Jobhunting… feeling heartbroken

[Historian0111101000]

Is anyone else completely demoralized by the job market right now?

I have a PhD in History and have worked in restaurants, bars, volunteered in museums and libraries, and taught at university level. I have loads of transferable skills, but it feels like no one cares.

When I apply for entry-level jobs, I’m “overqualified.” When I apply for anything more senior, I’m “not specialized enough.” Academia feels dead, and heritage or museum roles are just as bad — I’ve had interviews where it was obvious they already had someone internal lined up.

I’m not even asking for a big salary anymore — I just want a job. I spend hours every day applying, writing cover letters, researching organizations, but it never seems to go anywhere. My CV and cover letters are solid (I’ve had them reviewed), but employers always go with someone who has “more experience.”

How are you supposed to get experience if no one will give you a chance?

At this point, I’m honestly wondering if it’s just me. I’m feeling really low about it all. I’ve even started thinking that maybe I should just give up and be a SAHM — at least then I wouldn’t feel like I’m constantly failing at something I worked so hard for. I love learning, I have so much to offer, but it feels like none of it matters anymore.

There seems to be a demand for Probation workers in my area…would you consider this?

Yes!
I know so many people who are the best in their fields, yet they are struggling—moving from country to country, giving up their lives, going through divorces, even giving up on having children. I’m only glad I didn’t do all that. It doesn’t matter which university you finished or how many books you’ve published.
To be honest, considering the way universities treat their staff, I’d prefer not to work for them anyway.

Gosh your comment about nobody employing you in entry retail sounds quite arrogant! And it’s not true. I’ve worked with many many large retailers on recruitment and most wouldn’t think like that. Their biggest difficulty re recruitment tends to be the days and hours they need people to work ( e.g people needing more hours than they are offering etc.)

With a history degree I presume you are good at researching and critically evaluating information. Could you look at different fields such as voluntary work at places like Age uk? You could assist with benefit applications for example which could lead to welfare rights roles/social care field with local authorities. Not hugely well paid but still £25-£40k.

Really? A few years ago when I was helping support Ukrainian refugees it was noticeable that the ones with fewer qualifications had less trouble finding work in supermarkets, than the ones with more. They were utterly bemused by who was getting the jobs and who wasn’t because the ones who were successful were often those with far worse English.

I got an entry level job in retail with a PhD years ago, but it was Waterstones and I was already volunteering in a charity bookshop.

I don’t think it’s the case that nobody will employ you in retail with high level academic qualifications but it would be gaslighting to pretend that there aren’t a lot of employers who do rule you out.

Sorry you feel that my comment is arrogant I can only speak from experience I’ve had.

Everyone’s experience is different but that is what I’ve noticed and had done to me. I acknowledge how people can have other commitments, I do too but I’d apply knowing that.

Ive looked at the seasonal vacancies too as I don’t think any job is beneath me and I’d be happy to just be in a job.

Just because you haven’t seen what I’ve said doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.

I haven’t said it doesn’t happen. You said “ nobody will employ you or I” and I’m just giving my experience too.

Might be a thought for op though: volunteer in a charity shop, which unlike museums generally ARE very short of volunteers, and it might help you get an entry level job in retail.
I know it’s galling to have to work for free just to get a minimum wage job when you have done all that study and have high level skills, but the employment situation sucks at the moment.

Have you considered teaching in the private sector? You don't need to do teaching qualifications. I'm a university academic and it seems to be quite a common option for young academics in the humanities, including history, who have given up on finding permanent academic jobs. Or private tutoring? Very popular with my recent graduates while they look for something longer term.

The job market is awful at the moment. My DD and DS and recent graduates and it is really tough. DS is now working as an Evri delivery driver!

Have you considered university admin? Having a PhD and applying to a university gives you an immediate advantage that the qualification and the skills you gained doing it are well understood - if you can write a thesis, you can write academic quality documents, etc. If you did a viva, you can speak comfortably about a topic to a group of your peers and "superiors". While many universities are shrinking their workforce, these type of roles don't go away and are still being recruited to.

Just a thought, it might be worth looking?

I work in museums and have a history degree (undergrad not post-grad) - I’m now freelance but have also worked in-house at national museums. The jobs tend to get a lot of applicants. What area of museums are you interested in? Curatorial, events, exhibitions, learning teams all look for different skills and experience. You would need to be quite targeted in any volunteering you do to ensure it’s relevant. You would probably also need to take an entry level job and the pay is not great. Many people now have MAs or other post-grad qualifications. I don’t because I’m old and have enough experience now not to need one but it could help!

I hope it’s unlikely that your name is a barrier. Most museums are actively looking to diversify their workforces - about time too. Many also do blind recruitment.

Not sure where you’re based but Leicester university museums job desk has the most listings nationwide (you’ve probably seen it already). Best of luck.

As well as your academic skills, what softer skills do you have? Because ensuring you’re entirely up to date IT wise etc would definitely help alongside your knowledge and expertise. If departments are stressed then showing you can join and are very IT literate would help. Does your CV and LinkedIn showcase your whole breadth of skills?

Professional services (i.e. university admin) are being decimated too. In fact, they're often the first ones exposed to 'cost cutting exercises', which has resulted in the centralisation of most prof services over the past 5-10 years in most universities (e.g. a dedicated dept admin person is rare these days).

Also, those jobs are highly competitive! Nearly every academic giving up hope of getting another research/teaching post first thinks 'I know, I can do prof services'. Plus all the people who actually have experience doing that looking for (new) jobs.

Actually, I believe that if you are successful getting onto the CS fast stream then you can request specific locations if you have good reason - and kids in school / caring responsibilities counts.

On another note, you sound a bit bitter and despondent, OP. This is completley understandable. I get it. I'm a highly (over-)educated person looking for a job too (although further on in my career). It absolutely sucks.

However, you need to figure out a way to change your attitude. I've been doing some career coaching (ivee is a great place to start) and that is probably the main thing that turned me around from blind-panic-it's-all-pointless-I'm-fucked-and-never-working-again to more positively and proactively finding a way to approach the job hunt/ networking stuff.

Private sector teaching doesn’t require a pgce.

What about tutoring, in person and online?

I would knock your PhD off your CV for lower skilled roles- just put “career break” in the gap. Warehouses and supermarkets won’t care if you were unemployed. They will be put off by a PhD level educated hire (sorry)

Have a look at jobsites like Third Sector jobs and Arts Jobs.

And yet we’re told that we need to bring people into the country cos we can’t fill these roles. Yet newly qualified drs and nurses can’t get jobs - isn’t this the main issue being talked about by the BMA lately

Op are you doing any volunteering right now?
If not I strongly recommend you do something, as much for the benefit to your mental health as anything else.
It sounds like the feeling of being underused and unappreciated is understandably really getting to you psychologically, and IME being able to be directly helpful to people and being part of a team doing something worthwhile can really help with that.

That's not my experience. The departments aren't growing in the way they were, but there certainly are still vacancies and recruitment activity is still happening.

I was only offering a suggestion for the OP that they may not have considered, that is a workplace that generally pays Ok and has pretty good conditions, where many people with PhD's end up working.

It's just something for the OP to investigate, another option they may not have considered....

Have you tried talking to recruiters or temp agencies. I got into the industry I now work in by taking a temp PA job and they decided to keep me on. Worked my way up and moved into different jobs across the company getting plenty of experience. I've temped in a few different industries from real estate to universities. The pay can be really good sometimes. Worth a try (sorry if you've already answered this above...).

It's the same for the men I know, all of whom are very experienced and / or educated. Taken more than six months and over 100 applications to get anything.

I'm sure it's not personal OP but it does really suck x

Lots of threads about recent graduates not getting jobs either..... Can't even get interviews in cafes or retail. The whole jobs market is tanked atm.

Most jobs in heritage are minimum wage, part time or volunteer only. It sucks.

Have you looked at graduate schemes? Most of the big corporates offer them. I realise you are overqualified by having a PhD but you said at this stage you'd take anything, and graduate schemes do offer a fast track to managerial positions.

I’m beyond frustrated. I’ve worked hard, learned multiple languages, lived in different countries, and succeeded in every job I’ve had. Yet here I am, undervalued by a system obsessed with formal qualifications and HR checklists. I refuse to take a minimum-wage job I could have done at 18—after all this experience, I know my worth. If employers can’t see it, I’m happy staying home and contributing in ways that matter, rather than settling for being undervalued.

I’m happy to take a low-paid job if it could eventually lead somewhere meaningful—like working in a library, museum, or administration. But the reality is, these opportunities are almost impossible to get.
It simply doesn’t make financial sense for me to take a job I hate and also pays poorly. Staying home, in comparison, actually makes much more sense.

Completely understand @Historian0111101000

having run my own business for over a decade, I now work one day a week and am getting nowhere with anything else.

bringing a cancer diagnosis and turning 50 certainly doesn’t help but will keep on keeping on……

good luck, I hope there is a shift for you soon.