Interestingly, the trials and tribulations of interns came up once again in a chat session I had with an old friend last night.
Now a PhD student at Oxford, my friend was lamenting about how ridiculous it has gotten lately to find a job in his domain... Teaching assistant, conference planner, research work, apprenticeships, fellowships... - each, key steps and experiences to enhancing one's CV and making one stand out in academia ... Each, however, also months, even years, of low-low-paid work!! All in all, therefore, hopes of even getting onto the job ladder (let alone climb it...) in this universe appear to be just as crazy as that which we Eternal Interns face!!
He also mentioned that this insane level of experience 'pre-climbing-onto-the-ladder' did not exist 4-5 years ago...It's only recently that the field has become so competitive (similarly to the Eternal Intern universe!!) and that you have hundreds - thousands - of people vying for the same job, position, apprenticeship, fellowship...or in our case: Internship!
So...though we may sometimes be lonely and feel as though there are few of us (Eternal Interns) out there...know that we are not alone!! There are many of us out there...and even PhDers in the same situation!
Signing off for now amigas,
Flora xoxo
as a fellow PhD it's not UNpaid...just extremely low paid! Insurance, however, is covered, which is a big deal.
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