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Report From My Real Life
I had to fish my nice clothes out of the closet and ask myself 50 times how nicely I should dress up because a) it was hot and b) how formal a place is a university anyway? But I went ahead and dressed up and roasted as a consequence. I took the bus in, which took longer than usual because a group of about 40 little kids from summer camp climbed on halfway. I'd forgotten that there's such a thing as little kid smell. It's not a bad smell. I'd just forgotten about it.
So I finally got to the interview location and was predictably way early, because I am always way early. One of the interviewers (from the university's human resources dept) was already there and I chatted with her about mass transit (don't laugh). Then the other 2 people arrived - one the chair of the department and the other a staffer. The set up was a little stressful, because they were one one side of a long table and I was on the other. The hr person didn't ask any questions but just took notes. Spooky.
I wonder whether I'm technically qualified for the job, although I do have a compatible skill set. They asked a set series of questions that they asked every candidate so they'd be fair. Most of them were pretty easy. I mainly tried to be as honest and likeable as possible, but I was a little nervous which is why I talked so much (of course BH would say that I must always be nervous because I never shut up). Then at the end of about an hour interview they sent me to a little room to write a sample letter, which I thought was a little odd.
On the whole the experience was a good one. It's hard to know how well I did, or what my chances are. I think they asked me in because they were curious about my resume. One thing that apparently caught their attention was that I'd done field work with my wife. They also seemed impressed that I was willing to follow her across the country. When asked about why I wanted a university admin job, one of the things I explained was that as my wife and I were both PhD's, it was more practical for one of us to do something else (2 academic jobs in the same town? no way). Since BH's academic career was more important to her than mine was to me, I'd be the one who pursued something a little different. I then said that it was "the most important decision I had to make" and realized it was true. I didn't quite come out and say that my marriage was the most important thing in my life, but the meaning was clear.
I was just talking when I said, thinking while I spoke, and I'm not sure how they took it. But it made me feel good to have done it. It's easy to say the words "my marriage is the most important to me." But you have to really mean it, and in that moment it was clear to me that I did mean it.
The other thing I didn't think about until now was that all 3 of my interviewers were women. I just never noticed it - or never thought about it. I'd like to think that it's a good thing that I didn't think about their gender. They were just people to me.
Now that I'm done patting myself on the back for being a good husband and good feminist, I'm going to go do some work. Ciao.
11 Comments:
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I don't know where to start, so, I'll just babble.
By
"the most important decision I had to make" and realized it was true. I didn't quite come out and say that my marriage was the most important thing in my life, but the meaning was clear.
That made me cry - really, it did! Honesty from a man is refreshing; public love just makes me cry. Hussy is so lucky to have you.
They were just people to me This is a good thing, I think. That way, you didn't try to charm them or talk to them differently because they were women. Kudos!
If we only applied for jobs we were "technically qualified" for, there would be a lot of people out of work and a lot of empty office chairs. I'm a big believer in "what should happen, will". So, if you are suppose to get the job, you will. If you won't well, you will just have to regale (sp?) us with more mass transit smell adventures!
Penguin, at 9:01 AM
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Thanks Penguin. I wasn't saying any of those things to get public approval - I just felt like I needed to say them out loud. In type. Whatever.
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I guess I'm a bit of a fatalist too. I don't go quite so far as saying that things are meant to happen, only that they do happen - frequently randomly - and we just work to respond to the chaos as best we can. I hope that doesn't sound like existentialism. It's supposed to sound like classical stoicism. I think. Maybe Philosophy Factory can correct me. Arbitrista, at 9:13 AM
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I'm glad to hear that you had an interview and you feel pretty good about how it went. The first interview (maybe there won't even need to be more!) could go a long way toward building up hope for a positive professional situation for you out in your new town!
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Here's what I'm wondering about the interview: Did you learn enough about the job itself to tell whether or not you'd enjoy doing the job? BrightStar (B*), at 10:23 AM
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I think I might enjoy it. It has a lot in common with what I liked about my old job, which was helping people navigate through administrative procedure. But it's impossible to tell whether you'd actually like a job until you do it. We'll see.
By Arbitrista, at 10:53 AM
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Let me add a great big "Awwwww" too!
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Hope you get the job (if it's something you want). sheepish, at 11:49 AM
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I'm with Penguin...gosh darn it! That is the sweetest and most honest thing. I hope BH realizes how lucky she is (and I suspect she does). I wish you luck for the job...you deserve some good news.
By DrOtter, at 5:00 PM
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I imagine you charmed the pants off of them. I hope you get it - and if not, that something even better is on the horizon.
By Unknown, at 8:26 PM
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It's good to be sincere.
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I hope you get the job if it is what you want. Jesse, at 1:14 AM
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Gee you guys are nice!
By Arbitrista, at 3:26 PM
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"2 academic jobs in the same town? no way" I guess I am alone here in challenging the premise of this statement. It is quite easy to have two PhDs in the same town because universities tend to hire both PhDs in a marriage in order to get one of them to teach. So it shouldn't be difficult for a humanities PhD and a science PhD to both find employment at the same university.
By Marriah, at 1:34 PM
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Considering the vast trouble we had finding a job for ONE of us, I must disagree with you, Marriah!
By Dr. Brazen Hussy, at 10:39 AM
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