Am I Unemployable?

theredletter

Hi guys,

I'm in the middle of a PhD in History and have decided the academic life is not for me. However, I want to complete the PhD at my own pace and in my own time. I am technically in my last year, but have decided that I would like a full-time job and do my PhD in my own time (at weekends, after work in the evenings... the busier I am, the more I tend to get done on it, to be honest).

Anyway, I'm not sure what I'd be able to get in terms of employment. I have a BA in History and Politics (don't want to do anything directly relating to them), first class honours, numerous scholarships, good tutoring and teaching experience, lecturing experience, admin experience (6 months, though..), marketing experience and a bit of media (few months).

I see myself working in a team-type job where I have a certain amount of objectives in a day to achieve. I would like to be assessed regularly, work in an area where there's 'structure' and a 'pecking' order, so I can move up the ladder. Money isn't 'that' important right now, I just want enough to live off of and a bit more for savings...

This is all sounding very vague and naieve, isn't it?

Anyway, I was considering the public service, but I don't think that is going to happen due to cuts and such. Then I was thinking a bank? But seems like they're going down the same road..

Any ideas? Or where I should looks?

I'm 25 and feel like I still don't know what to do and thinking that this might be a consistent thing with me...?

Thanks!

Ross

annfield1978

You would be a perfect fit for the public service

Interetsed as to why you did a degree subjects you had no interest in working with

theredletter

I get that question a lot and I'm surprised by it time and again.

I was 17 doing the leaving cert. I originally was going to do journalism, then I changed my mind to medicine, then I just panicked and picked arts. I was always good at history and thought politics would be handy enough (bit of news here and there..). It turned out I was great at both of them and offered a PhD in one of them and got awards in the other (I'm not saying this to blow my own trumpet, but more so ye can get an idea of my skills and such).

I was told by my current careers advisor that I'd 'excel' in any field you could drop me in (maybe not boxing... ha ha). This strength is also a weakness... It's leading me to more questions rather than answers.

I also am currently doing a diploma in Irish, so I'd be happy to work though that medium if I had to...

I thought the public service wasn't employing anymore these days? Any advice?

Skerries

have ya thought of the priesthood?

theredletter

*reads everything available on being a priest*

Hmmmm..

Actually, being a priest would be cool... but ya know, not believing in God and being incredibly angry at the church right now... That might be a hindrance?

Corkbah

at the moment the only way you'll get a job with your qualification is if you know someone high up !

....you got any business connections ?? ...do any family members have business connections ? any friends or relations who may know someone in the public sector or private business ?

the public sector has positions available - but not to the general public .... the posts are taken by internal staff (and maybe some relations from outside the circle).

As you can imagine I don't have much respect for civil servants ...but I don't blame them ...its the unions I blame...encouraging work to rule and encouraging the best package for the person/people instead of the most productive package for the business !!

I'm self employed and have to work 6 sometimes 7 days a week in order to keep my head above water ...often 15hr days....it may not be physically draining work like those on construction sites - but it takes it toll on you physically and mentally.

Monife

Register on publicjobs.ie for job alerts. The odd job comes up and sometimes supervisory positions come up for which you need a degree.

There is not much hope of promotion or progressing up the ladder in the civil service. Croke Park has basically put a halt to all promotions and no matter how hard you work, you won't be awarded for it. You are assessed twice a year although depending on what department you are in, this doesn't mean much.

Shint0

How about applying to one of the large online media companies? Your general profile sounds like it could be a good match for a position in Google, Facebook etc. Or maybe firstly decide what you're passionate about and take it from there.

Slydice

Part time Teacher / Part time Archaeologist / Part time adventurer?

Kristopherus

Try RTE.

theredletter

Sure I'll give it a go.

I like the idea of being a part-time explorer and part-time priest.

Or ya know.. Job seekers is grand, like.

chris85

I think you should consider not bothering with the PhD also. You seem to want to finish it, which is understandable considering the time invested so far in it, but you dont want academic life or involvment in history area at all as you mentioned. Why do you seek to achieve by completing the PhD is what you need to be asking yourself? You would be better suited using the time to get eduacated in an industry you want to be than wasting a time on a PhD which is no use to you after since you dont want to be involved in that area. Either that or you just want to be called a doctor!

theredletter

chris85 wrote: »

I think you should consider not bothering with the PhD also. You seem to want to finish it, which is understandable considering the time invested so far in it, but you dont want academic life or involvment in history area at all as you mentioned. Why do you seek to achieve by completing the PhD is what you need to be asking yourself? You would be better suited using the time to get eduacated in an industry you want to be than wasting a time on a PhD which is no use to you after since you dont want to be involved in that area. Either that or you just want to be called a doctor!

Sound advice.

Nah, at first the idea of doing the PhD was appealing.. ya know, it being the highest you can go in a field... I think the reasons I did it were wrong, but I've done so much work for it now that it'd be a shame and a waste to just throw it all away.

This is good advice though. Not sure what I should do, that's the problem.

king_of_inismac

I'm going to go against the trend and suggest finishing your PhD.

A PhD is one of the most respected degrees inside and outside academia. You've completed two-thirds of it already and you'll definitely be glad you finished it afterwards.

There's two parts of a PhD: The first is the subject, which if you leave the area will indeed be useless to you. The second part is the ability to research, to investigate, to manage and to communicate. By getting your PhD, you are showing the world you are a self-motivated achiever (irrespective of the subject area). That is the most important part of a PhD for me anyway.

Finally, don't think you can finish your PhD while you work. The VAST majority of people I know who try it part-time ultimately fail. It's definitely not something to do in your spare time.

Mrs OBumble

theredletter wrote: »

I see myself working in a team-type job where I have a certain amount of objectives in a day to achieve. I would like to be assessed regularly, work in an area where there's 'structure' and a 'pecking' order, so I can move up the ladder. Money isn't 'that' important right now, I just want enough to live off of and a bit more for savings...

This is all sounding very vague and naieve, isn't it?

Naieve ... ahh, yes.

I'm not trying to be rude or mean here, but:

You sound like a perfect candidate for the fast-food or retail industries: They involve teamwork, structured training programmes, hierarchical organisation (in my day it was crew-trainer, shift-assistant, swing-manager, first-assistant, store-manager .. different in different places though).

Best of all six months in one of these jobs will probably motivate you to find a job that actually makes use of your study, not some woolly "public service" (yeah, but doing WHAT) ambitions.

Oh and unless you have expereince with quantitative disciplines outside of study, forget about banks. Even at the most basic level, they need folks who are good with numbers.

chris85

theredletter wrote: »

Sound advice.

Nah, at first the idea of doing the PhD was appealing.. ya know, it being the highest you can go in a field... I think the reasons I did it were wrong, but I've done so much work for it now that it'd be a shame and a waste to just throw it all away.

This is good advice though. Not sure what I should do, that's the problem.

If you have enough done an option may be to write the work up and obtain a masters degree now instead of the PhD. Then use this and build on it by getting trained in an industry which interests you.

danthefan

I know a guy who did H&P as his degree, he got a job with the Dept. of Foreign Affairs.

boobar

annfield1978 wrote: »

You would be a perfect fit for the public service

Interetsed as to why you did a degree subjects you had no interest in working with

What area of the public service do you think he/she would be a perfect fit for?

I'm curious myself but I think it would be useful for the OP to get some idea of a specific area within the public service.

boobar

Monife wrote: »

Register on publicjobs.ie for job alerts. The odd job comes up and sometimes supervisory positions come up for which you need a degree.

There is not much hope of promotion or progressing up the ladder in the civil service. Croke Park has basically put a halt to all promotions and no matter how hard you work, you won't be awarded for it. You are assessed twice a year although depending on what department you are in, this doesn't mean much.

Things have changed, in the past graduate opportunities arose and all one needed was a degree in any discipline.

Now, Publicjobs are far more specific, when recruiting for HR roles, it's a strong HR qualification coupled with strong HR experience.

So I'm afraid the OP's history qualification won't be in great demand in the civil service compared to disciplines like IT, HR, Economics, Finance.

pow wow

Also be prepared for the reality that for many employers your education will make you a less favourable candidate - they will question why you went so far in a field you clearly excelled in, and now wish to work running reports or organising events? (using random examples there to illustrate the point). Think of it as overqualified in the educational sense. Whilst we know having a qualification or two in something else doesn't mean we wouldn't be great at either of these things, employers don't always share that view. In academia your degrees are the be all and end all, in the working world they are far less important.

I say that because myself and friends of mine go through this constantly with recruiters or at interview (and we stopped short of PhDs). Plenty of us have been told more than once to take off anything beyond undergrad degrees (with FAS suggesting everything beyond LC was taken off ). My point is that although you may have a wealth of knowledge and transferrable research skills, unless you go into a field somewhat related, these don't really matter in employability terms, particularly at entry level.

However, saying that you're doing a PhD part-time may well resolve the 'why would (s)he work here' issue for potential employers.

annfield1978

boobar wrote: »

What are of the public service do you think he/she would be a perfect fit for?

I'm curious myself but I think it would be useful for the OP to get some idea of a specific area within the public service.

I was being sarcastic to be honest, the fella sounded like a dreamer

I dont understand people doing what i deem to be a toilet roll degree with no focus of what they want as a career

chris85

annfield1978 wrote: »

I was being sarcastic to be honest, the fella sounded like a dreamer

I dont understand people doing what i deem to be a toilet roll degree with no focus of what they want as a career

I tend to agreed with this. I can understand a degree somewhat as get the experience of college and the fun aspect with it but a PhD is tough work, lonely at times. Personally if I was hiring someone I would not choose the OP has I would query why is even wants to finish a PhD he has no interest in. Also poor decision making is evident from actually choosing a PhD in an area the OP has no interest in.

nyarlothothep

Charming replies. Comparing history to a toilet roll degree displays a shocking degree of ignorance and an extremely narrowminded utilitarian mentality towards education. It's also common for PhD students to lose interest in their topics, particularly towards the end. But don't let that stop you kicking the OP down.

chris85

nyarlothothep wrote: »

Charming replies. Comparing history to a toilet roll degree displays a shocking degree of ignorance and an extremely narrowminded utilitarian mentality towards education. It's also common for PhD students to lose interest in their topics, particularly towards the end. But don't let that stop you kicking the OP down.

A PhD is a hard thing and not uncommon for people to not complete them but it is uncommon for someone to drop out late in the PhD and have no desire of the area at all. Poor decision to start it. This is now the consequence. I can wrap the OP in wool if you wish.

nyarlothothep

chris85 wrote: »

A PhD is a hard thing and not uncommon for people to not complete them but it is uncommon for someone to drop out late in the PhD and have no desire of the area at all. Poor decision to start it. This is now the consequence. I can wrap the OP in wool if you wish.

No, what you were doing is stroking your own ego, which is what the poster before you was also doing. But then a thread like this positively invites such high horse responses. It may be uncommon to want to drop out but that doesn't necessarily reflect whether the decision that was made at the time was poor or not, In addition the quality of the decision is really for the OP to internally reflect upon, random strangers don't have any particularly detailed knowledge of the conditions/circumstances and various other pieces of information which led to the decision being made. Furthermore, the thread is about what he can do if he so chooses to change direction, not about asking people to put down/ridicule/dismiss the last 3 years of what he's spent his life doing.All you've contributed is essentially the comment "I wouldn't hire you" assuming that (a) anyone actually cares and (b) that somehow being "harsh" ie issuing put downs to feed your own ego constitutes conveying the a non mollycoddled reality. This is the kind of thinking process which I hate seeing on the internet and on boards. Instead of people being misreable gits and having a go at the OP why not, oh I don't know, present some useful career advice? But that wouldn't be feeding that ravenous ego so please do go ahead and waft on the pungent odours of your smug.

So in contrast to some of these miscreants, I will convey some useful advice, I recommend that you continue your degree unless you have something else lined up. Discuss these issues with your supervisor, it's not unusual to get sick of academia and completely normal to be bored with your topic, having invested so many years of effort into it. This may be temporary, or it may be something deeper. Careful analysis and self reflection is required. Outside of the university academy teaching may be an option to consider, many of the skills picked up in the PhD are cross transferable and your degree may be looked upon more kindly. Archiving/working in a library may be another route.

chris85

nyarlothothep wrote: »

No, what you were doing is stroking your own ego, which is what the poster before you was also doing. But then a thread like this positively invites such high horse responses. It may be uncommon to want to drop out but that doesn't necessarily reflect whether the decision that was made at the time was poor or not, In addition the quality of the decision is really for the OP to internally reflect upon, random strangers don't have any particularly detailed knowledge of the conditions/circumstances and various other pieces of information which led to the decision being made. Furthermore, the thread is about what he can do if he so chooses to change direction, not about asking people to put down/ridicule/dismiss the last 3 years of what he's spent his life doing.All you've contributed is essentially the comment "I wouldn't hire you" assuming that (a) anyone actually cares and (b) that somehow being "harsh" ie issuing put downs to feed your own ego constitutes conveying the a non mollycoddled reality. This is the kind of thinking process which I hate seeing on the internet and on boards. Instead of people being misreable gits and having a go at the OP why not, oh I don't know, present some useful career advice? But that wouldn't be feeding that ravenous ego so please do go ahead and waft on the pungent odours of your smug.

So in contrast to some of these miscreants, I will convey some useful advice, I recommend that you continue your degree unless you have something else lined up. Discuss these issues with your supervisor, it's not unusual to get sick of academia and completely normal to be bored with your topic, having invested so many years of effort into it. This may be temporary, or it may be something deeper. Careful analysis and self reflection is required. Outside of the university academy teaching may be an option to consider, many of the skills picked up in the PhD are cross transferable and your degree may be looked upon more kindly. Archiving/working in a library may be another route.

Stroking my ego?? You must be trolling mate. I dont need my ego stroked thanks.

I have given helpful, logical advice already. You failed to see that did you? I also gave opinion which is what happens on a forum. I give my opinion, you give yours, we all get along in the end!

I have already suggested the OP retrain in an industry which he wants to be in rather than completing a PhD in an industry which he has no interest in. A PhD pidgeon holes people in industries very often and thus can be difficult to be employed in another area. Thats a fact.

OP could write up a masters now and then use the time saved to retrain in an area of interest.

it begs the question why was a PhD choosen in a field the OP had no interest in? But what is done is done.

I will not be personally insulting to you in this but easy to be insulting to me via the interweb so will leave you to a little rant or so. Doesnt bother me.

nyarlothothep

chris85 wrote: »

Stroking my ego?? You must be trolling mate. I dont need my ego stroked thanks.

I have given helpful, logical advice already. You failed to see that did you? I also gave opinion which is what happens on a forum. I give my opinion, you give yours, we all get along in the end!

I have already suggested the OP retrain in an industry which he wants to be in rather than completing a PhD in an industry which he has no interest in. A PhD pidgeon holes people in industries very often and thus can be difficult to be employed in another area. Thats a fact.

OP could write up a masters now and then use the time saved to retrain in an area of interest.

it begs the question why was a PhD choosen in a field the OP had no interest in? But what is done is done.

I will not be personally insulting to you in this but easy to be insulting to me via the interweb so will leave you to a little rant or so. Doesnt bother me.

Well that's great, that's good advice. I just didn't see the need to say I wouldn't hire you, that just makes the situation more hopeless than it need seem to be.

theredletter

... wow.

A lot of these comments are utter rubbish and don't justify me engaging with them.

tdawg

Hi OP,

I think you should reconsider focusing on your PhD, you clearly have a talent for that area and there must have been a solid reason for you to have followed this path this far. Everyone who has ever attempted a PhD has doubted their decision at some stage, you just need to rediscover your passion for the subject.

Equally from the perspective of people hiring you, there would be questions marks over how you can spend so long in such a specialised area only to change your goal to something extremely vague, I don't think it would inspire confidence despite your academic achievements. From my own experience it is not uncommon for hundreds of people to be applying for 1 job, there is going to be lots of people who have targeted their whole education on the job that company is offering- competition is stiff, I don't see any easy option for you if you truly have lost all interest in your PhD.

chris85

nyarlothothep wrote: »

Well that's great, that's good advice. I just didn't see the need to say I wouldn't hire you, that just makes the situation more hopeless than it need seem to be.

Ok well i more meant I, like many employer, will question this. The OP needs to consider this as most employers would ask this question to him if in an interview. He needs a good answer for it. Can be a hard sell as a PhD into an unrelated field.

annfield1978

The reality is that the OP's qualification should lead to a career in teaching, a role within a political party/ lobbyist or research group. Failing that he could work in sales.

What jobs within the public service would be apt, working in a museum/ library or admin assistant which would'nt require a PHD

Happy hunting

http://localgovernmentjobs.ie/search/SearchResults.asp

A quick search of the above site indicate that if the OP can swim, he should think about becoming a lifeguard or a documents officer

Cuddlesworth

Finish your PHD. Having one will open up career paths later on in life when you won't have the time or motivation to be able to complete one. Then worry about your career change.

I say this because I have seen a number of my friends go through similar situations in recent years. Quitting your PHD now is akin to quitting a good job before finding a new one. Its not the smart move.

boobar

annfield1978 wrote: »

I was being sarcastic to be honest, the fella sounded like a dreamer

I dont understand people doing what i deem to be a toilet roll degree with no focus of what they want as a career

Ok, I don't have any knowledge of the the career path for someone with a history qualification, or about the quality of the OP's particular qualification so I wouldn't be able to offer constructive feedback to him/her on the job opportunities available to him/her.

phoenix999

I did history to Masters level because I loved the subject. However, as a career move it wasn't the wisest decision I've ever made. I did get valuable research skills etc. I soon found out that most employers don't give a rat's ass whether you have a 2.2 or 1st hons., as they simply don't seem to rate Arts degrees. I went on to do HR Management. Just wish now that I had got into it earlier. I too made a start on PhD in history but abandoned it after seeing jobs awarded to lecturers' daughters, nephews etc. I spent a number of years in research but no real job prospects. Foolishly I turned down two positions in public service during the boom thinking it was beneath me. It came back to bite me in the arse.

Nody

phoenix999 wrote: »

I did history to Masters level because I loved the subject. However, as a career move it wasn't the wisest decision I've ever made. I did get valuable research skills etc. I soon found out that most employers don't give a rat's ass whether you have a 2.2 or 1st hons., as they simply don't seem to rate Arts degrees. I went on to do HR Management. Just wish now that I had got into it earlier. I too made a start on PhD in history but abandoned it after seeing jobs awarded to lecturers' daughters, nephews etc. I spent a number of years in research but no real job prospects. Foolishly I turned down two positions in public service during the boom thinking it was beneath me. It came back to bite me in the arse.

Let me tell you from the Employers perspective; when I'm looking for someone I rarely care a lot about degrees in the relevant field for the positions I employ (it's at best a tick box to be filled in the filter); why would I care about a degree in a completely irrelevant field? What I care about is proven track record in the field of question (projects, positions, roles, results) and the ability to show me the person knows what they are doing. If they don't have then they are entry position along with everyone else no matter what degree or score they got.

People greatly overvalue how much a University degree is worth; for most employees it is at best a proof you got a basic understanding of the area (and even that's disputable).

dory

Look up publicjobs.ie . They often have jobs that may interest you. Right now there's a job as a trainee with the EU External Service. Sounds interesting enough. You don't mention if you have a masters?

I would agree with the others who say finish the PhD and think about jobs after. It's pretty normal to get disillusioned in the final year.

FullBeard

I could be the OP. BA in History and Geography, first class honours, got a big fat scholarship to do a PhD in History, wrote some articles, yadda yadda yadda.

For various reasons, I didn't enjoy it, and I realized that I didn't want to be in academia. So, after 1.5 years of PhD research, I suddenly quit.

People advised me not to: It's better to finish what you start; PhDs are 'respected', you'll have skills in research, etc.

Perhaps they are respected; but perhaps a PhD in history is seen as irrelevant to a lot of positions, whether they involve research or not. I've done the interviews; I know what I'm talking about. Whether I finished it or not wouldn't have made any difference -- there's such a thing as being over-qualified and underskilled. You don't need a PhD to be a top-class researcher, and most employers know that.

So I quit and found that I needed to equip myself with a marketable skill that would lead to an in-demand profession. I researched real jobs rather than courses, found a profession I thought I'd like, emailed practitioners out of the blue and asked for their viewpoints and advice. This steered me to an MA in UL in a course that had great job prospects. I now get to write and research every day in the software industry -- and I love it. Things have never been better - and they're continuing to improve.

Quitting my PhD was the best thing I ever did, though I didn't know it at the time and was terrified I was making a huge mistake.

I'm not sure if that is of use to the OP -- but if you'd like to chat or talk, PM me and I'll be happy to speak to you.

BetterCallSaul

Finish the PHD if you are in your last year. This is not a good time to quit in search of job with little to no job experience and not much of an idea of what you actually want to do.

There are many jobs your qualifications could be a springboard towards,

If you were interested in Journalism for example?

Finish the PHD, then decide what you want to do.

RATM

king_of_inismac wrote: »

I'm going to go against the trend and suggest finishing your PhD.

A PhD is one of the most respected degrees inside and outside academia. You've completed two-thirds of it already and you'll definitely be glad you finished it afterwards.

There's two parts of a PhD: The first is the subject, which if you leave the area will indeed be useless to you. The second part is the ability to research, to investigate, to manage and to communicate. By getting your PhD, you are showing the world you are a self-motivated achiever (irrespective of the subject area). That is the most important part of a PhD for me anyway.

Finally, don't think you can finish your PhD while you work. The VAST majority of people I know who try it part-time ultimately fail. It's definitely not something to do in your spare time.

I'd agree entirely with this. Also ìf you drop the Phd then you're going to have to explain it on a CV and in interviews. An employer couldn't be blamed for thinking that you lack focus and a drive for results.

With the Phd there is the possiibility of getting into management consultancy at the entry level. The likes of Accenture would look upon it as demonstrating that you were able to organsie and execute a long term project which is a key skill for consultancy work. That said they would prefer you had a Phd in sciences or engineering but if you impress suitably throughout the interview stages then it isn't beyond impossible, you'd certainly be at an advantge over other candidates who have a Masters.

Lockstep

OP, if you're keen on a Civil Service career, you can apply for jobs in the UK. The Faststream service (their graduate recruitment scheme) usually starts in September although some areas like Foreign Affairs will be closed to you as a non citizen.

Failing that, the EU Civil Service also hires.

FullBeard

RATM wrote: »

I'd agree entirely with this. Also ìf you drop the Phd then you're going to have to explain it on a CV and in interviews. An employer couldn't be blamed for thinking that you lack focus and a drive for results.

This was one of my big fears. I thought: "how the hell am I going to explain my decision to quit in interviews?"

Well, it wasn't a problem. I was frank and honest. And by the way, when people asked me what my PhD was in, it often instigated some brow-furrowing (reformation social history, btw). Employers also admired the courage that it took to quit and the thought process that led me to my current profession.

Private industry will not be particularly impressed by a PhD in history; the public service may well be a different affair.

I am not encouraging the OP either way - but he should not come to regard quitting as a nuclear option. There is life after it. Many are the people with PhDs who regret not just doing a Masters.

A big part of a humanities PhD is personal fulfilment - if it's professional accolades you're looking for, do a PhD in science, engineering, medicine, or computers. If you're not getting personal fulfilment out if it - and if it's not going to lend you a clear and unique benefit when job-seeking - then it's time to reappraise.

The OP has only 1.5 years left in it. Well, if he were to withdraw immediately, be admitted to a 1-year MA as a late admission in September (like I did) he could have a well-paying professional job by this time next year instead of plodding slowly towards the PhD finish line and only then finding out the hard way that a PhD in history isn't necessarily what it's cracked up to be.

Just two cents from someone who's actually been there, done that, and heard all the arguments before.

finish the phd I would recommend then leverage that to get a job. a PHD demonstrates a high level of research and application. there are lots of career options available to a phd. being honest, the opportunities in Ireland are not that great. you'd be better off going to London if you want a decent career start. good age to do so also.

BostonB

Finish what you started. Then go travelling, working in other places, see the world. You'll probably get an idea what you want to get into that way.

FullBeard

glasso wrote: »

finish the phd I would recommend then leverage that to get a job. a PHD demonstrates a high level of research and application. there are lots of career options available to a phd. being honest, the opportunities in Ireland are not that great. you'd be better off going to London if you want a decent career start. good age to do so also.

I would question the basis of every single sentence in the above post.

EDIT: except the second one ;-)

BostonB

FullBeard wrote: »

I would question the basis of every single sentence in the above post.

Your reply tells us nothing about why you do.

FullBeard

BostonB wrote: »

Your reply tells us nothing about why you do.

It's pretty obvious to anyone with critical thinking skills.

finish the phd I would recommend then leverage that to get a job.

Why and how? What kind of job? How do you leverage a PhD in history to get "a job". This is not as easy as it sounds when other candidates have more germane skills, qualifications, or both.

a PHD demonstrates a high level of research and application.

I accept this.

there are lots of career options available to a phd.

Hopelessly vague. What specific career options are available to holders of PhD in History outside of academia? Teaching - sure. But you don't need a PhD to teach and having one actually isn't good enough. What you do need is a HDip. Civil service - sure. But you don't need a PhD to go into the civil service. So, that's not exactly "lots". What else is there? Being a good writer, the OP might want to go into publishing or editing; but most publishers require a fresh qualification in that area. Heck, most professions require a dedicated qualification related to that profession -- for patently obvious reasons.

being honest, the opportunities in Ireland are not that great.

Too vague. In some industries, like software and IT, the opportunities are very good.

you'd be better off going to London if you want a decent career start. good age to do so also.

It's not up to me to say why this is vague -- it's obvious that it is. It's just an assertion that might be true -- but at this point, we have no idea why, specifically, glasso thinks that it is true. I mean, doesn't it depend on the career? And isn't a career exactly what the OP needs to decide upon?

Also, please stop looking at PhDs as monolithic, homogeneous qualifications. There are many different types of PhD and just because you hold it in one extremely specialised subject area, it does not mean that you have an advantage in job-seeking over non-PhD holders. Experience and relevant qualifications trump ALL when job-seeking in the private sector.

Chazz Michael Michaels

JustMary wrote: »

Oh and unless you have expereince with quantitative disciplines outside of study, forget about banks. Even at the most basic level, they need folks who are good with numbers.

That isn't strictly true. I worked for a bank in Credit Analytics (very quantitative) and there was a girl there (a Risk Analyst) who merely had a history degree.

FullBeard

As an aside -- the OP might also consider librarianship or museum curator work -- but these often require additional specialist qualifications or knowing someone. And people are *very* precious about these things. You could also go into the genealogy business. But I'm guessing that if you're not enjoying the academic culture, these jobs won't appeal to you very much.

I would look at the things that you enjoy doing:

It sounds like you have a passion for gathering data, synthesizing it, and writing it up. Perhaps you also like translating complex concepts into clear English and presenting your findings.

Search LinkedIn for jobs that sound attractive to you. Contact practitioners of those jobs directly and ask to speak to them. See if you'd like to do what they do. Then ask them how they went about getting to do what they do.

This whole mantra of finishing what you start is a nice soundbyte that sounds like wisdom, but do a little cost-benefit analysis for yourself. You might decide to stick with it, or not. If not, send me a message like I said and we can chat at length about it.

You really do sound very like me. Right down to what you wrote about having interests in everything and no sense of focus. It's all about identifying the common denominator -- in my case, I'm a knowledge sponge: I absorb information and like to explain it to others, ideally by writing. I like designing information. That's my game. Maybe it's yours, too.

BostonB

FullBeard wrote: »

It's pretty obvious to anyone with critical thinking skills.....

Your main criticism seems to be that its too vague. You you replied with an even more vague reply??? Which you've now qualified, with that a general qualification isn't as useful as specific qualification for that specific job. But thats kinda missing the point isn't it. The issue isn't get a PHD or a more specific qualification or target a specific job. Its finish what you started as the OP in the last year. As having something finished, looks a lot better than something started and left unfinished. Besides which the OP doesn't know what to do so how do they know which specific job/career path to follow!

Software and IT isn't an option unless you have the right skillset and the motivation in that career.

Moving to somewhere with a bigger job market, has more opportunities. Peronally I think they need more experience of life and the wider world before locking themselves into another specific career path that they may drop out of, like many are suggesting they do with the PHD.

No one wants to see a CV full of unfinished things.

FullBeard

BostonB wrote: »

Your main criticism seems to be that its too vague. You you replied with an even more vague reply??? Which you've now qualified, with that a general qualification isn't as useful as specific qualification for that specific job. But thats kinda missing the point isn't it. The issue isn't get a PHD or a more specific qualification or target a specific job. Its finish what you started as the OP in the last year. As having something finished, looks a lot better than something started and left unfinished. Besides which the OP doesn't know what to do so how do they know which specific job/career path to follow!

I've addressed that above. Finishing what you start is a soundbyte -- nothing more. It's all about cost-benefit. I've faced down that question in interviews and passed with flying colors. Of more interest to an employer is why you want the job that you're applying for -- not why you didn't finish your PhD in an arcane, abstract subject area. Let me ask you: have you ever quit a PhD and faced that question in multiple interviews? If yes, well and good; if not, perhaps you should defer to someone who has.

Software and IT isn't an option unless you have the right skillset and the motivation in that career.

My whole point is that regardless of whether he completed his doctorate, the OP will probably have to do an MA or cert in order to become a professional with a particular skill set. My point also is that if he "finishes what he starts", simply for the sake of finishing what he starts, then he might have to do an MA anyway if he finds -- as he well might -- that his PhD in history isn't of much use in the private sector.

Instead, with 1.5 years to go, if he quits now and jumps into a carefully chosen MA, he could well have an enjoyable, satisfying job by the time he would otherwise only be submitting his thesis while still scratching his head.

There are places for humanities graduates in software, btw. I don't know any code and I lack programming skills. But I am still a software engineer and all I do is research and write English all day long.

BostonB

I think your directing him down a repeat path. Go get some qualification that perhaps you've no interest in, and will potentially drop out of again. Also go get some qualifications and skill set in something that by your own example you don't use to work in IT. I would disagree that you are a software engineer by that description given. I don't think finish what you started is a sound-byte. Perseverance and determination is a key attribute if you want to employ someone to get things done. Of course knowing when you're flogging a dead project is also valid. If you are to employ someone who do you take the person who hasn't finished anything, or someone who has, everything else being equal. You could say if the OP has done exceptionally well to this point, and can demonstrate that, awards etc as claimed, there maybe no more to be gained by finishing the PHD.