After last Friday’s bad news, I felt like crawling into a dark hole and never coming out. Even my upcoming birthday made me sad. It ended up being a relatively nice day, but I couldn’t help but remember that it was another birthday where my life is on hold and I have no real professional identity. How much longer do I have to live this way?
In better news, Spouse got a great job offer yesterday, so we are going to be fine financially. Things will be better if I have a job, too, but now I don’t feel as if I have to take the very first thing that comes my way. That is somewhat of a relief, but I hope I get something soon.
If ever you are looking to leave academe and find work in the “real world” (I hate that mentality, but…), let me give you one piece of advice. Interviewing for non-A work is really, REALLY weird after having spent four job cycles on the academic market. It almost feels like a let-down. But let me go back to the beginning.
I woke up this morning in a panic because I’d forgotten to go print up my transcript as they’d requested. I dashed over to Kinko’s before 8 to print, and ended up getting to come home for another 20 minutes before heading out for the interview. I still managed to get there way early, but it did allow me time to decompress and zone in.
The written portion was simple enough: Write an essay on the 3 strongest job-related assets I would bring. Then I had to “present” my essay to the interview panel at the end of the interview. Kind of weird, but obviously I had no problem with that. I am good at writing and speaking on the fly after 4 years in the collegiate classroom!
It was kind of weird sitting across the table from a fire deputy chief and a police deputy chief in uniform during my interview. Fortunately, they were nice, professional people who put me right at ease. There was also an HR person there, too. The whole interview (written and spoken) lasted all of 50 minutes. It felt so easy compared to the some of the firing squad-style interviews I have faced. They asked decent questions, and I felt like I gave good answers and established a positive rapport. They must have agreed, because I got a call 2 hours later asking me to come interview tomorrow afternoon with the head of HR.
Is it possible that I could get the first job I interview for? That almost never happens in academia, but I welcome the possibility. There are other good jobs I have applied for, but if this works out first, so be it. I’d make over twice what I could on unemployment, I would have benefits, and I could move on with my new career. Good, positive thoughts, por favor?
This week has just been too much. I am glad they caught at least one of the bombers, but there are so many questions.
It’s late April and I am running my heat today. It dipped below freezing last night, and it was 53 degrees in the house when I woke up this morning. Brrrrr…
After months of general apathy and laziness (and a bit of frugalness), I have decided to embrace my natural hair color. This is a big deal, as I have been coloring my hair for well over a decade. So far, I like it, but it will take some getting used to. I’m also growing it out to be fairly long, so I have yet another excuse to avoid visiting the salon. Fine by me, because it saves a lot of money!
As of this weekend, all of the big items we needed to sell before the move have been sold and picked up! The extra money (over $1200 all told) helps, too. I am now in the process of packing things we won’t need between now and May 15. So far, it’s not so bad.
I have only one more week of classes to prep and two exams to write. It’s so hard to believe that this semester is almost over!
By the end of the day, we will have a house in Albuquerque. It’s so exciting to have something big decided. All of the places sound amazing, so it feels like we can’t go wrong.
It has been some time, dear readers. I don’t really have the excuse of being busy, just nothing much to write about. We are actively seeking a place to live, jobs, and all that, but nothing is yet decided (hence the lack of updates).
We are rapidly divesting ourselves of many unnecessary possessions, including a crapton of furniture. My university has a campus-wide message center where people post all kinds of notices, and it is amazing for selling things! Thus far I have sold a desk, bookshelf, futon, patio furniture, an A/C unit, a Keurig, and 2 end tables. I may be selling a chair and ottoman, a bed, and our dryer very soon. This accomplishes a number of objectives: Moving as easily as possible, downsizing so as to fit in a smaller place, and making money where we can. What with all the uncertainty ahead of us, we need to conserve. Fewer possessions mean no need to hire movers, a smaller truck, and less gas. It’s really kind of great.
The job search is going pretty well so far. No action yet, but I feel like there are enough jobs there for me to eventually land something. My goal is to have a job by early August, if not earlier. Even if the job isn’t well-paying, getting my foot in the door somewhere and earning something (rather than bleeding our savings) will help. The Spouse is heading there this week to do some networking and find housing for us, so it feels like good things are on the horizon.
With the sun finally coming out, the weather warming up, and all the possibilities ahead of me, things are good.
Well, folks…Big news here. In early summer (date TBD), we will pack up our earthly belongings and move to Albuquerque. We do not yet have jobs lined up, but Spouse is taking the New Mexico Bar in July, and I will start looking once we establish a moving date.
The trip we just took was genuinely for R&R, but we found that it would be quite livable for us even if money was a bit tight. We felt happy in a way we haven’t been in years, and I don’t think it was just because we were on vacation.
It may sound crazy, but we think this is doable. I have income until mid-August, and we have substantial savings. Between the two of us, something has to pan out by the end of the year. We aren’t necessarily seeking high-paying, prestigious jobs, and we both have very marketable skills that translate well in other fields. I am still keeping my Foreign Service candidacy open to see where that takes us. I can always say no, but it doesn’t hurt to try.
We both need new surroundings and a new life, and the ABQ seems to give us everything we need: Good weather, beautiful nature, low cost of living, interesting culture, and fantastic food. We are finally excited about our future, and we are the ones making things happen. I haven’t felt this good in quite a long time.
As soon as I rail against all the injustices of the Universe, of course I find out that I passed the Foreign Service exam. Not only that, I aced the hell out of it! A passing score was 154, and I exceeded that by 16 points, putting me in the 97th percentile of all test takers!
Now on to writing my personal narratives and making something good happen in my life. After so much heartache, it is nice to have good news.
For posterity’s sake, or for the sake of other Foreign Service-wannabe types like me, here’s the breakdown:
A few days away from my work and being surrounded by the Spouse and our friends and pets has been incredibly helpful. I’m still unhappy about the situation, but being here has allowed me to gain some perspective and focus on what really matters. It’s been pure bliss to go out and see friends, run in my neighborhood, and be at home with the husband and critters.
After some thought, I think I am OK with doing one more academic search, but it will look very different from past years’ searches. I won’t apply for jobs in places I actually don’t want to live, and I’ll also avoid applying for jobs at institutions that have not at least offered me a phone interview in the past. It seems futile to waste my time applying to work in top-tier programs that have no interest in hiring me. Of course, I’ll keep applying for federal jobs, to build my escape hatch from academia in case things don’t work out.
Additionally, I’m investing much less time and effort in my classes next year. After reviewing my syllabi, I realized I was giving them a ton of in-class and take-home work. This meant I was doing way too much work in designing the assignments, describing the assignments in class, reminding them of the assignments, grading the assignments, justifying the grades I gave for the assignments, etc. All that, and most of my students weren’t really reading or engaging. From this point forward, I’m going to give them 4 quizzes, a midterm, and a final exam. Attendance and reading will be measured by minute papers at the beginning of every class. That’s it. It’s going to mean much less work, stress, and frustration. I realized that over the past year, I spent far too much time on my teaching and not nearly enough time on taking care of myself or engaging in scholarly pursuits. I can’t afford another year like that.
Today while driving to meet a friend for lunch, I heard this song on the radio, and it resonated with me. My life isn’t at all what I’d envisioned, but I have a spouse and friends who love me and support me. That counts for a lot.
Best Days
I get myself up everyday
To fight this “woe is me” demeanor
If things had gone another way
Now would my grass be any greener
And as I’m struggling on my own
I have to think I’m not alone
Give and take we catch our breaks
We all learn to survive
But don’t look now said don’t look now
Cuz here we are
Living the best days of our lives
These are the best days of our lives
I fly around the world to spend
My nights with strangers and their lovers
I notice happiness depends
On if we share it with each other
So when this craziness is through
I’ll spend my happiness with you
And as we’re walking through the fire
Isn’t it great to be alive
On Friday, it occurred to me, “Why don’t I just go to be with Spouse early?” There was really nothing keeping me in New Job Town, and I really knew that I was at the end of my rope. I called him, told him I was coming home, and started getting ready to leave.
Early Saturday (around 7 AM Eastern), I left and drove the entire 15 hours in one day, arriving in Sleepy Southern Town at around 9:30 PM Central. The hours and miles flew by, because I knew I was in a place where I would be happy. I cannot tell you how great it felt to arrive, put my key in the door, and to be greeted by my dog.
My state of mind since then has been exponentially healthier. Yesterday, I ran a little over two miles, fixed a delicious chickpea stew for a potluck, and hung out with a lot of old friends. I’ve also applied for more federal jobs, hoping that they work out and I can be rid of academe. This whole job search process has been utterly capricious and pathological, and I’m ready for it to end. I have to start my life and stop living in this state of liminality.
This morning, I woke up to an e-mail from the dean at Farflung U. that asked me to meet hir in Chicago next week. In person. The dean. From my dream job. Less than 24 hours after my Skype interview.
Somebody pinch me.
Wait, don’t. I’d rather enjoy this as long as I can.
My first classes of the semester went quite well. The students here really are at a higher level, so challenging them will be a particularly fun endeavor. I had only one class in the afternoon on the first day of classes, and yesterday was my bookend day (one at 8, one at 2:30). There was a pretty vicious rain storm on my way in to teach at 8, but my students were surprisingly awake and cheerful. By mid-afternoon, things had cleared up, and my students were buoyed by the nice weather and sunlight. The conversations were very lively, and my students really had a lot of thoughtful and perceptive things to say. It’s going to be a great semester.
My current concern now is trying to learn and remember all of their names. I know that it will come with time, but I know it can make students feel good to be recognized and remembered. A few silly ice-breaker activities should help with that.
I also seem to be coming down with something, which really freaks me out. My benefits switch over (from Spouse’s to my policy) in a mere 6 days, and I’m also pretty broke. This month has been financially tight because of all the things I needed to buy when I got here, plus the fact that I don’t get paid until the middle of next month. (?!) Spouse is paid on the first of the month like most normal salaried people, so it keeps things from getting too awful for me. I’ve borrowed some decongestants from my roommate, and hope to feel better in a day or two.
Another exciting thing is that I’ve linked in with some cool faculty groups on campus. One is a committee looking at the value of the liberal arts in the 21st century, another is a discussion group that discusses psychology and cultural issues. Also, a few young faculty people and I are starting up a dinner group to continue socializing and it gives us a chance to eat at least one decent meal a week without going out to one of New Job Town’s rather pricey restaurants. Our first meeting coincides with Spouse’s visit up here, so that will be a great weekend for me.
For such a small place, there is so much going on. I’ll have no reason to be bored or lonely, and getting work done will be easy. I feel so blessed.