Hey,

I'm still waiting for an outcome from my examiners following PhD submission.......

I'm currently a 'bank' support worker in order to gain clinical experience within my specific PhD field, but they've cut virtually all of my shifts due to employing permanent support worker staff. Although this job is poorly paid, it has given me some much vital experience at the 'grass roots' level and given me a small income and flexibility to work on my doctoral studies.

Lack of funds and no real consistent well paid job means that I will probably have to drop out of my professional doctorate as I can no longer pay my fees for entering into year 2. Very disappointing.

I have years of postgraduate research experience, assistant psychologist experience, postgraduate qualifications and a few publications, but I'm not having much success at all.

Most of the time, I'm submitting applications for research assistant posts. I haven't applied for research associate posts due to lack of a completed PhD and no publications, although now wondering if I should consider applying for PhD graduate jobs as well. I'm trying to tailor my application to each person spec point, but still failing to obtain interview invites.

Finding this all extremely soul destroying.........

Is anyone else struggling!?

:-(

I am in the same position as you!!!

Are you considering academic posts only or any job?

======= Date Modified 02 Oct 2012 14:55:58 =======
Hey, good to know I'm not alone. Yep, researcher and assistant psychologist posts as well as relevant non graduate jobs, but not lecturing jobs. Not having much luck.

Had to drop out of professional psychology doctorate as could not pay the 50% worth of fees required for re-enrollment. Gutted.

Its been a while since I was in psychology myself, but arent bank work and assistant posts for those getting experience before a doctorate to get onto one? If you were already on that kind of course, is there a reason you need more experience? Maybe you would be better applying for more higher level positions if oyu now have your PhD almost awarded.

In research a lot of us applied for our post docs even before they were awarded, and others went onto other posts usually via industry contacts. I reckon you may have more luck applying for that level rather than undergrad level work. You may even find, like me you prefer life outside psychology than within it.

As for dropping out, does that mean you are totally kicked off the course, or do they just defer you for a bit? Deferring or taking a break is definitely not the same as dropping out, and happens all the time with a PhD.

======= Date Modified 02 Oct 2012 18:17:27 =======

Thanks bad-haircut! Really useful.

I initially selected bank work to gain some much needed clinical /experience working with service users to help with my professional training (not in clinical psychology but a different professional psychology field). As this bank work involved working within services I covered as part of my PhD, unexpectedly and in the end, this position provided important insights to the realities etc of my PhD research questions, which really helped my write up, especially my intro and discussion chapters (which were missed from my PhD data collection).

Bank work allowed me to gain some direct experience, income to pay for professional doctorate fees and flexibility to complete PhD.

Due to unexpected cuts in shifts (nothing to do with me apparently!) and given my 'bank' status, I simply don't have any shifts lined up and therefore cannot afford to pay the fees for year 2 of the professional psychology doctorate, which means I can't re-enrol and the uni will de-register me from this professional psychology doctorate. However, reflecting over the past decade of continuous study, perhaps it's worth taking a break from study and work full time for a bit (despite working part time mostly throughout my MScs and after PhD).

Hi may I ask what kind of job are you doing? I actually feel rather upset as most of my fellow 3rd year colleagues have already got their jobs secure before they submitted their thesis, mostly from the connection of their supervisors. Me and another colleague (who are under the same supervisor), are the odd-one out 3rd year students who does not seem to have any "future". Our supervisor is not helpful in this context at all.

I have been looking for both academic and non-academic jobs for a few months now, either got rejected or no response.

May I ask how did you find your non-academic job? Is posting CV on general career website such as Monster or TotalJob would help? i really need to find a job soon as I have financial commitment for my family, and I haven't received any positive response so far...

Worrying
:-(

======= Date Modified 04 Oct 2012 16:51:36 =======
Obtained non graduate social care job via the job centre website. When I omitted all of my 3-4 postgrad degrees (ie MScs, PGCert, PhD) off my CV, I started getting a response to non-graduate jobs. No response to graduate and academic jobs, despite relevant experience, some publications and qualifications.

Due to budget cuts, hour restrictions and recruitment of full time permanent staff, I no longer have any shifts lined up, so trying to find a new job sharpish.

Over the last year, I was retraining to be chartered psychologist, but I'm unable to afford to stay on my professional psychology doctorate due to no job so doubly disappointing for me. The non grad job was very relevant to my PhD so helped with my write up and also helped develop some clinical skills which helped with my psychologist training.

I feel like the only PhD candidate without a job so you're not alone!

:-(

Thanks for sharing, pineapple!