To do another masters to get a job?

[Watdidusay]

Since previous employer folded I've had no luck finding a new role. Currently on jobseekers, spending all day everyday applying and preparing. Nothing is going well. I am getting a good few interviews and then getting ghosted. I ask for feedback but none given after 16 different companies interviewed me in the last 11 months.

I haven't had this problem before. I don't think I'm doing anything strange. I've asked for feedback from old colleagues but they say I sound good. I'm really trying to figure out how to improve. I get along well with colleagues. I deliver. I keep my knowledge up to date. I don't have working restrictions on time or location.

I'm worried how 11 months out of work is starting to look. I'm starting to worry I'll never find a job again to be honest. I already have a masters and a PhD. Should I do a fourth degree? Another masters? I think the alternative is take my qualifications off my CV and work in a local job just to be working. But I am worried that will also look odd on my CV given my profession.

No. Don’t do another Master’s degree - you really don’t need it and it probably won’t help, except to fill some time. And I say that as someone who lobbied for the now existing Mature Study and Retraining board here.

This may not be welcome (sorry!) but have you tried copying your exact OP into ChatGPT? It’s very good at reframing an issue and may well come up with some novel suggestions you haven’t thought of. (The affirmative language alone may be a bit of a fillip for your day!)

How old are you, btw? Age is always a factor.

Are you applying globally? There surely is a role for you somewhere, even if the UK job market is in the doldrums.

There are lots of ways to frame a “ career break” . What is your field? How is your network? What’s happening in your industry? You’re getting to interview stage- so it’s not your qualifications that are letting you down.

Are you doing any voluntary work?
what sort of jobs are you going after and what industry are you in?
If you are getting interviews, you must be doing something right.

And there are plenty of ways to upskill for free…. Especially in AI

Should have given a proper reason for not doing another degree. If I saw it on a CV it would read as a declaration that your previous Master’s and PhD were a waste of time and you had failed to capitalise on them. So it would put your judgement in question.

May sound harsh but it’s a natural reaction.

Yes this is what I keep hearing.

Unfortunately the interview feedback hasn't been helpful (usually I get none at all). However I can't help but feel there's something wrong with me and I must be leaving a terrible impression at interview! I've been practicing and rehearsing and doing speech training etc so I'm not sure what else I can do.

38 so I'm also worried they are concerned I'll go on mat leave.

Retraining in what?

As someone with a masters and a PhD, my guess is you are overqualified. Unless you are applying for academic roles, a PhD is often not an asset.

If it’s academic roles you are applying for, hold onto your hat because the job market is non-existent at the moment. In my (relatively niche) field, there might still be 10 jobs out there at any one time. At the moment, zero.

My guess is the job market is saturated with candidates and you look overqualified (and potentially expensive if you fall at the top of your pay grade because of your qualifications; for example, I cost significantly more than a new graduate to hire for the same role, so they’ll go for a sufficiently qualified new graduate without my 20 years experience because they are £20k a year cheaper).

A lot of people now going self-employed, into consulting. Is that an option?

Yes I've looked into that too but not having much luck. I'm building great relationships with small companies but no one has any budget at all. Most are looking for work in exchange for equity.

Id love tips on starting consulting if there's a better way.

Anything where there's a job market as I no longer seem to be employable!

Could be your comms skills? In this interchange, the poster was asking you what your profession is and you swerved the question and gave an unrelated answer. Could it be that you do this in interviews? Maybe you need to focus on learning to listen to questions and answering them fully?

In response to your previous comments, no, you don't need another degree. And no, recruiters won't assume you might go on mat leave. This will be much more likely to be about your match to the specification and your cultural/personality fit.

What's your degree in. Desperate for secondary teachers and lots of bursaries available

Yes this is exactly my concern. I think it must be how I'm coming across. Unfortunately I don't seem to be resolving the issue in spite of ongoing prep.

Has anyone benefited from a communication course?

I don't really want to give away my position but I'm in tech.

How would you afford it? Student finance wouldn’t cover it because you’re already educated past masters level. Also, unless you want to do an MBA there’s just no point in a second masters degree when you already have a PhD, it’ll lead nowhere.

The job market right now is horrendous thanks to AI mostly. You may be viewed as overqualified for some roles. I’m educated to post doc level and do worry about this. I’ve been taking steps to make sure I stay as employable as possible if it all goes to shit at our uni eventually and they start making us redundant too.

Civil service? PGCE? Could be a Computing teacher!

Sorry why on earth are you on jobseekers instead of ‘leaving off my qualifications and getting a local job’? It’s there for desperate people to eat not a cushy buffer while you find your perfect role! For my advice, look outside the uk. But get any job in the meantime! It won’t look any more weird on your CV than a big gap which shows lack of initiative or work ethic to take anything at all to stay in work! I worked at Mcdonalds for 2 years and ASDA for 3 months between roles in my profession early career.

I'm finding the applications, interviews and prep as well as psychometric and technical tests are taking about 45-50 hours per week. Discussed this with job centre work coach who agrees this is what needs to be done and that McDonald's/local shop would keep me in underemployment for longer. They also said people are having huge amounts of trouble getting McDonald's jobs at the moment.

Have been applying for civil service yes. Several rejections pre-interview so far

I work a 2nd job in a supermarket to lift us of the breadline... one of my colleagues has a phd as couldnt get a job in her field. She is just biding her time and applying for occassional jobs that she'd like. Several others have degrees or doing their masters or 2nd degrees. So its not uncommon to be in a shop and highly educated.

Its not right though and is frustrating and shouldnt be the life highly educated people should be living.

Working in a shop or a pub could be good for your wellbeing in the meantime. I dont have a phd so dont have any advice for you! Hope things change for you x

I would look at AI and ethics / governance but no idea if that exists as it’s such a fast paced technology.

I can’t find a job either. It’s bloody awful and I’m 20 years older.. … 😭

I haven't given my age! I'm late 40s. I did my PhD decades ago.

But I have also applied for ethics and governance roles. There are hardly any. I've seen one so far and was not interviewed.

I thought you were 38 and thought they were worried you’d go on mat leave?!