bleepitybloop

Oh yeah, it's a tiny sector with practically no connections to global markets. And yeh, I have considered overseas employment. Probably not realistic rn as I don't yet have a Masters/PhD, and also companies rarely employ internationals out of state. So you gotta move to a new country first and then apply.

I appreciate the lateral thinking, thanks for the suggestion.

Nah, creative writing is here to stay. In the age of AI saturating journalism and the arts etc. I suspect your services would be well sought after.

And funny you say that re: Ritalin. Prior to getting on meds, I'd lost count how many times I'd dropped out of uni – probably 6 or 7 times. And I transferred across 5 unis lol. I started when I was 18 and didn't graduate until I was 30. I battled through my remaining undergrad subjects over the pandemic, graduated last year and continued on w/ postgrad. My strength is academia but I never actually believed I'd complete a degree nor study postgrad, not in a million years.

The most surprising thing was that my final undergrad year was so much more difficult than doing postgrad. All the teachers and their assignments in postgrad were super flexible, as was my weekly schedule. I could do whatever I want at my own pace. It was a goddamn revelation not having to constantly chase deadlines and having the freedom to push things back as required.

I'd encourage you to consider giving it a go! Could always sign up and see how the first month is? And if you need to, drop out / defer before census.

Been furiously applying for jobs over the past 2 months. Early on, I landed two interviews that were unsuccesful. Since then, I've been getting nothing whatsoever. Starting to spiritually resonate with the cliché the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again but expecting different results by lowkey loosing it. Hence, I'm asking strangers for help, perspective, and anecdotes.

I'm after research work (and related) in the biomed/health sector. Been diverseying the search, scouring company websites directly, using LinkedIn, the Victorian Gov careers site etc. Rn I've got decent career momentum and need to stay within this field bc once your out its unlikely to get back in without pursuing further study. Look I'm not the most qualified but certainly not the least. Hell, even got some peer-reviewed publications out last year.

If you've been stuck in the perpetual job hunt chasing a specific line of work, how did you get yourself unstuck? And, is it worth calling hiring managers directly to make yourself more known? And do you have any tips for presenting / preparing applications?

Note: job agencies don't offer much assistance in this sector.

Cheers everyone!

That sounds like a real decent opportunity! It's so great to hear about unis allowing alternative entry pathways and changing up how things are done. Cheeky tangent, I love how Swinburne offers incremental qualifications to their students e.g. if you drop out after one or two years, you're rewarded with a Cert III or Diploma in whatever it is you were studying, with the option to return for the final Bachelor year at a later point. Other unis are moving towards this model. I digress.

Over the past year I have been studying full-time postgrad and working 3-4 days each week (25-30 hours). The degree is centered around a biomedical research project and requires a lot of in-person, tedious, isolated lab work. (Oh it's worth noting that I am aiming for high marks, trying for med school). Not gonna water it down, it has been really fkn hectic doing it this way. Studying full-time and working 3 days a week was bearable...but when I picked up another shift, I didn't have a day off for nearly 2 months...would not recommend 0/10 i'm an idiot

It would've been much easier studying a postgrad degree 'by coursework' and not 'by research.' I could def see myself working 25ish hours weekly and studying coursework full-time, no doubt. Guess it depends on the subject/material, too. Biomed...is involved. And if you're not chasing HDs then yes yes, for sure its doable. I reckon the sweet spot would be part-time study whilst working 30-35 hours each week.

What's the field of study for this postgrad you're looking to get into, if you don't mind me asking?