
Academics Anonymous Is a PhD the path? Ask the waitress with several degrees - Ice_cream_suit
https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2017/aug/25/is-a-phd-the-path-to-a-grad-job-ask-the-waitress-with-several-degrees
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Ice_cream_suit
"You see, the stakes are high – I’m desperate for even a minimum wage job.
This is in spite of the fact I have several university degrees.

With my final PhD draft due in a week, I have degrees in economics, sociology
and politics, research skills in qualitative and quantitative methods,
teaching experience at universities, a decent publication record, and a
significant conference list of presentations. But now I need lipgloss and cafe
connections to get a job.

It might be my own fault for having bought into the lie – study hard, get a
good job. While I was always warned that full-time academic roles are
difficult to attain, I was told that a PhD is an asset. We can get casual
research work until we are qualified or, more accurately, connected enough to
step into a full-time position. Employers outside the university will value
the transferrable skills and critical-thinking capabilities.

This, I have now discovered, is far from the truth. Employers external to the
university don’t want a PhD, they want five years of industry experience. "

