The life of a “jobless” grad student

Grad student with meager experience (mostly internships), a master’s degree in social sciences with a competitive scholarship and PhD candidate with another competitive scholarship (yes, social sciences, you get the idea) about to finally graduate and… Do what?

Profession? Student. Ok, researcher. It doesn’t make it any better.

At the end all we have is a massive debt and little (to none) perspectives.

Are there worse things about meeting new people, or even finding that aunt you have not seen in a decade, then having to respond to that basic question of our post-Fordist, postmodern and post-decent capitalist society and have absolutely nothing to tell to make them proud (or yourself proud)?

- What do you do for a living?

- Well, I study and research.

- Yes, but what is your job?

- I study; I am doctoral researcher…

- * embarrassing silence for a few seconds *

- Ah, cool, but when you finish your doctorate what are you going to do?

- Well, research…

- *another deep moment of embarrassment *

- But then you’re going to get, like, a job, for real?