I think the guy is asking for too much too soon but I do understand where he is coming from - it's very soul destroying.

I've been looking for jobs in research and industry for 18 months and very seriously for about a year. I've sent hundreds of spec emails, tweeted, contacted newspapers, submitted a couple of hundred applications at least and have applied close to home and across the UK and Ireland and even Australia. Jobs applications have ranged from minimum wage research assistant (didn't even get shortlisted) through to research fellow posts. I have previous experience of working as a research assistant and researcher but am just having no luck. To date, I've been shortlisted for about 5 or 6 interviews but I'm still unemployed. It's dire out there...

Not sure what the answer is.

Hi alleycat393, I'd like to get into this area, if I send you a PM would you tell me the name of the company you're registered with? Hope you don't mind me asking.

Thanks Bewildered - I enjoyed reading the article and the comments.

A piece in the Guardian about it...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/higher-education-network/blog/2012/aug/02/unpaid-research-internships-academic-hypocrisy?commentpage=2#start-of-comments

They're tweeting about this on Twitter and are collecting signatures on facebook to protest against it.

Bad times...

Another unpaid research post was advertised very recently. See the link below:

http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=6209

Contact them tomorrow as it'll do no harm. They said they'd be in contact and haven't and so they shouldn't mind. If they hadn't give a deadline I'd tell you to wait.

You would need to check with jobs and benefits but once your funding runs out see if you are entitled to job seekers allowance. You will need to show evidence of looking for a job (but I'd be very surprised if you got one) and perhaps you could continue writing up during this time. If you did get a job, perhaps you could fit the thesis round it. It's surprising what you can achieve when you're up against it.

All the very best!

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As far as I could make out mine spent less than an hour reading my entire thesis and comments / changes were minimal and I mean minimal over the three years. In my opinion, this was not good and I did not and do not believe my supervisors read my thesis in any depth. I found the viva very, very tough, had my main supervisor in with me and if my examiners were in any way astute they will have clicked that my thesis wasn't read in any depth. I passed but felt humiliated at viva but I could not fault the examiners as they did their job. Sadly, I don't think my supervisors did and I'm still seething about it. What I'm saying is it is better if your supervisor spots flaws, mistakes and problems in your thesis, rather than your examiners.

Many thanks - I found your advice extremely helpful and having spent the last hour looking, others are saying the same things.

Thank you and good luck with whatever you decide!

It's difficult to answer as it will depend on a number of things, for example;


1. Individual employers perception

2. If and when the economy picks up (availability of employment)

3. Would you be prepared to move across the country for a position?

Check the graduate destination of those with this degree with your university and a few others before starting.

Could I ask you a question? I don't speak a foreign language but am interested in Tefl and so how did you get this position? I'm in the same position as you were and agree hanging around doing nothing much is a waste and if I were an employer I'd be impressed with your get up and go!

They'll be looking, or should be looking, for what you have to offer as a researcher to the project. Don't let the fact that you're an humanities student prevent you from applying. Seriously, in this climate apply for everything you can as there's not a lot out there. Go for it!

I totally agree with Larry David - don't quit unless you have a job to go to.

Good stuff and glad to know you've arrived safe and sound. I bet you're exhausted...I think you made the right decision giving it a try! Hoping it all works out for you.(up)