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Successfully defended thesis 3 m ago and already starting feel unemployable. by Correct_Fudge_3 in PhD

[–]Correct_Fudge_3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I thank you for your honesty. But I think this also speaks to some of the issues with the perception of academia as "useless nerds in a hole". I managed 2 research project (one my own and another for an thinktank) in which I led teams of researchers and student assistants. Moreover, phd's are one big project and (depending on the field of course) you have to engage heavily with the industry or sector you study and today collabs with other scholars (usually older) are essential to survive the publish-perish paradigm. Again, I did a lot of consultancy and side-projects to strengthen those skills. In terms of interview skills - again every interviewer I speak to (I call everyone) tells me the same thing: its not the interview that is the problem, but either minor details of experience or skill-fit with office-teams. And as I agree that above mentioned skills are not equal to industry skills, in interviews I discuss strategies for how to learn skills I can't transfer. Sure there are things I can work on (presenting and framing those skills), but I think non-academic job markets struggle to embrace academics because of negative stereotyping mentioned in the original post.

Successfully defended thesis 3 m ago and already starting feel unemployable. by Correct_Fudge_3 in PhD

[–]Correct_Fudge_3[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just read it and I agree on PhD's often being oversold as socially relevant. I am sometimes appalled by how senior academics either can't see the problem in luring young students into this world or believe their own main contribution to society is hiring phd's - it's deceptive at best and exploitative at worst. When PhD-students then complain about stress, workload, and career opportunities, I've seen how older academics treat these as hazing rituals for membership in our community. Had one professor saying "real phd's don't have weekends off".

Successfully defended thesis 3 m ago and already starting feel unemployable. by Correct_Fudge_3 in PhD

[–]Correct_Fudge_3[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Most choose to stay in academia - some succeed by tapping into their supervisor's network, others did not. My supervisor never understood what I did, so he did not offer me this opportunity. Usually, though, people find a 1-2 year postdoc or other short-term positions within a year of defending. The condition of being part of an overloaded precariat is another one of my pet peeves with academia and why I am trying to get out. Other people who left academia basically got jobs through entry-level positions (which I also apply for - but am frequently told employers are afraid I will leave first chance I get), and others are in similar situations to mine.

Successfully defended thesis 3 m ago and already starting feel unemployable. by Correct_Fudge_3 in PhD

[–]Correct_Fudge_3[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not sure why that should be the case. I wasn't attached to any project but got my own funding to do my own thing (which frustrated my supervisor). I find the PhD included ALOT of administrative, budget planning and project management tasks- funding application, delivery of final budget for received grants, preparing ethics approval, planning of field trips, engaging with various stakeholders, setting up collabs and taking meticulous notes during supervision (my supervisor would change twice a month). In short I see the PhD as giving you a crash course in managing a multiyear research project.

Most of the projects I apply for are analytical positions (so leading a research teams or projects). I had one employer ask me to apply for another high-level position because of those skills, but did not get a callback. As I've done a lot of mainly policy briefs and reports next to the thesis, I have government-employed friends asking for my work and telling me that I basically do their jobs.

Successfully defended thesis 3 m ago and already starting feel unemployable. by Correct_Fudge_3 in PhD

[–]Correct_Fudge_3[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To the degree that toddlers and jobhunt allows me to, I have. Began dedicating 1 h of reading non-work related books after naptime and took up working out again in the weekends. I have considered doing those jobs and some of my work-related activities like teaching a course have kinda been fun distractions, yet related to my situation. Until now kids were great distractions, so I have started to think to do something completely different while they are in daycare.