system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Why is it so difficult to get a job in academia?

Hi all,

I have been a casual academic since 2013, when I undertook my PhD, which I was awarded in 2017. I wasn't hired back at my university last year after first semester, and have been on Jobseeker ever since, applying vigorously for whatever academic roles I can find in my area (including casual roles at whatever uni is hiring them), and an assortment of writing/journalist jobs. But I cannot for the life of me land a job.

I am 31, I have published two books with Palgrave Macmillan, and have a good publication record in media and cultural studies (several book chapters, articles all in reputable journals/books), and a good teaching background with great reviews. My parents (who I still live with since I can't afford to rent in Sydney) keep suggesting that I retrain to be a high school teacher, which I am now pretty much thinking is my only option.

I realise that Covid has made what was already a notoriously difficult industry that much harder to get into, but can someone please shed some insight into the academic situation in Australia at the moment? I get good feedback from employers but I never even progress to the interview stage. It's very disheartening going from a promising PhD to someone dealing with Jobseeker providers and having essentially no future. Any words of advice/wisdom would be very much appreciated, thanks.

UPDATE:

Thank you to everyone for your kind words and fantastic, invaluable advice. I really appreciate all of your responses and the time you have taken to reply. It's amazing (yet quite despairing) to see how many people are grappling with the same issues!
gpt
Because there are way more applicants than there are positions, higher ed is facing a demographic and funding decline, and it's essentially a lottery in terms of your chances.

Alt-academic backup plans are a must.