[job hunt] Rejection letters

[astra_nomer]

I haven't posted much lately, mostly because my job search is still going very poorly. I have gotten some interesting rejection letters, though.

1) University of Mountainous State: a handwritten sticky note attached to the letter saying that with some more postdoc experience, I'd be a top notch faculty candidate.

2) Some Fellowship Committee: actual feedback on my proposal!

3) University of City in Mountainous State:

"Because of the large volume of highly qualified applicants, the initial review process took longer than anticipated. At this time, we are conducting on-campus interviews with several candidates whose qualifications most closely match our needs.

We shall keep you updated on the status of our search."

They seem to have forgotten the line saying that I was no longer under consideration, how careless of them.

I also had my reference letters requested by Euphemistic University.

However, I still have no actual offers, so I'm looking at the distinct possibility that I will not be employed next year. I figure we'll can save some money on childcare and commuting costs, so financially we'll be okay. I can work on finishing up papers while the kids are at school, and hopefully get a boost that way. In the meantime, I'm practicing not crying while talking about how badly things are going. It's hard.

Comments

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

I'm struck with how much the job search process in your field/level is like dating.

Yes, it sucks to be rejected. But it doesn't mean there's something wrong with you. It means you're not the right fit for the available positions.

I'm so sorry that you aren't where you want to be right now. But I think you're an amazing person, and I believe you will make the best of whatever happens.

[desireearmfeldt]

And my impression is that it's also like dating at a college wih a gender ratio massively skewed against you. Or auditioning for a play, for that matter. (That is, that not getting accepted says less about your personal suitability and more about the ratio of candidates to positions. Which is cold comfort as far as getting what you want goes, but it does you shouldn't angst over whether the problem is your personal caliber, becuse most likely it isn't. :/ )

[astra-nomer.livejournal.com]

Or maybe they've caught on to the fact that I'm an Imposter to begin with? But I'm so much better an Imposter than all those others!

[astra-nomer.livejournal.com]

Like dating, in that there a a few really sexy people who get all the hot dates, and the rest of us losers just trying to get phone numbers?

[rms10.livejournal.com]

Ugh, I'm sorry to hear that things aren't working out for you yet!

In the meantime, I'm practicing not crying while talking about how badly things are going. It's hard.

I've been doing the same thing. Sigh.

[astra-nomer.livejournal.com]

Does your advisor have funding for you to continue as a postdoc for a while, at least? If you were anywhere nearby, I would have invited you to our margarita-fest last Friday, where those of us on the job market drowned our sorrows in tequila.

[rms10.livejournal.com]

He might -- and since it's looking like I won't finish until December, then having something for the next semester would be good to get me back on sync with the job cycle.

I am thinking that next fall I'll also apply for non-academic jobs. And Eli and I are threatening to break out the Peace Corps applications . . .

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

Things seem to just be ghastly this year. I have another friend looking for physics jobs (he's a theoretical/mathematical type) and his luck is just as excellent as yours thus far. Ah, academia. :/ At least you got some positive feedback from somewhere! Hope that some University of Charming Obfuscation sees your virtues.

[astra-nomer.livejournal.com]

I might have to steal "University of Charming Obfuscation" as the pseudonym for the next place I write about. :)

[narya.livejournal.com]

*hug*

I don't know that this will make you feel any better, but my mom had a year of not having a job for exactly the same reasons. She got an offer she liked the next year and ended up with tenure earlier than a lot of other people.

[astra-nomer.livejournal.com]

I can only hope things work out that way for me, too...

[ayekamn.livejournal.com]

Do you have the option of staying in grad school until you get a job? My first time applying for jobs I had a few bites, but nothing wonderful. It turns out there's no way in hell I would have been able to finish my thesis in time to graduate then anyways, so it's a good thing I stayed an extra semester.

But anyways, I am thinking happy thoughts for you!

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

She's already in a post-doc; I believe it has a limited duration.

[astra-nomer.livejournal.com]

what chenoameg said: I'm a postdoc, it runs out in August. Hence all the angst.

[ayekamn.livejournal.com]

Whups! Sorry, for some reason I thought you were still in grad school.

Well then, I wish you even more good luck!

[remcat.livejournal.com]

I don't have anything useful to say, except that I'm sorry it is sucking so much right now. Is there a yearly cycle to these things, such that you'll take another swing at it in a year?

[astra-nomer.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the bulk of job announcements come out in the fall and offers are made in January/February, generally. Though I intend to keep on the lookout all the while...

[capsicumanuum.livejournal.com]

What Rachel said :(

I'm sorry it's going so rough for you.

[nuclearpolymer.livejournal.com]

Maybe you could take a year off to be on a TV reality show? I'm sure a lot of those things could really use an astronomer participant.