Why is it so difficult for PhD holders to get plum state jobs?

Of the about 40 PhD applicants for a recent government opening, only one of them was shortlisted. [Courtesy]

The ongoing oral interviews for Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) posts have generated an interesting mixture of public interest and outrage. Having fallen short of the IEBC and some other plum government shortlists despite determined applications, we viewed these interviews as a unique opportunity to interrogate our own plights.