Getting hired when you’re not even looking.

I have been working on finding a new job for months now; earnestly since the new year. "Earnestly" means that I have my cv and resume and teaching statement and research statement ready; when an opening is announced, I tweak them to be appropriate for that particular job and send them off.

So far I have sent them to three places and had one interview. This was a phone interview; step one in the long, slow faculty hiring process. I obsessed about it for days before and am still obsessing about it- having not heard anything further yet.

Contrast that with Greg. Last week, his headhunter called him and asked for an updated resume. He pulled one out and sent it to her. Two days ago he had an interview- which I only know because he casually mentioned it on the way out the door that morning. Later that night I asked how it went, and he started talking about the meeting he had had. Exasperated, I said "No, the interview!" "Oh, that. Yeah, they offered me a job."

OK, of course I am happy for him. But…. Grrr. It must be nice for it to be so easy.

The contrast is this, though; he doesn't know if he wants the job, and it is not so obvious, for him, whether it is a move in the right direction. At least with me, once you pick which ladder you want to climb (academia, either teaching or research or both- industry- biotech- or other) the ladder is very well defined. Still, he is much higher up his ladder then I am up mine, and I am envious of him. All those years I spent in school, while he was working his way up the ranks; the only way we'll know for sure that it was worth it is if I get hired. So excuse me while I go scour the faculty openings for the zillionth time and see if maybe something new has opened up…

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