In light of the outpouring of grievances that John A. has received, perhaps it would be useful for any of those respondents to allow their stories to be published here - as a form of moral support.
We are obviously not alone, though I know many of us feel that way; isolated from our would-be peers and possibly feeling a bit 'left out' of contributing to this listserv for fear of not feeling adequate in our chosen field, simply because we do not have the 'experience'. For me, I often feel that so much time has gone by that it is increasingly harder to have potential employers hold my degree in any regard, and yet, I am still so driven and compelled to succeed that five years on, I refuse to give up. Are there others who responded (or did not) that would be willing to perhaps form an offline network to share input? It seems that until we find our niche in our fields, we could all use the peer support. It would be great to get a dialogue going about this topic. And for those that have succeeded and are happily working in their dream field, some gentle advice on how to move forward would most likely be appreciated by all. Thoughts? Erin McLenegan B.S. Oceanography and not giving up! ----- Original Message ----- From: John A. Sent: 02/09/14 10:20 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Recent PhDs on Food Stamps - Overwhelmed with Replies I've already received many, many replies in the first 48 hours since I posted my request. I've heard from more people than I can easily count--recent Ph.D.s, graduate students, even undergraduates with difficult stories of hard work, perseverance, and increasing despair that they will ever find work in the disciplines they've trained for. I will do my best to respond to everyone who's contacted me; if you haven't heard from me yet, it's only because there are so many others who have also poured out their fears and their frustrations. There are a great many people in our field who have found their calling, earned their degree, and now can find no way to support themselves--the invisible and disregarded of modern academia. Because many of you have expressed concerns about privacy, let me say that I won't share names, affiliations or any other identifying details unless the individuals involved grant their permission. If you or a friend have been hesitating out of personal con! cerns, please know that I consider every contact a confidence, and I don't intend to break that trust. - J. A. Erin
