What can an ex academic do? Any ideas?

[agingoth]

ok, over qualified woman here looking for career ideas.

My job in legal academia has exploded for divorce related reasons, and I'm finding it impossible to get suitable work in the SE. I need to think again but don't know where to start....

I have a degree in classics, a CPE/LPC in law, a minor accounting qualification, lots of work experience in banks int he 90s. Then did MA in Gender Studies, PhD in English (basically literature/gender), ended up by a fluke in a law dept where they basically let me write whatever I like (though I do have to teach land law! urk) but that no longer looks viable.

I know I shouldn't write myself off and there must be exciting creative things other than academia out there for me but I am stumped and discouraged. 37, 2 small kids, etc. Feel like damaged goods.

I've considered trying to become a writer on my research issues of choice, (motherhood, mental health, pharmaceutical culture etc) but would probably need to get into the freelance journalism market to do that woulnd't I? If I publish something post-grad level, do you think I could approach newspapers as a writer/book reviewer on these issues?

Also have an urge to write a psychological thriller (about my divorce, lmao) but not sure where to start.

All other input however way-out appreciated....

"Feel like damaged goods."

With all those qualifications? And experience?

Darlin, you are in a slump, and you will get out!

Do you still want to be in the job you were in?

yeah I do sadly, but it's not looking possible. My kids look to be staying 250 miles away and I can't keep commuting and being away from them. They'll keep it open for me as long as they can but it isn't looking good

I just keep hearing the deadly murmur 'overqualified for everything' in my inner ear!!!

I think becoming some sort of writer on 'my' issues really appeals but no idea how to do it. i have maintenance from ex H until the kids grow up, I am hoping that I can just get my head down and write and send something off, but I'd like to make some contacts in the papers, do a bit of journalism, no idea where to start though.

don't feel inadequate mulledfruit please!!!

it really isn't as great as it might look on paper, I've got a really barmy CV and the only real recent experience I have is in academe where I've just been rejected for 6 jobs...

I have nothing but sympathy and a bit of empathy to add (looking on with interest...)

Agingoth (bio here hidding from ex using a different name), have you tried to contact the open university about becoming an online tutor? That may keep your teaching skills and CV fresh for when the oportunity come along, and as far as I'm aware they also offer grants for research, which are minimal but at least you are still part of an academic institution when submitting papers.

There may also be plenty of other institutions offering online courses, and, as far as I'm aware those are rarely advertised.

I'm in my last year of a Graphic Design course.
The same one I did 20 years ago. although I didn't get a job in it after that course. i will also be job hunting after my course finishes in the summer.
I don't know what I will end up doing. Will be disappointed if I never do anything with my design qualification though.

I think you should go for the writing, it's worth writing to the newspapers to see if they've got any openings. Am quite in awe of all your qualifications, I have found my course really stressful.

Forgot to say, one of my previously academic friend has just published a book. A book that he wrote while unemployed.

She just rang some important philosopher, asked if he could give her a few minutes to discuss a subject she was interested in, those conversations are the subject of the book. So consider yourself in study leave (while sending applications as well!)

Mulled, work in getting some real world experience even if it is very badly paid at the beginning, once your portfolio has some examples of real life work things should get easier.

And don't forget to register yourself with employment agencies related to your subject.

Am on work experience in January. Am quite terrified actually as I'm sure I am really inefficient and not actually any good and will make a complete idiot of myself.
But apart from that I'm trying to think positively

Don't worry, nobody expects students to be quick and speedy, you will be fine. Best of luck and enjoy whatever is thrown at you

thank you.

Agingoth - how about working for a pharmaceutical company (writing manuals, checkeing some of the legal stuff, err...whatever else they do)? Not quite like writing your own novel but something in-between to support you. Although you are still very young and well qualified, you could do anything, re-train as anything you wanted.

Message withdrawn

Cristina 'very young' awwww surely not (alright I see that could seem offensive to those over 37). My problem is I've retrained already so many times (publishing to accountancy to law to Phd - ) then finally found a job I liked and it's been pretty much whisked out of my grasp by 50:50 residence with H in SE London.

Have to say though that this years' rejections have dug at my confidence a great deal and I reckon I cant' be that good an academic or somewhere else would have had me. Obviously research has suffered because of lone parenting, divorce and associated depression etc.

Also on a low confidence thing about the book- again no one in my field seems that keen on it. But I do want to finish the damn thing even if no one reads it! Am thinking of broadening the focus to make it less 'legal' (it is law departments I've been applying to who've all rejected me because I actually have an English Lit background and just got my first job in a law dept on a fluke- I thought it'd be easy after that to relocate, but no. Sadly for me everyone else I know who's wanted to move at my experience level has been able to, but not me...).

I think I'm actually a sociologist, but not sure how to train for teaching in that?! Surely it can be done.

Yes I definitely see myself as on study leave Mongolia. Have you pursued the OU angle yourself? Sounds v promising.

Am also going to write to London universities to see if I can get teaching in any of my many teaching areas during the kids school hours- this could however cause problems with school holidays which of course clash with university vacations. Sigh.

I think my main problem atm is depression and low confidence to do with so many blows in one year (divorce, end of other relationship, loss of job and series of rejections). I feel like everything I do has been judged to be worthless which I know is not true of itself, but I am so tired at the thought of starting again and taking a different tack.

Suggestion - Make an appointment to go and see the Director of the Institute of Education (London University), and ask him whether he would like you to set up one or two modules/courses in Education Law, pointing out that you can only do school hours for the moment.

PS Education accountancy might be a good module as well.

PPS You sound dead clever to me and I am a Boffin.

hmm thanks Snowy. Am not much of an education boff but I can always swot up. Very interested in gender issues in education though...

I think a few months' reading and you should be able to present a master's module, from what you say about your background. Modules in law and accountancy will become increasingly important as school managers who are not necessarily teachers become employed more widely in the sector. You could probably knock off a very handy textbook as well.

What about lecturing on the LPC course? BPP or College of Law might be worth looking at.

hmm vg point about the textbook there - wondering what subjects really need it- I have spoken to people at OUP in general terms so might get on to them about what they are needing right now.
I'll certainly give the IoE a go, thanks Snowy (note to self must look up Education Law books...). I have designed modules before with a broad general knowledge of the topic which gets deeper when you start researching it- and education is always interesting...

yeah MollieO was actually just thinking of that...I went there myself on the CPE/LPC- just don't want to end up teaching Land Law yet again , Equity would be fine though...

OK. I obviously don't know the details, but I think you need to think about staying within academia but 'rebranding' yourself.

It seems that you sit a bit uneasily in a law department, given that your PhD (and research interests, if I've understood correctly) are in English. So, can you think about moving youself sideways into an English department? Your topics sound as if they'd be interesting to many institutions. Here are some things that you have going for you:

(a) the fact that 'impact' is going to count for anything up to 20% of the REF; lots of Arts and Humanities departments are crapping themselves about this, but your research areas (at least potentially) seem to hit all the 'impact buttons', so I reckon you'd be seen as a great asset (the impact 'thing' will be done through case studies - sorry for teaching my granny to suck eggs if you already know this! - so by having you it means someone else can sit in their ivory tower and not worry about it (iyswim);

(b) the science/humanities interface is quite trendy atm (I think Wellcome have funding for the 'medical humanities' at the moment and I have a feeling that the AHRC may also have something on these lines in the pipeline);

(c) English departments are EVERYWHERE... so lots of scope for finding a job (at least you're not in - I dunno - Egyptology, or medieval Turkish or some other niche market [TUO ducks to avoid missiles being thrown by Egyptologists and specialists in medieval Turkish... ].

Other things to bear in mind...

• age really is (mostly) irrelevant in academia and 37 is actually pretty young;
• there are lots of institutions in the SE so plenty of potential;
• you will be hard pushed to find a job as flexible as academia.

So my advice would be to talk to some people in English departments (starting with your PhD supervisor, if you're on good terms) and get some advice about re-branding yourself and your work.

Look closely at the HEFCE guidelines for the REF so that you know how to 'sell yourself' for impact factor. (The AHRC's introduction to impact is also useful - and they have a new document coming out very soon, so look out for that.)

Try to think not about the time you've 'wasted' doing Law, but about what your experience teaching Law has given you over and above the experience of a typical English PhD.

I reckon you can do this... Good luck!

You can download the REF guidelines here.

Wellcome Medical Humanities info

New AHRC themes: cf. Care for the Future and The Art of Science...

AHRC Leading the World report

Fantastic points by TUO. Agree completely about impact agenda.

I also think you shouldn't give up on academia. If you can keep research active then you'll be well placed to snap up the right job when it comes along.

Teaching-wise, unless you really need the money, I wouldn't spend loads of time teaching in new areas unless they are the ones you want to get into - e.g. teaching in an English department.