Ask Dr. Johnson: My PhD overqualifies me for jobs. What now?

Dear Dr. Johnson,

Last year I graduated with a PhD in Communications. I’m burnt out from academia so I’ve been applying for non-academic communication roles at companies, non-profits, universities, and government agencies for several months with no luck. I’m not even concerned about getting a PhD level job. I just want work experience and a paycheck. I went from undergrad to a PhD so I don’t necessarily need to find a job that I stick with my whole career.

I totally get that employers are hesitant to hire PhDs in entry-level jobs because they’re afraid someone with a PhD will get bored and leave. But I have no ambitions of being a professor or doing research anymore. I truly don’t care if I’m working in a job I’m overqualified or overeducated for. I try to make that clear in cover letters. I don’t know what I’m missing.?

What now?

- Overqualified

From Dr. Vicki Johnson:

This might be an unpopular opinion but it bothers me when people say that their PhD has made them “overqualified” or “overeducated” for jobs outside of academia. In my opinion, the very nature of this statement reveals that you're thinking about your PhD in a way that employers are not.?

Not everyone thinks a PhD is a distinction of higher intelligence and skill, nor does everyone think the PhD is a curse when it comes to getting a job outside of academia.?

When you choose to do a PhD, you spend years working independently on a research dissertation of your own design. This is the primary difference in your background to the peers that you're up against for non-academic jobs.

While you worked in isolation towards a personal academic goal, your non-academic peers were gaining work experience in the industry, building networks, being a part of or managing teams, collaborating with others, and learning the ins and outs of their organization’s mission and business model. As a recent PhD graduate, you come with none of this experience (or maybe you had this experience many years before, but not recently). This is where the problem lies.?

If you're not landing interviews, it's likely because you have not done enough to build a professional network and access professional development opportunities while a graduate student. Summer internships and fellowships can help you learn industry jargon and think like a corporate contributor rather than an independent academic. You do have a lot of valuable skills to bring to the table, but you need to express how those skills are aligned with the employer's mission, challenges and goals.?

If you have done internships and other forms of professional development during your PhD and still not landing an industry job, then it might be that you're not making a compelling case as to what you bring to the table. If you are approaching the job application with an academic CV rather than a professional resume, using academic language in cover letters, doing cold applications rather than networking, you're going to have trouble.?

Also if you're approaching the job market with the mindset that you're “overqualified” that can come off to others as intellectually arrogant, whether you are hiding this opinion or saying it openly on platforms like LinkedIn.?

I see lots of people online saying that employers must think they'll get bored in a non-academic or entry-level job because they have a PhD. I think that's a huge assumption. It's your responsibility to explain why you're going to be excited to get out of bed everyday to do the job that you're applying for. If you're applying for jobs just to get the paycheck, that attitude is going to shine through and put you at a disadvantage. You are up against many other applicants with authentic enthusiasm for the role, and that can go much farther in the job market than your academic credentials.?

Start considering the fact that you might be considered underqualified by employers and lacking relevant experience and motivations. Try to find positions that you are motivated for beyond getting a paycheck and work on explaining why.?

Many PhDs have been able to make the transition to industry roles and I would encourage you to speak to those who've made this transition and get insights on what they did differently. Some great programs in this field include Fatimah Williams, Ph.D. 's Professional Pathways and ?Sandra Torres MBA 's LaterAcademia . ?

The job market is tough right now for everyone. Stay strong and focused, the ProFellow community is rooting for your success!?

Dr. Vicki Johnson is Founder and Director of ProFellow, the world’s leading online resource for professional and academic fellowships. She is a four-time fellow, top Ph.D. scholar, Fulbright recipient, and an award-winning social entrepreneur. She is the creator of the Fully Funded Course and Mentorship Program for graduate school applicants, which has helped hundreds of graduate school hopefuls enter top master's & PhD programs with full funding awards.

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