for the CA cc. :(
I have one more interview and two more academic applications to send out ... and I have printed about 4 or 5 semic-academic-ish type jobs. I guess I am going to start applying to them too?
Sigh. What am I going to do, people? What am I going to do?
This whole "move back into the basement" thing may become real and actual.
This is terrifying; I don't even know how to begin.
Sigh. *whimper*
15 comments:
:(
*patpatpat*
Ugh. I am so sorry you didn't get that job but, you're right, widen the search and keep on applying.
Sorry this has been such a struggle for you.... :(
I'm sorry!
Oh, dear; I'm sorry.
I wouldn't know where to start, either. But throwing out options/things to research:
--keep current job at present, not because you're committed to staying in the academy, but because it's *a* job, and finding another one (of any kind) in the present economy may be difficult?
--temp agencies? Do they still exist? Have they expanded with an increasingly contingent-employment-based economy (I suspect that's so)? Are they flooded with applicants given how many people are out of work (also possible/likely, but still worth checking)?
--private school teaching (www.nais.org ; also agencies that work with schools, and which the school pays. Some of these jobs will include housing, most likely with pets allowed)? substitute teaching? tutoring?
--importance of living in a particular place (because you love it, or because it's near family) vs. importance of living somewhere with low cost of living or abundant jobs (of course, those two tend to be in inverse relationship to each other; on the other hand, if I were choosing a place to settle down now, I'd pay much more attention to cost of living, especially housing costs. Higher salaries rarely make up for higher housing costs.)
--possibilities for finding a shared housing situation wherever you decide you want to be(easier to secure than your own place if you don't have a job, but perhaps still possible to find somewhere cat-welcoming)?
One book I've found useful for sorting out priorities: _Wishcraft_, by Barbara Sher. It's considerably less new-agey, and more analytical, than the title implies.
Good luck! May the next interview prove more fruitful!
Aw, Sis! This sucks. You are amazing, and I hate that you are going through this. I have no good *advice* to offer. But I do have *support* to offer, and I am your biggest cheerleader. I know it's stupid to say that things happen for a reason, and that things all work out right in the end. So I'm not saying those things, but know that I *want* those things to be true in your case. Seriously, get in touch if there is anything I can do - even if only to listen.
Hubby worked in Silicon Valley for a long time, and two of the project managers at his office were people with PhDs in English. They made a lot more money than he did. Might be something to look into.
It's weird -- some of the tech companies only want to hire people who are well educated (Google) and then some will hire people who have no degree but are self-educated (LinkedIn). If you know anyone in the valley, use it to your advantage. All of those jobs are gotten through networking.
BOOO! That sucks.
I also have no advice, but wishcraft is quite an interesting read (and I hate selfhelp books, but it was lying in my sister's house...) - there is some really nice stuff in it about using the networks you have to get what you need - the problem is figuring out what you need to ask for to get there.
Have you thought about applying to work outside the US?
I'm sorry. Wishing you lots of hugs and better times ahead.
Good Luck! My heart goes out to you.
Sorry to hear about that job, Sis. You got very close, though, and that's encouraging in this market. Good luck!
:(
I second all of the supportive comments. I can't offer any better advice than to apply for/secure whatever job opportunities might come your way, and, as my grandmother is fond of saying, "keep putting one foot in front of the other."
Oh man! I'm so sorry to hear this! Like everyone else, I have no advice because what can one say or do in way of advice at this point. But like the others, I do offer lots of support. I'm so sorry.
I'm really sorry to hear about this.
Something that has worked for friends of mine transitioning from TT or aspiring to TT employment was working for a university as a staff person. There are all kinds of staff positions for which people with M.A.s and Ph.D.s are hired (usually for some reason they cluster in honors programs), and sometimes they involve teaching. A friend of mine did this after she was not renewed in her TT job, and she learned a lot of skills, made some useful connections, and eventually became a college & grad school admissions consultant who has her own business.
I'm not saying that's the right path for you--you have to make your own way. But working as uni staff might be a way to build a resume for working outside of academe, even as you continue to use your Ph.D.-based skills & enjoy the library card, the discounted gym membership, etc.
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