Sarah is highly educated but spent 16 months applying for more than 200 jobs and has a large amount of student debt
A highly educated woman with a PhD spent 16 months submitting more than 200 applications and kept getting rejected – even from work experience. It left her in limbo despite a stellar academic career – and now she is saddled with tens of thousands of student debt.
Sarah Dallas, 32, completed her PhD in bio-engineering at the University of Edinburgh in July 2024, having already earned her master’s in the same field and achieved a 2:1 in her undergraduate degree in animal sciences. She initially hoped to pursue a career in academia before shifting her focus to becoming a scientist.
She says she was assured throughout her studies – which have now left her with £75,810 in student debt after borrowing £47,787 – that she was “on the correct pathway.” However, despite her impressive qualifications, Sarah grew “frustrated” after facing repeated rejections.
Over 16 months following her graduation, she submitted more than 200 job applications for “various” positions – ranging from entry-level to senior specialist roles – and claims 90 per cent of employers “never bothered” to respond. When she did receive feedback, she was told she was “overqualified” for junior positions, yet “lacked the industry experience” needed for more senior roles – forcing her to depend on part-time freelance work for income.
In November 2025, Sarah eventually secured an entry-level lab technician position paying £28,500 annually – while maintaining her freelance shifts to “make ends meet” – as the salary is “not enough” to cover her living expenses. Sarah, who lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, said: “I have no regrets about doing my PhD. It was genuinely interesting.
“But more should be done to make students more aware about their use in the job market. There is some disillusionment that getting a PhD means you are guaranteed a career.
“But it doesn’t – especially in the sciences where industry experience seems more valued than academics.” She added: “It’s tough out there.”
Sarah started her bioengineering PhD in November 2018 with dreams of forging a career in academia. This followed her master’s and undergraduate degrees, for which she took out £47,787 in student loans.
Yet during her five-year doctorate, she “quickly realised” that teaching positions offered limited long-term security and shifted her attention towards industry-based roles in science, believing it would provide a more solid career foundation. Despite this, since graduating, Sarah has “struggled to secure a single role in her field, all the while her loan has grown to over £75,000 after £28,023 in interest has been added.
“At first, I was applying for jobs advertising for a masters and PhD,” she said. “But I would get rejected because I lacked industry experience.”
She added: “So after a while, I started applying for more entry-level roles which only required an undergrad. And I still kept getting rejected because I was too overqualified.
“Hiring managers didn’t want to take a flight risk and I felt like my expertise were being devalued.” Over 16 months, Sarah submitted applications for more than 200 positions – ranging from science communication roles to basic laboratory work.
She said just 10 per cent of recruitment managers “bothered” to respond, with just three leading to interviews. Sarah explained most rejections would frequently oscillate between being “too overqualified” for junior posts or “lacking the industry experience” needed for more senior positions, and it felt like a “black hole” she couldn’t escape.
Throughout this period, she worked as a freelance editor for a science journal – bringing in up to £600 monthly – meaning she depended on several overdraft facilities to fund her life, leaving her £8,000 overdrawn. However, it wasn’t until November 2025 that she finally landed her first position as an entry-level lab technician.
“It’s a gruelling process,” Sarah said. “I got ghosted so many times from my applications and you spend hours putting it together.
“I even asked to shadow for a bit unpaid just to have some industry experience. And no one took me up on that.”
She added: “You invest all this time and money and it’s hard not to feel defeated. I was lucky I made some connections during my PhD which helped get my foot in for my new job.
“Essentially nepotism got me there in the end.” Sarah earns around £1,800 monthly as a lab technician. However, she says the money is “completely swallowed up” by her outgoings – including £1,025 on rent, £500 on bills, and £300 towards clearing the overdraft she racked up during her job-hunting period.
As a result, she is forced to work at least 40 extra hours each month at her freelance job just to “make ends meet.” The additional £600 she brings in covers food and other living expenses, leaving her able to put aside a mere £50 each month.
She repays just £37 a month on her postgraduate loan and has so far paid back £95. “It’s not how I’d imagine my life as a 32 year old to be honest,” Sarah said.
“My main job’s income is swallowed up on bills and debts while my freelance money is for actual living.” She added: “I’m grateful to be in the job I have now – and it’s great I now have a fighting chance.
“But I still need to work an additional three hours a day on top of my regular nine-to-five just to get by. More needs to be done to make students aware of the reality of getting a job post graduating.
“I’m not one to discourage people diving into their passions. If you want a PhD, go for it! But please do some research on your fields job market and if industry or work experience is required. You will thank me for it!”
