Tuesday, January 03, 2012
Cold Days Ahead
2012 has arrived and while it isn't the end of the world (at least not yet), the unseasonably warm weather of the past few weeks has faded away. All that remains now are the cold realities of the season. In my case, those realities revolve around the fact that I have absolutely no idea where I am going to be when 2013 rolls around.
My postdoctoral fellowship is proceeding relatively smoothly, though my official responsibilities keep getting interrupted by new job or postdoctoral applications that have begun to prove incredibly frustrating. Thanks to the magic of the Internet, I know that with two exceptions every job for which I applied has passed me by like I was yesterday's garbage. The remaining two have, respectively: 1.) Not given out any information to anyone. 2.) Not officially closed the application process. I anticipate hearing from both by the end of the month.
In the meanwhile, several of my friends and colleagues have at least received interview requests, some from multiple schools. One woman I spoke to at work today indicated that she had interviews scheduled with six separate institutions! It's hard not to be a little envious of such individuals (After all, they're pretty much in the same position I am, and it's not their fault that the dice landed in their favor...), but I have tried to reconcile myself to the facts that the academic job market is tough and ascertaining what search committees actually want is nearly impossible. All one can do is try and so I have, to the best of my ability. Whether my failure primarily reflects the vagaries of the job market or my own scholarly deficiencies is impossible to tell. I tend to presume the combination is responsible for the effect.
Regardless, it appears that my future is more in flux than ever, which makes both more difficult and more essential to concentrate on the here and now. First and foremost, that means my work, whether that means transforming my dissertation into a book, working on case studies, or participating in other side projects. After that, the pub quiz, which has become, for good or ill, my primary source of social interaction beyond the occasional happy hour at work. Otherwise...well, I just got a jury duty notice in the mail today. And that's it, really.
January is shaping up to be a cold and lonely month. I can only hope that the rest of 2012 doesn't follow suit.
N.B. Speaking of loneliness, I will likely be culling the Invisible Blogroll soon to reflect the growing inactivity of its membership. If you want your blog to be kept on the list, either post something in the next few days or let me know in the comments below.
2012 has arrived and while it isn't the end of the world (at least not yet), the unseasonably warm weather of the past few weeks has faded away. All that remains now are the cold realities of the season. In my case, those realities revolve around the fact that I have absolutely no idea where I am going to be when 2013 rolls around.
My postdoctoral fellowship is proceeding relatively smoothly, though my official responsibilities keep getting interrupted by new job or postdoctoral applications that have begun to prove incredibly frustrating. Thanks to the magic of the Internet, I know that with two exceptions every job for which I applied has passed me by like I was yesterday's garbage. The remaining two have, respectively: 1.) Not given out any information to anyone. 2.) Not officially closed the application process. I anticipate hearing from both by the end of the month.
In the meanwhile, several of my friends and colleagues have at least received interview requests, some from multiple schools. One woman I spoke to at work today indicated that she had interviews scheduled with six separate institutions! It's hard not to be a little envious of such individuals (After all, they're pretty much in the same position I am, and it's not their fault that the dice landed in their favor...), but I have tried to reconcile myself to the facts that the academic job market is tough and ascertaining what search committees actually want is nearly impossible. All one can do is try and so I have, to the best of my ability. Whether my failure primarily reflects the vagaries of the job market or my own scholarly deficiencies is impossible to tell. I tend to presume the combination is responsible for the effect.
Regardless, it appears that my future is more in flux than ever, which makes both more difficult and more essential to concentrate on the here and now. First and foremost, that means my work, whether that means transforming my dissertation into a book, working on case studies, or participating in other side projects. After that, the pub quiz, which has become, for good or ill, my primary source of social interaction beyond the occasional happy hour at work. Otherwise...well, I just got a jury duty notice in the mail today. And that's it, really.
January is shaping up to be a cold and lonely month. I can only hope that the rest of 2012 doesn't follow suit.
N.B. Speaking of loneliness, I will likely be culling the Invisible Blogroll soon to reflect the growing inactivity of its membership. If you want your blog to be kept on the list, either post something in the next few days or let me know in the comments below.
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