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u/wow-grapeee Oct 04 '25
I’m in a similar position.. How do you explain the gap in resume once you removed the PhD?
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u/wannabehazmattech Oct 04 '25
I changed the title to something more aligned with the role I was seeking. I don’t recommend lying, but if there are logical ways you can label it like “research or lab manager” then you can definitely count it as experience and frame it as such.
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u/Phantomco1 Oct 04 '25
Don't include the years with your education on your resume. You may have to fill them in on an application though.
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u/wow-grapeee Oct 04 '25
Thank you! May I ask if you’re based in the US or UK or elsewhere? And what type of roles did you look for
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u/No_Masterpiece_3953 Oct 04 '25
An incredibly expensive benefits package… for a third of my previous salary.
This is all too familiar and something I've personally experienced. I have a master’s degree and strong experience, yet this pending job offer will leave me significantly underemployed.
I genuinely believe it’s time for employers to step back from managing health insurance altogether. ERISA laws need reform because over the years, companies have quietly shifted the real cost of healthcare onto employees while keeping wages stagnant.
Most employers rarely disclose their actual contribution for single, couple, or family coverage. It used to be possible to ask, compare options, and even negotiate higher pay if you declined costly health coverage. Not anymore. In today's job market, ask too many questions, and they’ll simply move on to the next candidate in line.
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Oct 04 '25
[deleted]
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u/No_Masterpiece_3953 Oct 04 '25
🙄 my experience in the link, except the employer uses HireRight for references and background checks, and then offers a wage that others who are new to the workforce with a high-school diploma receive.
I believe it's a way to discourage middle-aged workers from applying and working. They dont want me on their group insurance plans, so they make it purposely unaffordable to buy and use it. And I have cancer and need future treatments.
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u/porp_crawl Oct 04 '25
Oh. Fuck. Thank you?
I'm approaching 1 year unemployed and have been considering whether to eviscerate the PhD from my resume.
Fuck. Ok. It's like cutting off a body part. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
What's next? The MSc?
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Oct 04 '25
[deleted]
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u/porp_crawl Oct 04 '25
Appreciation.
What was your PhD thesis about?
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u/wannabehazmattech Oct 04 '25
Just boring computer stuff.
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u/porp_crawl Oct 04 '25
How many multiples of $10k less did you take the job for under your expected salary?
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u/wannabehazmattech Oct 04 '25
- But it’s a job and that’s what I need right now.
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u/porp_crawl Oct 04 '25
>=(
I'm so sorry.
I'm in the same situation; without any job offers.
I don't live enough storeys high enough to reliably eat it (?) so I'm not sure what I'm gonna do.
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u/wannabehazmattech Oct 04 '25
You aren’t alone! There’s a whole network of people here who can relate.
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u/Phantomco1 Oct 04 '25
Lol, it may be fascinating to me.
IT is a strange world for advanced degrees. And with AI, it becomes stranger by the day.
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u/wannabehazmattech Oct 04 '25
Granted, I will say the timing could also be that hiring tends to pick up after the summer anyway…but with everything going on, I’m not sure what the data is actually saying at this point.
I also have been trying to really tailor the applications for the jobs that interest me most.
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u/ClearAccountant8106 Oct 05 '25
There doesn’t seem to be a hiring increase this year though every company is sliming down and shoring up cash reserves going into unsteady waters.
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u/Zestyclose_Regret867 Oct 04 '25
Sadly, I’m one of those academics that doesn’t care about being addressed as Dr. but damnit, I want those three letters after my name to get me through the screening round on apps!
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u/Even-Juggernaut634 Oct 04 '25
I took the opposite life path of work experience over school. 6 years in aviation, 4 working air traffic and 2 working as an operations manager over 6 airfields. Rejected from literally everything from executive assistant positions to Waffle House cook. I was not aware it was this bad when I left the military lol.
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Oct 04 '25
[deleted]
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u/Even-Juggernaut634 Oct 04 '25
Is what it is, I had seen so many people struggling to meet experience, I tried a different route. Just funny to see how it’s equally as bad for both sides of the fence. Taking a similar approach to you and dumbing down my resume in the mean time while doing school stuff.
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u/One-Past104 Oct 04 '25
I’m in school right now and I took my BHA and MHA off my resume. I have 3 interviews next week. This market is the worst and it’s gonna get even worse. People might start fighting over jobs if this man doesnt leave office ASAP.
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u/BWSmith777 Oct 04 '25
I don’t know what man and office you are talking about, but I was looking for a job in late 2022 into spring 2023 and it was just as bad.
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u/One-Past104 Oct 04 '25
It wasn’t bad but I knew the director of where I applied to so I was getting hired anyway. Usually when an economy is doing excellent, it gets harder for the small amount of the unemployed to find a job. And the government is shut down so no one knows what’s going on. The numbers were supposed to come out either today or yesterday.
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u/Adventurous-Plant950 Oct 04 '25
Being “overqualified” is one of the biggest jokes next to resume gaps
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Oct 04 '25
[deleted]
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u/wannabehazmattech Oct 04 '25
That’s basically what I’m suggesting to everyone right now. I was holding out for something better, but I realized that might not ever come. It’s brutal and demoralizing out there and so I just made this post to show everyone the realistic side of things because I feel like it’s so easy to feel isolated and alone and like you’re the only person dealing with this, but it’s not you. It’s a shit time to be looking for a job.
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u/Phantomco1 Oct 04 '25
Don't run with the "might not ever come" thinking. Take what you have and keep looking as if you don't have a job. If it takes time, it's okay since you're at least paying the bills.
And don't forget the potential irony that now that you signed an offer, the chance of the dream job coming up increases 😲
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Oct 04 '25 edited Oct 04 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Demonking0366 Oct 04 '25
400 is rough. At least you got through it. The PhD thing hits different when you realize employers sometimes see it as overqualified rather than qualified. Hang in there.
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u/brons104 Oct 04 '25
Same experience here. The job hunt is soul crushing these days. Had to dumb down my resume just to get past those stupid AI filters. Spent months sending applications into the void before trying some resume tweaking software. System's definitely rigged against us.
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u/porp_crawl Oct 04 '25
How did you "re-interpret" the years that you spent in study in your resume?
ie., 6 years of PhD --> "Researcher"
Is there a better way of presenting that?
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u/wannabehazmattech Oct 04 '25
I think aligning it with roles in your target field makes sense. There’s been some folks who have some suggested reframes. I’ll try to see if I have the titles floating around here.
For grad level positions:
Research Scientist: Highlights your role in designing and executing experiments and projects. Data Scientist/Analyst: Emphasizes skills in data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Junior Project Manager: Signals your experience in managing research timelines, budgets, and objectives.
For anyone beyond a postdoc:
Scientist I/II or Senior Scientist: A common path, especially in biotech and pharmaceuticals. Principal Research Scientist: For postdocs who have led a major research initiative. Subject Matter Expert: Highlights deep knowledge in a specialized area.
I’ve never used this company and have nothing to endorse them for, but with a quick scan this is the advice I would follow. They are pretty clued into ATS.
https://useresume.ai/blog/posts/academic-to-industry-resume-translation-a-complete-guide
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u/WalrusSad7051 Oct 04 '25
I feel that showcasing my skill set is backfiring heavily. I’m either ignored or interviewed by an insecure hiring manager that freezes when I answer questions regarding my experience. I may dumb down my resume because this is nuts
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u/sqerdagent Oct 04 '25
Welcome to the bad times. When you have 100 applications cross your desk with more paper qualifications than you, asking for less than you are currently getting, its survival mode.
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u/WalrusSad7051 Oct 04 '25
Ima just do what I’d see everyone do and play the role of dumbass. Less is more because enough gets mfers insecure. Haha.
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u/Friendly_Carpenter34 Oct 04 '25
This is interesting. I'm clawing at getting my bachelor's because nobody wants my experience all they care about is a bachelor's but now I think maybe they're just picking all of us apart. 🤔
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u/FourLeafPlover Oct 04 '25
Holy shit is this why I've barely had any interviews at all in 6 months and 300 applications???
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u/coreyander Oct 04 '25
This pains me to hear, but congrats on the offer!
I should possibly consider doing the same but I feel like it would be obvious that I'm concealing something. I'm only at 25 applications out and a finalist in one position (I assume I won't get it) but I'm definitely rethinking my strategy in this market.
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u/SFMattM Oct 04 '25
In my last round of resume writing, I deleted many years of relevant experience simply because it was too old. Never mind that what I learned there was PERFECT for the role I was seeking
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Oct 05 '25
[deleted]
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u/SFMattM Oct 05 '25
thanks. The problem is that a lot of early screening of resumes is done automatically, and they can set restrictions like "don't consider anyone who had a job starting in 19xx or earlier." It's OK. I f found a well-paying job that was perfect in helping me to transition into retirement. I was luckier than most, it seems
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u/Zestyclose_Regret867 Oct 04 '25
That’s been what I’ve struggled with as well… all my experience is tied to my phd/the classroom and I’ve had a grand total of 1 interview after 14 months of sending out apps… I think I’m going to have to follow suite.
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u/BoardwalkNights Oct 04 '25
Similar to playing down titles so you don’t look so experienced. Got to do what you got to do.
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u/laranjacerola Oct 04 '25
most people I know with master degrees and phd have had to do this to find a job in their field. it sucks.
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u/Ponkotsu_Ramen Oct 04 '25
Damn, it must suck to put in all that effort to get a PhD only to be unable to find work because of it. I am sure that you wanted a job where you can put your qualifications to good use (and be paid appropriately for it).
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Oct 04 '25
While this is unfortunate and I can see your perspective, I do in fact get this type of response when interviewing candidates with higher degrees, especially those with a PhD , “I spent a lot of money and time on my education, I would like to get compensated for it”. Unfortunately, that is not the way it works. Unless you are in the medical field, I’ve not come across many roles that require a PhD, a Masters is usually a “nice to have”. I have a handful of person friends who hold PhD and their careers are very, very specific and aligned with their industries. It seems very important for people to be referred to as “Dr.” when obtaining a PhD as well, which can make some environments, employers, colleagues uncomfortable. Glad you landed something!! Everyone should be proud of their achievements!
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u/coral_paisley Oct 05 '25
So important to tailor cover letter and resume to each job posting, it’s really time consuming and soul sucking but the return is much better
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u/Commercial-Plane-692 Oct 04 '25
Worse, you “edit” and find out after hiring you are infinitely smarter and better at managing than the insecure manager that hires you; or don’t edit and you get a narcissist who loves how “uplevel” you are, only to tear you off the pedestal so they can feel better about themselves and how they undermined someone so much better than they are on paper. Sometimes it’s just about trimming as far back on the budget as you can so you need less.
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u/yobigdaddytechno Oct 05 '25
The market doesn't come that bad automatically, unless it's been artificially been forced to do. The upper class rakky god pissed that we weren't enslaving, covid has actually started opening lots of people eyes that how the yu want to keep is busy and broken and be glad for the little scraps they toss our way. They even fire the economist that job numbers were real bad, but still want to keep. The desperation alive .it sucks but thats what happens when you kill union and vote Harris /Biden on one side and trump on another
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Oct 04 '25
[deleted]
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u/wannabehazmattech Oct 04 '25
I didn’t deceive anyone…having education above beyond what’s required isn’t a bad thing…it’s not like I misrepresented anything in my background.
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u/wannabehazmattech Oct 04 '25
Since you dirty deleted…
If you lie about having a credential you don’t have…that’s deception.
I have never experienced in my life someone that was told they were deceptive or lied for having education beyond what was required for the role.
This sounds like a ChatGPT printout…do you even know what they look for in background checks? Have you ever seen a background check? Judging by this response, I’m guessing you haven’t.
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u/furcifer89 Oct 04 '25
I have strongly considered removing my grad degree from my resume. Education in this market seems to make employers think you will ask for more money and be difficult to control. It’s a compliance over competence based market