Quote From 4matt:

Hi MissScientist,

I would usually start off my reply to a post like this by saying that PhDs are being heavily oversubscribed at the moment, due to job shortages - I've heard that numbers of applications are three times what they were a few years ago.  However, you clearly have excellent qualifications, soooo....


My first questions would be, which university is your degree from? Is it from a red-brick/Russell Group/similar, or from a very new uni which some people may regard a being of lesser quality?  Second, have you had your CV and covering letter checked by anyone else, like a careers service at your old university? I'm not suggesting there is a negative answer to either of these, but considering your first, your experience, and that you have a publication, it seems very strange that you're not even getting interviews.

I'd suggest contacting places you'vem applied but had no joy with, and asking them whether they could give you some feedback, at least something more constructive than "We had lots of applications, and couldn't interview everyone".  Perhaps ask them whether there's anything you could have improved on, so that next time you can have a better chance of getting an interview.

Have all your applications been to different institutions, or are you focusing on one or two?

Matt