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I recently graduated with a Masters late this year, so I've been looking for jobs for some time. My eventual plan is to enter a PhD program and I'm already working on my applications. Currently I'm in talks with a company, and I'm kind of assured (through networking) that I will get the job there. However, I haven't received a formal confirmation yet. I'm submitting one PhD application this week. So I was wondering if it would be acceptable to mention this company as a current employer in my application. The problem is that it's a consultancy job that's not even remotely related to my grad school research, so for once I feel like not mentioning it at all. But then I was worried that portraying myself as unemployed by leaving current employer section blank might not be that great for my application either. So I'm extremely tempted to put down this company in the application. It's just the ethical issue that's stopping me. I'm looking for suggestions on how to deal with this situation.

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    If they're not currently your employer, than in what sense are they your current employer?
    – zibadawa timmy
    Commented Nov 10, 2016 at 20:31
  • Right, they aren't my employer at the time of submission. But I'm sure they will be in a couple of weeks after the submission.
    – Avi_D
    Commented Nov 10, 2016 at 20:39
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    There is no reason to list someone who is not your current employer as your current employer, even if you are convinced that they will offer you a job in the future.
    – Sloan
    Commented Nov 10, 2016 at 21:12

1 Answer 1

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You have no current employer. If they've offered and you accepted, then they could be listed, but until there's paperwork, they are not your current.

I have seen people list "none" or "Student" as Current Employer.

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  • OP has already graduated, so they can't list "student", unless they're enrolled in some other educational program they haven't mentioned.
    – Nate Eldredge
    Commented Nov 10, 2016 at 23:21
  • Just because someone has graduated doesn't mean that they aren't also a student. (Learning is a lifelong endeavor.) And, the most recent was a full time student.
    – MikeP
    Commented Nov 11, 2016 at 14:03
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    When someone lists their current occupation as "student", I would expect that they are currently enrolled in a formal educational program, and I think that is the expectation that most other people would have. If OP lists "student" in this case, I think they risk being accused of lying on their application, which is definitely not a situation they want to be in.
    – Nate Eldredge
    Commented Nov 11, 2016 at 14:09
  • Maybe "Recent Graduate" or "Recent Student" or something like that. Or, just leave it blank. Or, "PhD applicant".
    – MikeP
    Commented Nov 11, 2016 at 17:52
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    Done. I left it blank.
    – Avi_D
    Commented Nov 11, 2016 at 18:37

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