Not to put my PhD on my CV

[desperatenotstupid]

I am struggling to get work, have been a SAHM for 6 years now and am desperate to get back into the work place. I would love to go back into my resarch field but this is proving difficult, althouh i am doing some volunteer work in the field but the chances of employment remain slim to say the very least. I have been applying for admin jobs but am not getting interviewed, I think my CV is OK, i try and adapt my skills for each job etc. I am wondering if i should leave my PhD off my CV (and inspired to start this thread after a comment on anotehr thread i dont want to hijack).

Those of you with PhDs who haven't stayed in the field, what would you suggest? My issue is two fold, firstly i worked bloody hard for my PhD and i want that recognised, but more importantly, How to explain four years of not working on top of the 6 being at home?

I really am despairing and dont know what to do next.

I feel for you.

Is there anything between basic admin and your research field that you could apply for? Something that is in a related field, and where they would be happy to have a candidate with academic knowledge, but it's not strictly necessary? Without knowing your field it's hard to say.

As far as tge admin jobs go, you could try leaving it off. Probably most jobs are getting huge numbers of applicants atm so that might not be the reason you haven't got interviews.

You could say that you worked at your university, but present it as a job rather than a PhD course? Not strictly untrue, and could add to your admin experience.

Friend had exactly the same problem, though hadn't taken a career break. She had been abroad doing research work and found it tough getting employment back in UK. She wasn't able to get job in research, so went for admin job, removing phD from CV. It was only way she had success getting a job.

She's finally just got a research job, but is some considerable distance from where she lives and she's having to rely on family and friends for somewhere to stay during the week and its still only a temp contract.

Most admin jobs these days are getting huge numbers of applicants, including people with degrees, professional qualifications etc. It may not be counting aganst you.

If you were worried you could leave the phd off, but put it on your CV as whatever your title was at that time ?research assistant?

Do you want to work in admin? If you don't get back into research, what else would you like to do?

Problem for me is that i am a scientist so people view it as some sort of geeky high brow qualification that is totally irrelevant to admin type jobs. There are actually plenty of transferrable skills but i dont seem to be able to get that across. I think im just rubbish tbh :(

The curse of the PhD. I had terrible trouble getting a job after I decided to go in a different direction after finishing my PhD. It was in history, there was no chance of any job except piecemeal research work. Basically every interview (and it was the early 00's so there was plenty of jobs) involved the interviewers telling me I was over qualified with a PhD and didn't have enough admin experience. I got a lot of chippy people who were so scathing about my pHD and were never going to employ someone who they thought was cleverer than them- which was bollocks.
I went for one interview for one of the large civil service departments where there were 4 interviewers on the panel and the guy in charge basically told me he was only interviewing me because I had passed the interview tests and HR had put me forward but people with pHD's thought they were so much better than everyone else. One of the other interviewers actually came out to walk me back to reception and apologised for his behaviour. At least he was honest enough to express what a lot of people had been implying.
In the end I got a job through a placement on a free admin course I did at the local college where the guy in charge actually was pleased I had research experience and used the skills I had. I think that's the way forward- try and get voluntary work in the sort of admin work you want to do rather than your academic field so you actually have direct admin experience. It's crap I sympathise.

Fallen, Id love to get back to research and im doing volunteer work in that field to try and make it happen. Realistically though, i can't see me getting employment without relocating and my partner has his own property maintainance business and has a regular client base which has taken years to build up, so its not a feasible option :(

So, if that doesn't happen, what then for you?

I don't think you should feel you have to leave it off.
I know it's tempting to think that being 'over qualified ' will go against you, but I'm honestly not sure that's true. I did post grad study (many moons ago now) and strictly speaking it wasn't necessary, I could have entered my career just as a graduate. I don't feel it has ever gone against me though.

I think the real issue here is that you will be competing against people who have probably got the same intellectual capacity and maybe even qualifications but also have the edge in recent experience. 6 years out of the workplace (well, 10 years if your doctorate was in addition to that and if you weren't earning during it) is a hell of a time these days. It is a really tough world out there. I always worked and took short maternity leaves and I would say that's the single biggest factor in maintaining my career- more so than paper qualifications.

Sorry if this sounds a bit depressing but I think you need to focus on how you can make yourself more employable in really specific ways, rather than dwelling on what stays on your cv. Can you get some experience somewhere? Also, accept that graduates and even post grad qualifications are very common these days. Again, I don't mean to dismiss your achievements, but it's simply the way it is. The company I work for usually gets dozens of graduates applying for admin jobs which don't require a degree; in the latest round of appointments we got two Oxbridge graduates who had been out of the workplace for a number of years and were obviously desperate to get back into work. Paper qualifications coming out of their ears, but sadly no recent experience in the workplace. So my advice would be, volunteer, apply for any fixed term contracts, don't be too choosy or assume a job will be too 'easy' and not making use of your qualifications - its about getting recent experience in the workplace.

Good luck

I don't know - but I have been told to leave my OU degree that I'm one course away from finishing off. I though it showed I been doing something in time I'd been a SAHM.

That was advice form people running a back to work course they suggested my degree and Master I already had would count against me.

DH thinks they were just unused to people in our area having work experience and anything other than basic qualifications. He had all his qualification including his PhD and has had more than one interview where it seemed to be a massive issue for the interviewer.

Our circumstances have changed so I haven't been job hunting so haven't tried the advice out.

You could try the temping companies if you do want general admin job- they tend to be less fussy IME and once you have current experience temping getting a permanent job should be easier.

I really don't know Fallen :( Its not just my DPs business that would stop me from relocatin, here are other factors that make it difficult, if not impossible. I just wish I could make people see that i have alot of skills to offer them, I would like to do any job with a bit of a challenge, i dont want filing and photocopying type admin, but i have to start somewhere. Maybe, and htis is a bit mad sounding, but maybe i should aim higher with my job applications? Im very much applying for low level no quals needed type jobs as i have no confidence.

If I were you, Id put my name down for any visiting lecturer spots at your nearest Uni.It pays £40 an hour and most departments are usually desperate for the occasional vl .

Yes aim higher the worst that could happen is you get rejected for that job - like now - best you get a better paid job you'll enjoy more.

I don't see any harm in aiming both high and lower. I think you have to cast the net wide these days.

I just think the bottom line is (and I do realise this must be hard to swallow) there will be dozens of other people chasing those same jobs (high AND low status jobs) who are extremely well qualified too and have more recent experience in the workplace.

I still think the key is to try to get work- even if it's basic admin work. The workplace is changing so rapidly (my own job has changed beyond recognition from when I started 20 or so years back) and tbh I think that's probably what's going against you in your applications rather than your qualifications

I wouldn't leave it off your CV, but I think you need to make it clear that you do actually want the job you're applying for, and show enthusiasm and commitment about working in the role in general and for the company you're applying to specifically (and say why). Often 'overqualified' people do a bad job of this. Also make the most of any 'soft skills' you've gained during your PhD that are relevant to the role you want.

I agree with others that unfortunately your biggest problem is likely that other people applying for these jobs may have more recent and relevant work experience - and that likely counts for more than a science PhD.

Do aim for the higher-level jobs as well if any come up.

Not sure if applicable to you, but I think there are some grants for people trying to get back to science.

If you do want to get back, perhaps offer to do voluntary work to retrain?
A while ago we did employ someone who had been away from science for a while and he did great.

If you are looking for other type of work, a potential employer may not think you will stick around. But you could explain in a letter.

Otherwise consider tutoring or distance based teaching?

I've been applying for admin jobs and getting nowhere. Funnily enough, the one place who interviewed me and gave me a job was the one that the application form didn't leave a space for me to mention my degree, so I didn't mention it.

So leaving it off has got to be worth a try.

Desperate where are you? I work for a research company, we're always looking out for good researchers

As a HR person, if you are applying for junior admin roles not related to your PhD then take it off. I wouldn't bother to read your CV past seeing that as I would automatically class you as over qualified and unlikely to be truly interested in the admin role.

Sorry - but that's the honest truth

Secretarial/administrative temping is always a good place to start when you need to build up your hours of recent experience. Then, if I were you, I would be applying for university administrative or even research assistant posts that require first degrees, in science or medical departments. Your PhD won't come as a shock to the recruiters, nor will your time out of work bringing up children - it's exceptionally common for women scientists.

If you are lucky you will be employed by someone like me who (without, obviously, postively discriminating!) hoped I would get a highly qualified applicant who had most recently been a SAHM, and who was therefore willing and able to take on a very part-time post while still being excellent.

I still had over 100 applications for an 8 hr p/w job...

"As a HR person, if you are applying for junior admin roles not related to your PhD then take it off. "

Catgirl, I completely disagree with this; in my sector (HE) it's quite common, if a post merely requires a first degree, for people with PhD's to apply. And it is not remotely offputting; most of us recognise that not everyone who does a PhD wants to go into research.

You should never take things off your CV - as soon as you do, recruiters get suspicious of the gap.

desperate I am looking too and it is quite depressing. I haven't applied yet because I don't really know where I would be. DH is looking too and has a better chance than me amongst other things.
But I am really thinking of letting my phD out and transform it on lab experience, as well as my postdoc.

A lot of people thinks phD is not a work experience, but it is. That is one of the problems with mentioning it for lower degree jobs.

Basically having a phD in science is having a master + 3 or 4 years of experience at least as a lab technician, an field engineer, research assistant, scientific writer, librarian, organising meetings and conference, and lab management. I probably forgot something.

Even if you have a phD in literature you can still get some work experience out of it.

I hope you can get some confidence back which is probably what you are missing.
Does a carrier coach exist? That would be useful. Laying all your experiences with somebody and seeing how you can valorised it for find a job which match you.

Sure, in HE an academic qualification would be fine, but in my sector we would just think "over qualified, not looking for a career and admin is not their vocation". Like you I am currently inundated for CVs for every job so we will knock applicants back pretty easily. (Mind you we also have a horrible policy where we won;t recruit anyone who is currently a SAHP or unemployed).

Your advice for the OP to seek out roles in uni admin and to start by temping is very good and I agree with that

OP, I wouldn't leave it off. You've worked bloody hard of that and should be proud of it. Also, how do you explain away that time?

I'm a bit aghast at you applying for such low level jobs. Have you spoken to your university careers office? They can give you advice long past the time of your degree/PhD.

Do you want to stay within the science field? Would you be able to afford to train for a specific job?

"we also have a horrible policy where we won;t recruit anyone who is currently a SAHP or unemployed"

That doesn't surprise me :(

I've taken a job that I'm not totally happy with after 10 years as a SAHM, but I'm hoping that I can put up with it for 6-12 months experience and at least then have something current on my CV to get another job with. Does this sound a sensible route, catgirl? Or would you an applicant who only had 6 months experience after a 10 year gap raise just as many red flags?