Unemployed and miserable

LegacyUser

I don't really know what advice I'm looking for.

I'm in my thirties, have a degree and a masters and last year completed a Ph.D in social sciences.

I lecture part-time in a top university which is paid dreadfully (most lecturer's earn minimum wage) There are no full-time jobs in the university sector here or abroad. To add to this, even if there were I can't handle the 70 hour work weeks, lecturing, research and publishing plus the awful pay that goes along with it.

I've been searching for an alternative career path, and the lack of choice or even interest in me from prospective employers is soul destroying. I'm completely open to different opportunities and have applied in various different sectors. I'm not picky, I just want something that pays the bills and makes some use of my skills.

Today has been yet another day where I've spent 6 hours searching for opportunities only to find nothing and I can't take it anymore. The stress of no money and the feelings of worthlessness have me sobbing like a baby.

I came from an awful background and was so determined to do something with my life. I've tried so so hard.

I have gotten professional advice on my CV, I change it for every job, I play down/up my achievements depending on what I'm applying for. I've broadened my scope as much as possible. I just don't know what to do anymore, I feel like an absolute failure.

Rubberchikken

You have achieved so much to be proud of. Whatever you do, don't give up, it is hard to find the right job and it must be soul destroying to have worked so hard for your qualifications to be paid so little.
Have you considered moving abroad? I realise it's not for everyone but maybe yoy've reached a stage where decisions need to be made.

Mayboy

Hi,

Have you read - Working Identity - by Hermina Ibarra? It is great and may just be the advice you are looking for. Basically she says don't sweat looking for the 'right' thing just feel for what might work and go for there - in searching for the perfect job we ignore the transition and that is an important part of the process. There are areas that must be potential avenues but you might be discounting them early. Maybe you could give yourself more scope.

In your heart of hearts what would you like to grow old doing?

Hope this helps.

LegacyUser

Hi OP,

We're the same age. I could have written your exact same post last year. I felt awful, depressed, worthless. I had dedicated a huge chunk of my life to a humanities Ph.D (also completed last year), yet I was faced with the prospect of years of moving between terribly payed research and part-time teaching roles. But when I applied for work in other careers, coming towards the end of my write up, I wasn't getting a look in either. It was utterly soul destroying. It's a terrible feeling.

I had to make some decisions. The first decision was to abandon the idea of working in academia as a full time career. It was too much of a gamble. I had to be honest with myself: I just didn't have the stomach for chasing a dream for an indeterminate length of time (there are very few positions open or due to open in my field for the next 20 years, and it's poorly funded too). Once I made that decision, everything felt a little easier. I wasn't abandoning all the work that I put in over the years - I still plan to publish a few articles, but over a longer period of time, and stay up to date with my subject when I can. Part of me is still a little sad that I can't make it as a lecturer, but I'm happy that I took some control back.

I then decided to really examine what skills and experience I had. I could analyze, interpret, and write well. I could present. I could communicate. I was smart and could pick different concepts up quickly. I looked at some alternative career options, but I really didn't want to spend any more time or money training to do something else. Long story short, I looked into technical writing. Did a bit of research on what the job entailed, talked to a few people. Turns out a lot of companies are snapping up trained humanities scholars. Some roles play well at entry level too, way more than I was earning while in academia. I interviewed for a few places, and got a job. I'm enjoying it, and I'm loving not only the challenge, but also the security.

Anyway, I didn't mean this to be a story about me. There are options open to you OP, try be a little kinder to yourself, do some things to release the pressure. I know how it feels. I was lying in bed at night, unable to sleep, angry and frustrated to the point of tears. But I had to separate being jobless from my sense of self-worth (which had already taken a good battering while I was writing up my PhD). I became systematic, a few hours on research and job hunting and prep, and then forced myself to switch off. Get outside, go for a walk, or catch up on some old hobbies. It helped.

Are any of your friends working in different careers? Look at your network, talk to them about their roles and their skills, or the roles and skills of others they work with. Is there any overlap with yours? Have they any suggestions? Maybe a career guidance session might help.

Anyway, I've gone on way too long. I hope you're feeling better. Share your frustration with someone you trust. A new perspective might really help, while unburdening yourself definitely will!

Be kind to yourself, and good luck OP.

LegacyUser

Have you considered applying for jobs not in your field but would be somewhat related such as the civil service or librarianship etc...

Depending on which social science you have graduated in you might have other options as well. Could expand into statistics if you're an economist...

Could you take up a part time job to supplement your professional income?

fuzzydunlop85

Maybe look into teaching English in Korea /China or somewhere in Asia. Would give you a chance to gather some cash together quickly and a chance to research some courses/figure out a plan. Also would be a great life experience!

Lux23

I would think someone like you could get a good job in the civil service, when you say social sciences what area are you qualifications in exactly? Your writing skills seem strong as well so maybe a communications job in your field might be a good option for you too.

LegacyUser

Hi everyone,

OP here, thanks for the input so far, I really apprecaite people taking time out of their day to help me. I don't think I made myself entirely clear in the first post so just to address some things that came up and questions people have

Rubberchicken, you asked “Have you considered moving abroad?”
I have, and I have applied for a few things, but it's a last resort.

Mayboy “Have you read - Working Identity - by Hermina Ibarra” I haven't, but I will definitely check it out, thank you, it might keep me occupied and allieve some anxiety. You also said “There are areas that must be potential avenues but you might be discounting them early” but the truth is I'm not. I am literally applying for everything I'm capable of doing. This includes evey sector,field etc... you can think of. I've applied for cleaning jobs, a job in Lidl at the till, I'm discounting nothing at all.

fgjf5j5 “Have you considered applying for jobs not in your field but would be somewhat related such as the civil service or librarianship etc...”  Yes, I have considered and applied for everything. However librarianship would not be an option as I would need a degree/masters in librarianship and information retrieval. Also “could you take up a part time job to supplement your professional income?” Yes I could, but I'm applying for these and getting nowhere.

fuzzydunlop85 “Maybe look into teaching English in Korea /China or somewhere in Asia” Yes this is an option, but a last resort as my husband is here.

Lux23 “I would think someone like you could get a good job in the civil service” Yes, I could. But there's nothing being advertised. I'm on publicjobsdotie everyday. If there was, I would be applying but unfortunately there's been nothing at all.

So, you see. My options are entirely open (apart from moving abroad). I will literally do anything at all. And it's not that I don't know what fields I could diversify into. I'm completely aware of what I could do. There's so many jobs I could do if given a chance. The problem is that I'm not been given a chance. No-one is interested in me

AnotherPhD37. Thanks for the empathetic response. I'm sorry that the academic dream failed you too, the system is broke which is why we find ourselves in these situations. Thanks for the positive story , I'm glad you found something you enjoy, I'm looking for my equivalent. In fact I have looked into technical writing, but most of the jobs I have seen require a STEM background.

Someone asked what I see myself growing old doing... I guess maybe writing.

However, I don't need the dream job right now. My miserableness is caused by the lack of any job at all. I just need something to keep a roof over my head. Anyway, I'm rambling...

Thank you everyone x

Piglet85

Hi OP,

I'm afraid I can't offer you much in the way of advice, but I just wanted to let you know you're not alone. To be honest, seeing your post (and AnotherPhD37's) was something of a relief - finally I know I'm not alone! I could have written your post word-for-word, almost.

I got my PhD earlier this year, and like you, I have come to the conclusion that I have neither the stamina nor enthusiasm to stay in academia. Unfortunately, as you know, it's not as simple as just changing careers. After studying for ten years, I have a degree, masters, higher diploma and PhD, and yet I seem to be totally unemployable. Every job ad is looking for someone with experience or very specific qualifications that I just don't have, and it's driving me to despair.

As Lux said, I think the civil service might be an idea, and I intend to apply during the next rounds of recruitment. For now, as AnotherPhD37 suggested, I'm working on trying to figure out what I can bring to the table and how to sell it. We can research, write, think critically, present, communicate one on one (with students) and to large groups, have computer skills, editing experience... You have so many transferable skills now, it's just figuring out how to get a foot in the door somewhere.

Counter-intuitive though it may seem, I think you might be spending too much time job-searching. Six hours is excessive and is going to upset you - the more ads you see, the more you feel you'll never find jobs you can apply for, never mind get. If you're searching daily, a couple of hours should suffice most days to ensure you're caught up on new positions. Obviously there'll be days when you'll find things to apply for and those days will take longer. After that, get out, get some exercise, pursue hobbies, spend time with friends and family and catch up on all that life that academia tries to stop us from living before you do find yourself in full-time work again. You need to manage your stress and not panic. You'll get there, and so will I.

And no, that doesn't mean I'm relaxed about it all - it worries me constantly, but I keep reminding myself to stay positive. I would be a good addition to many businesses, and so would you.

As an aside, AnotherPhD37, could I ask you how you got into Tech Writing? It's something I considered in the past but was under the impression that you needed the specific qualification. Did you see ads that didn't require a qualification or experience?

Anyway, best of luck OP. You'll get there.

twill

There was a grad cert in Technical Writing in UL by distance learning. I assume it's still running. A lot of the time companies will employ you without training if you have some experience with the software they use or have had fairly similar jobs. They really value postgrad qualifications that showcase research, evaulation, deductive reasoning etc etc.

I'd take a break from job searching and put some serious research and resources into investigating niche jobs. Some you shouldn't need extra qualifications for, such as college admin. Some might need a conversion course. I heard the PR industry is short of graduates at the moment. There's a business/technology course in UCC thatboasts of almost 100% employment for graduates and it takes students from all disciplines. Don't apply for everything - it's wasting your energy and emotional resources.

strandroad

If technical writing os of interest, stick with it. I work for a STEM company and there are no STEM requirements for our writers - you need to understand the final product, not to build it. In fact it's hard to find real talent there and it might be a really good option for you. All new technologies products need to be explained, documented and come with instructions after all.