what I can) and add in what’s relevant for every role. Its great to hear though, from your experience, that transferring careers is possible. And Ill definitely add in the general statement that you suggested.


Thanks eveyone so far!

Oque

I am in the same position, finished my PhD two years ago, have been told I'm overqualified, would be bored, should emigrate etc etc. Have dealt with the same five questions that you have from well-meaning friends and family. I feel your pain because I'm living it too.

Part of the problem is that the Govt set a target to double the number of PhDs a number of years ago but don't seem to have thought through what happens to us when we graduate. I would advise anyone considering doing a PhD to take into account the fact that they will potentially lose earnings (or massively reduce their earnings) for the duration of their research (usually 4 years) and then face at least 2 years of unemployment afterwards. I wish I had realised this in 2009 when I started my PhD. Now, two years since graduation and my job application file is as thick as my doctoral thesis. Have come 2nd for jobs twice. It's really frustrating and completely disheartening but you're not alone. I have done plenty of crying about this too. Have also done various Springboard and other courses to try to get a recognised qualification which might be more attractive to potential employers.

Was advised by my college careers service to "bury" or "rebrand" my PhD on my CV but have been told by other recruiters that this is a bad idea. What does it say about the value of a PhD if the awarding university's careers service tells you to hide/disguise it? I've had my CV reviewed by multiple recruiters, career advisors, coaches etc, ditto cover letters and told that they were strong and appropriate for the jobs I was applying for. I have multiple versions of my CV depending on the jobs applied for, as I'm sure you do too. I've also had positive feedback from job interviews but the jobs tend to go to someone with "more relevant experience".

Not sure that I can offer you any answers but know that you're not alone. I'm trying very hard to stay positive about my situation but it's difficult when you can see that the only people who graduated around the same time and have jobs are the ones who left the country. Like you I've chosen not to take this option. I don't feel like we should have to justify staying in the country we were born and grew up in after we finish studying here. I've tried the volunteer work approach suggested by another poster, have been a volunteer at one particular org for years since before my PhD. When a vacancy arose there I applied and was told that I was overqualified and would be bored. Galling. I still volunteer there because I enjoy it. If you do decide to volunteer somewhere I suggest that enjoyment should be your motivation rather than hoping it will end up in a job.

Google "jobs on toast" which has some useful info, as does "versatile PhD". If you want to send me a PM to meet up for some peer support (mutual shoulders to cry on!!) or to talk on the phone I'd be happy to do that too. Don't believe for one minute that you are the problem, or that it's something you are doing wrong, or that you're the only person dealing with this problem. There are many more like us. The problem seems to be with the perception of what a PhD is, and the idea that overqualification is entirely negative. I've been doing some research into this area (because how else would I use all this free time!!) and am trying to come up with some answers. Would love to hear from you to hear about your experiences and tell you about mine.

Best of luck with the job-hunting. Hope your situation and mine changes soon.

Dughorm

Don't know where you're going wrong?

You're probably not going wrong - there are simply little to no jobs available in your area in Ireland at present. Supply v Demand.

Are you doing research in your area at the moment given you are still a part-time lecturer?

Have you presented at any conferences lately?

Consider doing a post-doc if you can afford it so that you are still progressing yourself in your field.

the14thwarrior

First of all well done on posting such a personal thing. It must be a bit soul destroying. I don't know if you are able to claim on welfare etc. to make up some monies, i hope you can. If not, you need to get hard cash via a job in the evenings, at night etc. i suggest take anything, I am sure if you put your mind to it you will get a job in dunnes, penneys, take away etc. I assume you can't afford to go back and retrain at something you will get a job in, like nursing, therapy jobs, etc.

activelink.ie is a good website that I look at from time to time. I think to be honest you need to take a long hard look at what or where you are going.

Having a PHd is very good, but in reality it does not qualify you for lots and lots of opportunities, as you know full well yourself at this stage.

start by thinking, i mean really thinking what area you want to go forward in - and focus your search there. take entry level jobs or volunteering ONLY in those areas. I have done this myself, gotten smarter at where i want to be in a few years time - I know what you are going through, i am going through something similar but not as awful as yourself. what i have done is looked at lots of options in only two or three fields and i feel something will come up.

Dumb down your CV a bit. Not too much. Play up the qualities a lecturer has. Don't take a job for minimum wage during the day and leave yourself stuck in a rut.

If you have applied for minimum wage jobs and not gotten any, i'm sorry there is something you are doing wrong. This sounds harsh but its true. I think myself its smarter to work in a crappy shop in the evening and continue lecturing with a bit of smart volunteering. e.g. volunteer for Simon, local disability centre, something like that.

Senna

The big problem is knowing you have the transferable skills isn't the same as the prospective employer knowing you will have those skills.
I have a management degree and background, but within one particular industry, the skills are transferable but getting an employer to see that is the hardest part.
Employers want to see direct experience first, industry qualifications second and transferable skills third.
I went for an interview with a large IT company, it was for a process role and non management, but when I was in the interview one of the senior management was amazed how my experience would be perfect for a role that I wasn't even being interviewed for. Had I applied for that position in the first place, Im sure I wouldn't have even got an interview.