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tenured_feminist
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« Reply #45 on: January 24, 2009, 08:11:12 PM » |
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The denouement: he got the offer but oddly enough chose to go elsewhere.
Undisciplined, this does occur to me as a possible issue, as the two vehicles from which I can choose for ferrying purposes are an aging Hyundai and a minivan overflowing with papers, books, abandoned McDonald's toys, and a stray empty juice box or five.
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You people are not fooling me. I know exactly what occurred in that thread, and I know exactly what you all are doing. |
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polly_mer
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« Reply #46 on: January 25, 2009, 02:16:31 AM » |
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Undisciplined, this does occur to me as a possible issue, as the two vehicles from which I can choose for ferrying purposes are an aging Hyundai and a minivan overflowing with papers, books, abandoned McDonald's toys, and a stray empty juice box or five.
I wouldn't worry about that too much. At my last place of employment, where salaries were set in standard ways so I knew approximately how much everyone made, the range of cars driven was amazing. With salaries of more than 100K a year, some of these people were still driving their old rattletraps because they could think of better ways to spend that money. Of course, most of these people were engineers so style is not important, but I would think that some of that also holds true for other fields. Why pump unnecessary money into mere transportation when so many books remain to be purchased and trips need to be taken? If the car runs and passes the safety inspection, it's a good enough car for me. |
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If you haven't got either the anatomical or metaphorical balls to post your own question on a pseudonymous internet forum, then academia is the wrong job for you.
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concordancia
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« Reply #47 on: January 25, 2009, 02:26:18 AM » |
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For my interview at TT University, I road with one person who has an old beat up car and one with a shiny new Prius. I now know that the one with the older car has a partner with a better income, but a much larger home. It is all about priorities.
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I like money. I like to buy stuff and experiences with money.
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undisciplined
Shoes Always Matter to a
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 2,173
Okay then.
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« Reply #48 on: January 25, 2009, 11:10:51 AM » |
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I agree about the priorities. I myself drive a 13 year old car, although it's not rattletrap.
But Big City Catholic and their rattletrap cars did not make a good impression on me as a candidate. I should add, however, that my take on their rides was coupled with noticing that junior faculty to a person lived very, very far from Exciting City--as in, "drive until you can afford it." This was a cautionary tale to me.
medievalisttoo, that is a great response. Bikes are always green.
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I recommend bourbon and bonbons for that.
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chemchick
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« Reply #49 on: January 25, 2009, 12:11:03 PM » |
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First--that story about the candidate and SC member going to jail is THE best story I've heard in a long time. Excellent!
My worst interview story involves Very Large City Uni. Very Large City is known for an airport that has "wind problems". On the way in we circled and circled and circled and bumped up and down for half an hour. I knew it was bad when one of the flight attendants said "Wow, this is worse than normal."
Got to the airport hotel and discovered I was expected to initially pay the hotel. My card was almost maxed out, so I hoped for the best. I was not happy to discover the hotel had no restaurant and, since it's surrounded by freeways, there isn't any good way to go out and get food. So I have a dinner of potato chips and water.
Next morning, day of interview. I get breakfast by myself (as instructed). Damn, guess I did max out that card because my $10 pancake breakfast got denied. Paid for breakfast with emergency travel cash. Then I waited for the SC chair to pick me up. And waited and waited and waited.... I get the hotel clerk to call the department and ask the secretary if they forgot about me. Seems there was a bus driver's strike going on, so traffic was worse than normal.
After waiting for about an hour, I get to VLC U. Visit is ok, people are nice. I meet with some majors and one takes me aside, puts his arm around me, and says "Let me tell you why I'm not coming back here next year." He hates it there.
Time for my research talk, which goes fine. At some point during the talk I look up and a student is sitting in the middle of the audience with 2 pencils shoved up his nose. Awesome.
The day is winding down and I need to get to the airport. I start wondering 1) when am I getting dinner (VLC is known for excellent restaurants) and 2) when will I be getting to the airport. Turns out they forgot when my flight left. So I get to the airport and grab a highly expensive and stale plastic-wrapped deli sandwich for my dinner.
The best part is that I still don't know if I got the job. The never offered it to me and I never received the dreaded thin envelope.
I'm still hoping!
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oseph
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« Reply #50 on: January 25, 2009, 12:19:03 PM » |
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I hope you got reimbursed at least.
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Oseph....you are right and you make sense.
For your future comments, I insult very directly.
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chemchick
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« Reply #51 on: January 25, 2009, 01:40:07 PM » |
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I did get reimbursed, but it took roughly 2 months.
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oseph
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« Reply #52 on: January 25, 2009, 01:41:12 PM » |
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That's nothin'. I had a school take seven months to reimburse me.
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Oseph....you are right and you make sense.
For your future comments, I insult very directly.
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undisciplined
Shoes Always Matter to a
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 2,173
Okay then.
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« Reply #53 on: January 25, 2009, 02:15:30 PM » |
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That remind me that not only has Dream Job not called with an offer, they also haven't reimbursed me for my travel meals. Now I'm not only heartbroken, I'm mad.
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I recommend bourbon and bonbons for that.
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jacaranda_
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« Reply #54 on: January 25, 2009, 08:49:49 PM » |
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For one job visit, my reimbursement check was sent to someone on their own campus who just happened to have the same name as me (it was a huge campus and I guess I have a somewhat common name). It took six months to straighten out. They felt just terrible about the whole thing. Although I guess my nominal doppleganger was pretty happy to have a few hundred extra dollars in her pocket!
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onion
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« Reply #55 on: January 25, 2009, 09:11:38 PM » |
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This talk of rattle trap compact cars reminds me: I once was picked up at the airport by an SC member in a very old Toyota. No big deal--Toyotas run forever. But this one had to have been close to 30 years old (this was in a state that issues "Antique Car" license plates for cars over 25 years old, and he had one of those.). About 10 minutes away from the airport, I realized that he was drinking wine from a regular old wine glass. He had retrofitted the cup holder to support a wine glass. Why not put the wine in a travel mug or something? I guess because he was classy? (I should mention he was also listening to a "learn conversational Spanish" tape in the car, and continued with the lesson rather than talking to me.) Anyway, he then got a flat tire and was a bit too drunk to change it himself. I tried to help, but we ended up calling another SC member to come help/rescue us.
The next day when he picked me up at the hotel, his car died in the hotel parking lot and we just walked the mile and a half to campus (in February, in the cold, in the snow). He later fell asleep in my job talk. The walk must have wiped him out.
Judging by the gin blossoms on his nose, the guy had a pretty serious drinking problem and he chose to spend his money on sauce rather than basic car repairs.
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ssser
New member
Posts: 8
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« Reply #56 on: January 26, 2009, 12:20:12 AM » |
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About 10 minutes away from the airport, I realized that he was drinking wine from a regular old wine glass. He had retrofitted the cup holder to support a wine glass. [...] He later fell asleep in my job talk. The walk must have wiped him out.
Awesome. Just awesome. More please! |
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ukun6c
New member
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« Reply #57 on: January 26, 2009, 02:19:44 AM » |
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One of my job interviews involved both of the following:
1. One of my hosts deciding that my visit would be a great time to inaugurate the two razor scooters he had just purchased to commute between two campus buildings a 15-minute walk apart. Neither of us had any razor scooter experience, and I was in interviewing garb, with a laptop bag around my shoulder. His lack of scooter experience manifested itself in an attempt to drive across a curb. Seeing your faculty host sprawled out on the pavement is a bit disquieting (though he only acquired a few small scratches).
2. A dinner at a nice restaurant, involving not only me, but also a competitor for the position, who had just been offered the position I was also interviewing for (I guess I was the backup). Not only that, but part of the dinner conversation involved local faculty asking my competitor what strategic directions he would like to see the department take. He was the only one at the table with good tact in this situation, suggesting that it might be an excellent choice to also make me an offer.
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undisciplined
Shoes Always Matter to a
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 2,173
Okay then.
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« Reply #58 on: January 26, 2009, 06:51:52 AM » |
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who had just been offered the position I was also interviewing for ukun6c, I have to know: was this in the UK? The U.S.? |
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I recommend bourbon and bonbons for that.
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zhimbo
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« Reply #59 on: January 26, 2009, 04:05:03 PM » |
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About 10 minutes away from the airport, I realized that he was drinking wine from a regular old wine glass. He had retrofitted the cup holder to support a wine glass. [...] He later fell asleep in my job talk. The walk must have wiped him out.
Awesome. Just awesome. More please! While you included all the details, you left out the part I loved... I guess because he was classy?
As the kids say: I LOL'd. |
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