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[klausk]

Well, becoming a prof. was not on my agenda when I was younger. I started my doctoral education late, things happened, and I'm a TT prof at an R1.

It depresses me when I see younger tenured faculty at R1's. They are in their 30's, well-connected, highly respected and superbly published. More importantly, they have perfect job security and financially do well. I never had this kind of thought in the past. Perhaps, I finally realized that I wasn't getting younger:-)  

I'll be almost 50 if I earn tenure at this tough R1 (sigh). I know it doesn't pay at all to think about the past, but I cannot help thinking, "I should've decided on my career earlier." When faced with tough research, I keep thinking, "I wish I were 10 years younger. My brain isn't like what it used to be"

Have you ever gone through this kind of period?    

[tuxedo_cat]

I think that really the only rational thing to do under such tragic circumstances is to seduce one of them.

There's also something witty here to say about supermodels, but I can't quite think of it. . .

I'll be back when I've had some coffee.

[thundering_m]

I am coming up for tenure at a new institution with a heck of a lot of experience a good bit of scholarship behind me. I don't mind the younger kiddos and I do respect their faster ascent up the ladder of academic success, but I wouldn't mind if they in turn had a better appreciation for the several ladders I bring to the rescue effort. I'm putting out fires all the time, AKA service, while they stand at the fire hydrant, so to speak. My ambitions are relatively modest, I guess. I'd like to see evidence that I'm effective,  and to be acknowledged for my contribution and commitment by the people who know me. That's the main peer review, revealing that I'm not R1 material, I guess, because I'd like them to accept my criteria of success ^_^. So looking at pictures of my family reminds me of the priorities that influenced my counter-intuitive path to being the oldest living assistant professor.

I'll admit that when I submit a manuscript or conference proposal, I am more confident of acceptance or at least more confident that what I'm talking about is true and important, but (new metaphor alert) I still harbor the idea that I'm about to dive into the deep waters, and that there are probably sharks out there. So swimming around in the CHE forums is good rehearsal.  

[vardahilwen]

Social comparison is counterproductive.  We all got here by different roads.

[womanofproperty]

I'm lucky.  I enjoy my younger colleagues. 

[antiphon1]

I like my younger colleagues, too.  They bring new ideas and energy into the department.  As to the niggling comparisons, wait ten years.  You never know whether today's rising star is a super nova or a comet but watching from a disinterested position sure is interesting. 

[oldfullprof]

All is maya.

Seriously, I've done well in at least two other careers before this one, so, if I'm being philosophical, I don't care about this issue.  Massachusetts being what it is, I've had a couple of snarky comments from non-professors about being a "state-college professor."  (Everyone kisses the boots of Harvard-Tufts round here.)  In response, I usually point out that I've generally out-published people at my wife's R-1 department with the same number of years.

My impression from grad school was that getting a great job had more to do with youth and tractability than with talent. 

[vardahilwen]

I am dealing with this right now. I had an absolutely horrible post-doc experience 10 years ago when our newest Tenure Track hire was a Freshman in college (yes, I did the math). This new TT hire just finished a post doc with the same lab, and seemed to have had a great experience. She is the nicest person and I think she will do very well here, but still...it is not just that she is young, but that she seems to have missed some of the horrible, soul-searching experiences I have had that have had so far in my career...I do think the senior professors in the labs like the young, sweet, loyal ones, and because of my age and a few other things, I just never met those qualifications...

Her horrible soul-searching experiences are yet to come.  Nobody escapes those.

[ursula]

For the most part, I like all my younger colleagues as well.  BUT:  they were all hired in a booming job market, and many got jobs right out of grad school.  They don't understand what it could be like to graduate into a world where there are FIVE jobs in your field in all of North America. So, there's a few of them who think that if you had to spend time as an adjunct or VAP it's because you're inferior.  Explaining to them that the fact that you got a TT position in the driest hiring desert of the past fifty years probably means you're pretty damned good doesn't seem to work.

But, as I said, that's only a few of them.  For the most part, the kids are great.

[rowan1]

...kill them, but hide the bodies.











joke!

[mirandaf]

More importantly, they have perfect job security and financially do well.

Not sure anyone has this, regardless of age and seeming promise. I agree with Vardahilwen's point.

Tuxedo_Cat, you're funny. Hee.

[klausk]

Social comparison is counterproductive.  We all got here by different roads.

Thanks for your wisdom. This got to be the best statement I read in this forum!

[systeme_d_]

When I see younger, more successful professors, I find myself filled with an overwhelming desire to hire them.

[vardahilwen]

When I see younger, more successful professors, I find myself filled with an overwhelming desire to hire them.

I like that!

On the social comparison thing:  one day I was channel-surfing, and came across a very successful and famous woman talking about this subject.  She said some things that really hit home with me: "there's always going to be somebody at the party who'd better-looking than you, who makes more money than you, who has a more prestigious job than you ... are you going to spend your time thinking about that, or getting on with your life?"

Seemed like good advice, that.

[unspoiled]

Seriously, I've done well in at least two other careers before this one, so, if I'm being philosophical, I don't care about this issue. 

I'm with oldassocprof on this one.  It relieves potential tenure-related concerns as well.