Contact usGet involved

Anonymous survey answerSurvey Nº 212

I went to uni for 5 years, completed my master’s, completed my probation year that I adored, and I cannot get a job.

Five years at uni, a master’s and no job

Published 5 October 2026 · 1 min read

Employment situation
No teaching post or supply work
Sector
Primary

I am heartbroken. I went to uni for 5 years, completed my master’s, completed my probation year that I adored, and I cannot get a job. I believe I am a passionate and excellent teacher who strives to make a difference to individual lives for the better. I am devastated that I do not have, even a close opportunity, to pursue the career that I love. I have simply given up due to my financial and personal situation.

This is answer 212 of the 269 written answers that teachers let us quote anonymously in the Scottish Teacher Employment Survey 2026. It answers the survey’s last question: what do the people who make decisions about teacher employment need to know?

We have corrected spelling, added paragraph breaks and removed details that could identify anyone. Words in square brackets are ours.

Every answer in the report (PDF) Survey results

You are not the only one

Has this happened to you too?

Tap once to add your voice to the tally. It is anonymous: nothing about you is stored, and it helps the campaign show how common this is.

Be the first to say so.

Or share your own account

Keep reading

Accounts like this one

All teacher voices →
Your visit, your choice.

Optional anonymous analytics help us understand which public pages and sections are useful. Forms, member spaces and admin pages are excluded.

Read our privacy information