PSA: Don't status update your job interviews

Like, srsly.

I have watched many a grad student or postdoc inform all of their Facebook acquaintances the status of their job search.  The academic world is small, my friends.  Privacy settings or not, what the hell are these people thinking?

I used to message these "friends" of mine to point out the error of their ways, but I've since given up.  Besides, it can be somewhat entertaining, particularly when you suspect that two of your FB friends are dueling for the same positions.



Some keep it vague: "I've got my first interview!"

Others feel compelled to list locations: "Goin' to the midwest and then the east coast for interviews.  In ONE WEEK!  What what!"

A few on my list name the actual schools.  That turned them down.  "Guess PrestigiousU is going to be missing out on one AMAZING prof this fall.  Losers."



What.  The.  Facebook.

Googling candidates

The hiring process is not fun on either side. On hiring committees, opinions often clash. Feelings get hurt when there is talk of degree superiority. Gloom descends on the department when offers are turned down.

We all know the long list of forbidden interview topics. You don't want to gain information that might lead to discrimination.

But what about google?


Is it kosher to google a candidate to check the CV? What about if you stumble on their blog? Or a twitter feed?

If you look them up on Facebook and see that their profile picture is from their wedding, is it now common knowledge that they are married?


In this age of too much information, where is the line in the hiring process?

Is a degree just a degree?

Does it matter where you get your PhD?

Some of my colleagues only want to interview candidates from top-10 PhD programs. Others (I guess the ones who didn't go to top-10 PhD programs...) don't think that the ranking of the PhD program matters.

I'm not really sure what to think.


Is the degree snobbery valid?

A question for the masses: skirting opinion

Frequently, female students are advised not to wear skirts at interviews, with the common wisdom that women will never be taken seriously if they look like...well...women.

I never saw women in skirts at grad school interviews, and I prefer pants anyways. Some of my students have come back from medical school interviews to report that everyone-- men and women-- were in matching black suits with muted colors of Oxford shirts.

Can women wear (nonfrumpy) skirts or dresses without being viewed as unprofessional?



(I suspect that many of you will be in support of hot shoes, but what about the rest of the outfit? And if you aren't familiar with Dr. Isis, click thee over there right away)

Cheaters often prosper?

Cheaters often prosper because we let them. Some schools have such ridiculous requirements of paperwork/documentation to pursue a cheater, that it's not worth zinging a student for a few non-cited googlings. Other schools have such lenient plagiarism/cheating policies that faculty don't even bother reporting incidents.

When I was interviewing for jobs, I asked specific questions about how violations of the honor code were judged. Was the punishment policy black and white, or were decisions made on a case-by-case basis? Did my interviewers acknowledge that cheating and plagiarism did in fact occur, or were they blissfully in denial that cheating does and will occur in every type of class, even among the best students.*

Fortunately, TempCollege does not fall into either of those categories. My department is very aware of potential cheating problems, and Head has told me that the department would support me if ever chose to present an incident to the disciplinary board.

I might have to take Head up on the offer this week. This irritates me (particularly since my non-Spring break is fast approaching), but I'll be damned if cheating is going to occur under my "roof."





*Yes, I sound jaded. For good reason: in every single grad class I took, cheating occurred at some level. Blatant copying of problem sets, plagiarism on research papers, graphing calculator cheating, non-approved sources on take-home exams....I'm sure you could add to the list.

New look for Christmas?

I am home, but my bags (containing shoes, interview clothes, textbooks, and presents) are not. I have all the important stuff with me like my stash of chocolate, medications, laptop power cord, cell phone. As of now, my mother has provided me with a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, razor, sleeping shirt, sweatshirt, hairbrush, face wash, and moisturizer. She has offered socks and interview clothes. We both draw the line at underwear.

Unfortunately, our shoe sizes are quite different. If my bags don't arrive today, I'm going to be rocking the snow boots look at Christmas mass. My interview isn't until January, so I won't have to wear them to an interview....but I think that would really make me stand out, don't you think?



ETA (at 10:30 pm): Still no bags. According to the airline, one bag is completely missing still, and the other is "in transit." So tough to decide: wait it out, or brave the mall tomorrow??

"A lifetime of happiness! No man alive could bear it; it would be hell..." G.B. Shaw

In the past month, I've gone through several major changes in my life. I've gone on several job interviews, started dating a boy (a non-asshole! So out of character for me!), received a few job offers, and decided on my job for next year.

For the first time in...um...perhaps ALL of graduate school, I am completely, wholeheartedly happy. Don't get me wrong; it's not like I've gone through grad school completely miserable. I have my ups and downs each month/week/day. But although these last four weeks of job searching was definitely the most stressful time of my life (and "my life" includes my parents' divorce, grandparents' illnesses, siblings in crisis, friends with mental illness, prelims, etc.), I've been uncharacteristically calm (of course, calm for me is still quite a bit more hyper and neurotic than the average American).

Maybe my relative content-ness is the reason that I've been (of late) more aware of my fellow grad students' misery. While I wouldn't describe ALL grad students in my field at LargeU as miserable, depressed human beings, it does seem that in recent years, grad students in my program have generally become less and less happy.

Is this because grad students are more comfortable voicing their unhappiness? Are students less apt to remain in a bad situation and make the big decision to leave grad school? I know grad school isn't for everyone, but more and more students have been "mastering out" at year 2.5 rather than stick it out for the 5-6 year Ph.D.


Have you noticed an increase in students' happiness in your program? If not, what is your secret for keeping happy in graduate school (or in the "real world")?

Exhausted.

Preparing for my upcoming job interviews (four in the next two weeks) has been surprisingly draining. Luckily, I'm surrounded by incredibly supportive people, including The Boss, Coworker, Coworker Friend...and even some new friends.

The sheer amount of time it has taken me to prepare my various teaching presentations, re-research the schools, and finalize my travel arrangements has shocked me. I happen to be at a relatively quiet time in my research (for the first time in, like, oh...five years), so everything has worked out without any major catastrophes or ulcers.

But it got me thinking. If I'm this stressed out applying as a graduate student to SLACs* then how the heck would I have dealt with applications to R1 schools as a postdoc, with less downtime and more responsibilities? No wonder postdoc positions seem to be running longer and longer!





*SLAC=small liberal arts college

Does "blogging" count as having fun?

A question that has come up during a few of my phone interviews has given me pause.

What do you do for fun when you aren't in the lab?


When I was first asked this, the following went through my head:

1. HAHAHAHA....when am I not in the lab?

2. Wait...is this a trick question?

3. Crap. I can't tell them drinking, boys, or blogging. What can I tell them? Crap-crap-crap.


The big problem is that I really don't want to reveal a lot of personal details, like my single status or religion. Any suggestions on what I should (or should not) say? I know the search committees are just trying to get a sense of if I'm looking for certain hobbies in the area or if I'm well-rounded....but seriously...I don't have a lot of free time, and what I do have to myself I fill with blogging, tving, or boozing. Suggestions?

brief update, real post tomorrow

Status of '08 job search:

~ School #1: Phone interview in Dec, invited for campus interview in late Jan

~ School #2: Phone interview in Jan, still awaiting word

~ School #3: Invited for campus interview, Feb.

update: school #4: phone interview next week



And...in honor of EcoGeoFemme....



Status of '08 "getting some":

~ Nothing to report.