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.

any tutors don't have liability insurance - and actually it wasn't at all expensive when I looked into it
re subject confidence I hadn't done a technical job for nearly 8 years when I started - I found GCSE really straightforward and A level took at a little time but clicked in - top tip buy the relevant text books

Try your local FE colleges maybe? Perhaps you could get some hourly paid teaching which could lead to more.

Hi DesperateNotStupid. This might help a little: www.careers.lon.ac.uk/output/Page68.asp
I'd really try to get someone to look over your CV.

AnOtherName, a friend of mine tutors for the OU, foundation health science i might see her at "work" tomorrow so i am going to ask her about it.

Hi OP. Did you read catgirls advice on page 1? Good advice i think.

As someone who does a lot of interviewing, I am always wary of applicants who are overqualified; my experience is that generally they don't stay long and i invest time in getting them up to speed only for them to bugger off after 6 months, cos it's easier to get a job when you are actually employed. Great for them but not so good for us, as I organise the leaving present and wave them a fond goodbye!

I'd keep your PhD to yourself if you really want the admin job, and be rightly proud of it when it is directly relevant to the job you are applying for.

Sorry, laptop is playing up and posted before I had a chance to finish. Apologies as I see someone already had a look at your CV. I was going to say that I was a careers adviser in HE for 8 years until last year and would be happy to have a look if you'd like. If not, that's fine too as I understand it has a lot of personal details on there! Also, it might take me a while...I have a teething 4 month old!

Applying for 10-20 jobs a week sounds problematic to me. I'm always suspicious when people are saying they've applied for hundreds of jobs and never even got an interview, that they're just firing off applications without much of a thought about (a) whether they're suitable for the job and (b) making a really tailored, focused application that convinces the employer that they've done their research and are committed and enthusiastic about this particular job.

I don't think it looks good if you give off an impression of desperation and just wanting 'some job, anything will do'. Even if that's the case, and I do understand it sometimes is! Employers often can tell.

I do think the suggestion to look at university admin is a good one - there are sometimes also project management roles in particular departments/institutes, and I know people with science PhDs who do these. They often require knowledge of how research is done, how the funding process works etc, so some research experience is useful.

I know how you feel. I haven't had a single reply. I've been considering leaving off my degree and professional experience but I have yet to work out how to account for the huge gap that creates. I am unemployable :(.

Have you considered a skills based rather than linear CV? That could mask your PhD quite effectively.

I would say that is good advice.

A PhD may be relevant to your chosen field but you would probably be classed as unqualified or inexperienced for many jobs if you did not hold a particular certificate or qualification.

Skills on the other hand - as has been said above - can be applied acros a range of different occupations and at varying levels.

Fraktal - I do have a skills based CV, but i must be doing something wrong. I think Epiphany makes a very fair point to be fair, even if it makes me bristle to read it, truth often hurts.

MixedBerrys I would love for you to look at my CV, I must be doing something wrong and id love to get some honest feedback. When i showed it to the careers officer he said it was good and picked up a few grammatical errors (i subsequently picked up several more) so i dont think he really bothered.

I have similar problems with application forms too, of course the first thing they see is my ropey experience and stupid qualifications. I bet they dont even get to the bit where i write my skills down, i go through wiht the job spec sometimes and try and include everything on there. Still nothing.

I think i too am unemployable. :(

desperate - have you thought about doing something like stats or research for public bodies/ companies. I got a few interviews (with a science PhD) for this sort of work for County councils and Police Headquarters. Also management for FE colleges / environment agency/ science based companies.

As you have a scisnce background and your partner is in property maintenance have you though about one of the building-related environmental services e.g. asbestos, water hygiene, enegry assessor (SAP , SBEM or BREEAM)?

No advice really but watching with interest, had no idea there were other people on MN in a similar situation.

I too have a science PhD. After my 1st post-doc (only 8mths, end of funding) I went travelling with dp for a year (fully intending on picking up research again when I got back). Anyway, I got pregnant with DS while travelling and have been a SAHM since (3yrs out of work inc travel time). The full intention while I was a SAHM was for me to get a part-time job doing anything just to keep us ticking over but despite really tailoring the skills I have to the jobs I've applied for on application forms, I've not even had a sniff of an interview (even one's where I have all the relevant experience). I too reckon its because I'm over-qualified. The problem is when its an application form and not a cv I feel a bit fraudulent missing off my PhD because there's always a section for qualifications (although I always also include it in work experience since it was salaried).

In terms of finding science work, we've now moved back to our home town (which is great for GPs seeing DS and low cost of living) but its not commutable to any universities and there's no research companies nearby. Bit the bullet last year and decided to do a distance course to get a graduate certificate in Biomedical Science so I can widen my options and work for the NHS. However, we didn't want to wait too long for DC2 and figured it might take me a while to find a job after the course so I'm now pregnant again. In theory I'm going to start looking once the baby is 6mths old but in reality I reckon I'll be unemployed for another couple of years. Not willing to hold back on having more family just for my career but I'm worried I'll be completely unemployable by the time I am able to go back into full time work.

Its such a dilemma for women nowadays, I wish there were two of me, one I could send to work and one that could bring up my family (or even just that I could find that elusive job that accommodates both).

Anyway sorry for epic post, was just surprised to see someone in the same boat. Hope you find something soon.

P.S - sorry to hijack further but tutoring is something I've had playing at the back of my mind for a while. For those that mentioned earlier, do you need any specific teaching qualifications or just qualifications relevant to subject area? Would have no idea how to get started

OP, I feel your pain! I have a lab-based PhD which I worked so hard to get, and finally publish from, and I massively struggled to get work. Finally got a few admin/scientific writing sort of fixed term contracts, but even after 18 months of this still never got to the interview stage of any admin/ pt jobs , despite good references and my old employer trying to get funding to have me back...very frustrating.

Have you thought about scientific proofreading? I have just managed to get some p/t proofreading, its not in my field but they didn't mind as they were just looking for people who had published a research paper. I am starting soon and it is such a relief! They did not advertise, I was lucky.

Good luck

Weelors, you don't need any special qualifications to become a tutor. Just knowledge. Very useful information www.aplustutors.co.uk/ www.thetutorpages.com/ www.tutor.co.uk/

desperatenotstupid, I've sent a PM. Or I'm about to anyway!

Hi bracken, well done on the new proofreading job. Can I just ask - is this based at home or at a workplace? Would be interested if based at home. Thanks.

Home based- I have 16 month old DD so this (I hope) will work well!

Oh, that sounds interesting! Hope it goes well for you! How did you find it? (if you don't mind me asking).

Would love something similar, have lab-based science PhD too and miss it all so much.

I had a really good day in the lab today, makes me soooo want to go back into science. I am in the south east so have the added bugbear of competing with pfizer scientists, some of whom i know have been struggling themselves. I have put myself in the right position i just hope that someone else in the department sees how keen i am and gives me a chance. Im not sure im confident enough for post-doc yet so i'd love a techs job really.

Also have been going for a couple of uni-admin jobs, but have been told those pretty much go internally - its soooo hard, but i WILL get there I will!!

dns, why not apply for post docs? In case it helps, we have advertised three times in the last two years for post doc positions, and never had more than 10 applicants. This last time we didn't get anyone we even wanted to interview. Supreme confidence is not in the job description, and tbh I am fed up with newly qualified PhDs who think they know it all. Someone prepared to admit what they don't know, so I can help fill the gaps in their knowledge would be a refreshing change.

I want someone bright, and interested in what they do, with relevant skills, experience or knowledge. If I see two out of the last three I will definitely interview, one and they have a chance. I've never had an application from someone who has all three! Also, they must be able to write, so I expect a cover letter, one or two pages, telling me about themselves, about what they know about us (mentioning that one of my recent papers that they've read, for example) and why they think we'd fit. A career break wouldn't put me off if you can convince me you have an insightful mind and are ready to return to work.

In contrast, a colleague recently advertised a technician post, and got 130 applications. If I saw someone with a PhD applying for a tech post, I would wonder why, and with 130 applicants, it would be easy to find alternatives.

Outside of academic posts, our lab managers have PhDs, as do some of our admin staff. When we are looking for someone to administrate grant submissions, then someone who can cast a critical eye over the scientific case is really valuable.

If you are thinking of applying for post docs, I'd be happy to look at your (suitably anonymised) CV/sample cover letter by PM. Science needs more good women working in it!

Thanks for the links MixedBerries, I have bookmarked them and will look tomorrow.

I'm still amazed at how many scientific researchers there are on MN and nice to know there are a lot, like me, who took a career break for family. I thought I was in the minority and had scuppered my chances of ever getting back into it, good to know there are others out there

Sounds like the consensus is that you should be applying for lobs with people/institutions that won't freak out at the sight of your PhD, rather than hiding who you are. In the end you will be happier.