next »

[gourmetless]

Not a great year to be one the market is an understatement.  I have applied broadly, and have had two phone interviews, so far.  In my discipline, between now and mid-February is when the initial action hits the ground running.  Interestingly enough, there are more good jobs available this year and few freezes.  I feel for us.  It is not a good position to be in.

[porcupine]

Weird, weird, day today. Last class with many of my students, and I got two spontaneous hugs (which scared me!), many handshakes, applause, and general thanks, which was wonderful.

My senior colleague with whom I work on an editing project, however, sent what I can only describe as a bullying email concerning a project deadline that they are trying to force me to meet last-minute. I got really upset by the nasty, aggressive tone of the email (this after a semester where said colleague has shirked their responsibilites shamelessly, leaving me to run around like a maniac sorting everything out), and ended up crying in my office, mostly because I am so exhausted. And I got three wikijections...

Trying to remember the good stuff. At least my students appreciated my work this semester, which is what counts.

Shall we try the sending good vibes technique on the job front? Here's my good vibe for all you VAPs: **VIBE**

[wild_rose]

Thanks, I needed that, Porcupine ;-)


By the way, I wrote out 9 job apps today.


<fingers crossed>

[conjugate]

Thanks, I needed that, Porcupine ;-)


By the way, I wrote out 9 job apps today.


<fingers crossed>

Good job.  I went in today to do some applications, and what with printer misbehavior only managed to produce three.  More tomorrow.  Bleagh.

[notaprof]

Thanks, I needed that, Porcupine ;-)


By the way, I wrote out 9 job apps today.


<fingers crossed>

I am crossing everything that can be crossed for you Wild Rose.  Good luck, you deserve it.

[wild_rose]

Good job.  I went in today to do some applications, and what with printer misbehavior only managed to produce three.  More tomorrow.  Bleagh.

Thanks! And good luck with your printer, Conj. I'm so happy I have one at home. I just wish the ink wasn't so doggone expenseive.

I am crossing everything that can be crossed for you Wild Rose.  Good luck, you deserve it.

Thank you so much.

Folks here in my dept didn't know what I had been thru. I wonder if it would have made a positive difference if they had?

No matter, time to move on.

But I *will* miss this apartment. Best I ever had.

[porcupine]

Good luck with the apps, wild_rose.

I just had a search canceled, and got a rejection email.

[wild_rose]

Thanks, P. Good luck to you, too. :-)

[monarda]

Has anyone else here experienced social isolation due to the "You're Not Harry" syndrome?

I replaced someone who was well loved (who I will call "Harry") and I'm getting a lot of "Well, I did this with Harry and Harry and I did that," with the clear implication that they do not wish to be friends with me because Harry is gone and they really want Harry and not me.

.... snip ....

Seriously, has anyone else had to deal with this? How did you cope?

Hi all, been away from the fora for a while. Sorry for my late reply to this subtopic.

wild_rose, it's a really tough situation.

I was a VAP for two years replacing Harry.
I wasn't Harry. Not even close (think high school clique and Harry was
the prom king) The department was mourning over the 'loss of Harry'.
Personally, I didn't see the appeal of Harry, who I met once or twice.

Well, there was a search for the TT position. I was all set to apply.
I did apply after much thought. 

Much thought ? why is that?

because Harry wasn't happy at his new job, and Harry
was thinking about coming back. (Oh joy! say my
colleagues at lunch one day, right in front of me, not
caring in the least what this meant for me)
I was doing fine in my VAP. But I wasn't Harry.

It was a really awkward job search, that in hindsight I
should not have EVER entered.
I did have a couple of supporters, and I made some good
friends (who were probably never all that close to Harry). 

Harry came back.

[I have a better job now, at another institution.
But it's just a one year contract. We'll see.
No apps. sent out yet this year - but three ads whose positions
look like a pretty good fit for me  ....]

I imagine this happens reasonably often in departments where
a VAP is hired to replace Harrys who are well liked and yet decide to move onward.
(which I understand is quite often)

I long to work in a department with  more mature colleagues.

[marcus_welby]

I used to find it amusing how someone who had left the department to pursue other opportunities (possibly to never return) was held in such high esteem by the department head. 

In department meetings, the departed person was regularly spoken of as brilliant and the best the department head had ever seen, while the replacement(s), who were doing that person's work at a fraction of his/her income, sat and listened to these monthly testimonials, with little praise or appreciation directed to them.  It's a great way to kill morale amongst the non tenured staff, who already are working under less than ideal employment conditions.

[wild_rose]

I  haven't been back into my department (when anyone was there, anyway) since the end of last semester.

It's going to have to happen soon (the semester starts next Monday) but I feel so...well... I don't know how to describe it. I feel like the fifth grade substitute teacher whose name no one remembers.

The SC brought people in for campus visits over the past few weeks who have credentials that kick mine to the curb. If one of them takes the job, and in this economy, they probably will... well... I now feel completely superfluous and inadequate.

As if the "You're Not Harry" thing wasn't bad enough.

In addition to being "Not Harry,"  I'm the one who doesn't have the Big Name University degree, none of my films aired on national television, and I don't have seven films and a summer field school on another continent.

I mean, how do you deal with that?

I've been applying for every position advertised that I'm even remotely qualified for, but if this is the situation in my field, maybe that position in Fairbanks doesn't look so bad after all.

<sigh>

[porcupine]

If they have a position open in my field in Fairbanks (or anywhere for that matter), I'm up for it. I'm also applying for everything and anything.

It's my last semester here, also starting on Monday. I am hiding in my office, and trying to avoid seeing colleagues. One has already told me how sorry he is that they can't keep me on here, which I appreciated as it was meant genuinely and kindly, but which didn't really help. The head of department is, blessedly, caught up in his own dramas, and everyone else is failing to meet my eye and looks shifty whenever I appear, which annoys me intensely. Briefly to contextualize my situation: if I don't get a job, I will have to leave the country at the end of the summer, as will Mr. P, who will also lose his (admittedly awful but still in this economy very necessary) job.

At least there is no search going on in the department, though. wild_rose, I think you're doing terribly well. So what about all the 'don't haves' you listed - focus on what you have accomplished over the past year or two, remember how great you are, and carry on selling yourself on that basis.

-Porcupine, thinking she should take some of her own advice and write some more applications.

[wild_rose]

Thanks, Porcupine. I have applied for a couple of very nice postdocs. And there's that non-academic job, too, that I applied for today.

I have done pretty much what you suggested; my strengths lie in the fact that I did come from a pretty strong research-oriented department in a pretty strong R1, also my background in interdisciplinary theory (thanks to my former committee chair, who bravely combined things that seemed uncombinable at the time) that sets me apart from my current competition.

I may not have a $5,000 digital video camera, a 5-person production crew and a fancy-U degree, but I can design and conduct research and I can think my way out of a theoretical paper bag (so to speak).

[wild_rose]

I killed the thread! Oh No!

[porcupine]

You did not kill the thread! You were clearly doing just fine and not in need of any support for a while! Hope things are well with you, anyway.

Things here are starting to suck big-time, even though I did have a phone interview on Tuesday. A particular problem is that my demanding senior colleague has now basically stopped communicating properly, so I am trying to work on the project with which we are both involved with no idea of what is going on half the time. I think this is a result of their being over-committed and really bad at sending me clear updates, but even so, it is a nightmare.

I tried following some advice I got elsewhere on fora and only respond to senior colleague's demands for instant action when I could fit new tasks in to my regular schedule rather than dropping everything and "jumping on command". It didn't go well: they had a colossal temper tantrum, causing yet more stress for me. I shall actually be glad to be out of here, and away from them, even if I become unemployed - this person is a fascinating researcher, and I have learned a lot from them, but they are hell to work with.