{"id":6757,"date":"2007-06-02T12:55:44","date_gmt":"2007-06-02T12:55:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.earthwidemoth.com\/blog\/2007\/06\/02\/meeting-of-the\/"},"modified":"2007-06-02T12:55:44","modified_gmt":"2007-06-02T12:55:44","slug":"meeting-of-the","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.earthwidemoth.com\/blog\/2007\/06\/02\/meeting-of-the\/","title":{"rendered":"Meeting of the Job Hunters"},"content":{"rendered":"\u23f3 Approximate reading time: <\/span> 3<\/span> mins<\/span><\/span>

We held our first job-seekers meeting yesterday afternoon, spent a couple of
\nhours going over each other’s CV and talking through how we rank criteria for
\nthe jobs we will soon pursue. I use pursue<\/i> loosely and with a
\nstring of asterisks, of course, since this year I am only something like
\none-tenth on the market and nine-tenths not<\/i>. I mean that I am going
\nthrough the material preparations processes as if<\/i> I am on the market and
\nwill only apply for positions too sweet to resist, provided, also, that I’m
\nmaking progress on the diss. Why? Well, it would take an offer somewhere
\nin the ball park of a
\n
\nfive-year contract and 27.5 million<\/a> a year for us to relocate before Ph.’s
\nsenior year of high school. Make that 30 mil. On top of that, it’s not
\nespecially ethical or wise (in terms of reputation-building) for me to court
\njobs I have no genuine interest in filling from the outset. While I would
\nlike to dangle a toe in the waters of interviewing and giving job talks, I won’t
\nbe pitching jobs for that reason alone. The process is too grueling for
\ncandidates and<\/i> committees to tie up everyone’s time and resources on my
\ndesire for full-on play-acting the year before I go on the market in earnest.
\nBetter to spend those energies building bridges (i.e., writing, conferencing,
\netc.) rather than dismantling them. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I have a fairly short list of criteria for my optimum job (#1. It pays. #2.
\nFringe benefits, such as health insurance. #3. The institution is accredited.
\n#4. Not more than a 5\/5 load. And so on…). But after those factors, I
\nunderstand that there are many, many variables involved that have bearing on a
\ncandidate’s fit, several of which are outside of the candidate’s control.
\nThere’s enough to say about this that I probably ought to make it a separate
\nentry rather than ramble through it all right now. Jeff’s point about
\ngood colleagues<\/a> resonates with me. Entering
\nan embattled department, while possible (I accept!), is not<\/i> how I want to
\nlive out my first years on the job. May I be so fortunate as to land in a
\nprogram where people like and respect each other, where they get along
\nprofessionally even if they are not best chums.<\/p>\n

What else came up in the meeting? The bullet-by-bullet-by-bullet:<\/p>\n