The Blessing of Unemployment

A few of my recent posts have not been overly optimistic.  However, the passage of time tends to change the way people see things.  Although, I am still unemployed and worried about the bills and rent, I have begun to see some of the benefits of my hiatus.  I am still working 10 hours or day or more, but now I am taking the time to explore ideas and opportunities that I never would have thought about.  While the money is not coming in yet, I am optimistic about the potential of consulting and freelancing.  Others have been successful in similar situations and with the right attitude and work ethic, I could be as well.

Additionally, I have had time to enjoy things that I haven’t been able to do in a long time. I have been able to write merely for the joy of it. Rather than words and thoughts being stuck in my head bouncing around indefinitely, they are coming out on paper. Ideas for articles and stories are beginning to take shape.  Although I enjoy academic research and writing, the style is so scripted that one forgets how joyful it is to simply write freely and creatively.

I have also been able to spend more time with my wife and other family members, do more walking, and spend more time reading my Bible and praying.  I have been woodworking and developing other creative projects as well.  Although I am still unsure of the future and may struggle for a while, I am beginning to appreciate some of the benefits of my current situation. Great opportunities can come from the most daunting challenges and setbacks.

The Curse of PhD Unemployment

Today marks nearly my 11^th month of job searching.  While I have not been unemployed for that entire time, it is beginning to feel like it.  I finished my PhD in May 2017, but the outlook for jobs is rather bleak.  I have had a few campus interviews, but was not able to earn the job for any of those positions.  Each time, I was devastated as I had enjoyed each university where I interviewed.  Now that I have applied for more than 70 jobs, I have been applying for private sector jobs for the past three months.  Yet, these have all proven unfruitful as well.  In fact, I have never even received a phone call or invitation to interview.  It has become so bad that I have even begun to apply in retail.  At this point, I have run through my emergency fund and had to borrow money just to survive.  I am at risk of losing my apartment and car.  The days do not get any easier as time progresses.  As I search and apply for more jobs, I have been working on this blog, my Facebook page, and about 10 other revenue streams in the hopes that I can build some income as a freelancer.  However, this will take time to start earning money from these endeavors.  Therefore, I am left in a quagmire of unemployment.  The academic jobs I apply for seem to want someone else every time and every private sector job wants someone with less education.  It feels as if my PhD was a colossal mistake.

I am attempting to remain optimistic, but I am not naturally an optimistic person, so this becomes even more difficult for me.  I appreciate everyone’s kind words telling me that I will find something.  I know they mean well, but at the same time, the evidence to the contrary is becoming overwhelming.  If you are going through a similar situation, I can understand your plight.  All my faculty ensured me I would get a job if I published an article or two and presented at a national conference.  Based on their advice, I published 5 articles, have a book chapter in press, and presented at 1 regional and 2 national conferences.  I gave everything I could to my PhD experience.  I joined committees to gain important experience, taught a variety of classes, and went above and beyond on every assignment, paper, and activity.  However, here I sit in my bare apartment searching for the umpteenth time.

I did not write this post to discourage anyone, but to shed light on the reality of the job market for those with a newly polished PhD.  One goes from the acme of academic achievement to the despair of unemployment rather quickly.  While I cannot tell what the future holds, I can tell you that far too many people are lying to graduate students.  I know universities are trying to protect their completion rates, but it appears they are apathetic to the situation of their former students.  My university, former faculty, colleagues, and friends will start a new semester this week with all the eager energy that goes with a new crop of students.  However, there are some of us holding that new degree questioning whether we made the right decision.   The PhD is a proud accomplishment, but it often comes with the curse of prolonged unemployment.

Priceless

I completed two interviews approximately 1 month ago.  One was a campus visit and the other was a phone / Skype interview that the committee indicated was the final, official interview for the position.  30 days later and I have yet to hear anything.  While I assume this means that I did not get the job, there is a small glimmer of hope.  However, each passing day sees that glimmer die a little more.  Where there was once a blazing inferno of ambition and excitement, now lies a smoldering, small ember.  Sometimes it seems to nearly reignite, but it is often just a passing flare.  As we swiftly approach the fall semester, I am left to wonder if I will remain unemployed for the upcoming academic year.  As I sat mulling this situation the other day, I recalled the MasterCard commercials that noted the prices of certain things and one item that was priceless.  If you have not seen any of these ads, you can see many of them on YouTube.  Here is the address for one I particularly liked:

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Therefore, I turned my job search into my own priceless parody:

Sometimes a bit of humor is the only thing that prevents one from succumbing to the stress.  I know I am not alone in this situation as I am sure there are many others out there still waiting for their first position or a new one.  I wish I could offer some tips or tricks to handle this situation, but I haven’t really found anything that helps too much.  I started driving for Uber, but it is relatively new in my area and I am averaging about $3 an hour.  I guess that is not much different than getting paid as a graduate assistant :). I continue to look for positions and wait for the phone to ring telling me that I have been chosen from the pool of candidates.  However, I realize that call may not come for me and for many others.  I thought I had done enough in grad school to get hired (5 journal pubs, 3 conferences, and a book chapter), but it just does not seem to be enough at this point.  For those of you who may be in a similar situation, I feel your pain and wish you the best of luck (unless, of course, you are competing for a position I applied for!) For those who have secured their positions for next year, congratulations and make the most of your opportunity.