I did not get that full-time job. With such the glut of PhD's where I live, businesses and community colleges require a much higher level of credentialing for their jobs. What one might need only a BA for in one part of the country, one needs an MA or PhD here. Having just an MA has made finding a job in education hard (believe it or not). I could go back to teaching HS, but I think I'd rather sleep on the street.

So, after 9 months of looking for a full-time job, I have yet to get an offer (although I did get a whopping 1 interview). Essentially, I need a PhD to get a job that pays over $34,000 a year. This leaves me with two possible choices:

1) Finish my PhD in Philosophy of Education (this is the degree I started for a year before bailing for financial reasons); or

2) Start a new PhD in Physics

The first option is contingent on my currently "deferred" university giving me funding (which at this point is not known). The second option is contingent on me getting in (which is not known). So I guess I'll first see if I get funding for Philosophy of Education. If that falls through, I'm pretty much left with trying to get my PhD in Physics here at the State University. This will require a whole other application process, taking the Physics GREs, and 6-8 years of my time, but I might have no choice other than to start over in another field.

Word.