system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Finished PhD hate the work now and feel empty

I need some help,

I just completed my PhD in Biomedical Science with a focus on neuroscience. It was an average school because I was naive and first generation.

Basically my project was a really data intensive project in an otherwise normal systems neuroscience lab. I recorded a fluorescent indicator of neural activity and lined it up with animal behavioral states. I had to learn everything about this technique by myself it was pretty new to the field and my PI was not very hardware/software literate. I didn't win any funding either because reviewers rightfully thought nobody around me knew how to do the technique. 

This left me with what feels like a terrible skillset because I didn't do as much bench work as a regular biomed PhD but I also do not feel like my homebrew programming is anywhere near enough to move in that direction. I got 2 first author pubs and 2 middle author with a few more to trickle out later. But they're going to take awhile to come out, years, and ultimately I feel so burnt out and hate my PhD field so much now that I feel like they were all a waste.

I, like seemingly everyone else, got really interested in data science so I completed a certificate in data analysis covering regressions, R coding, and the absolute basics of other machine learning methods. But looking at data science jobs now they all want previous experience or comp sci majors.

Now I'm having panic attacks because I feel like I wasted so much time and effort to end up in a terrible career position. I don't know what to do and I really appreciate any advice.

I am freaking the fuck out again. I hate everything about research now and I'm worried I'll never find a career that I can be happy with because I trapped myself into work I hate. 


Edit: I really appreciate all the support. Grad school did quite a number on my mental health. I'm going to take some time to get perspective, redo my resume and cover letters, then come back to the hunt believing in myself again. Thanks everyone I really needed the support, it's been a rough couple years but the kindness from all of you has really helped!
gpt
First, you got 2 first author publications, so that's a good indication that you were a successful PhD student. Definitely hold your head high. 

Second, instead of thinking about who will take you, think about what you want to do. It sounds like you're interested more in industry than academia at this point. Or you might enjoy consulting/VC? Maybe even finance? 

Right now, at least in the US, there's a hiring frenzy for biomedical PhDs. You can walk around the streets of Boston and somebody will offer you a job. Every academic lab is desperately looking for postdocs, and every biotech/pharma company is looking to hire PhDs. Make a LinkedIn page and you'll have recruiters messaging you all the time. 

I know that, right now, it seems like your PhD is "useless," but what these labs/companies value is your ability to think logically and critically. They don't care that much about your specific skillsets (though industry people will want to hire people with specific skillsets, but again, they're deperate).