I had an acknowledgment letter from one of the places I applied (already!) and a second letter from a university among all the junk mail and election flyers. Oh no, I thought, didn't I apply to this school last year? Am I finally going to be given a SCUM letter rejecting me for a job I applied to an entire year ago? And over a month after I finally dug out and immolated all of the other old SCUM letters? At least, I chortled to myself as I ripped open the envelope, I'll have something to snark about on the blog.
But no. There was a long letter with an enclosure, and the letter, roughly translated, said something like:
Dear Dr. Cog,
We are doing this cool new thing and even hiring in this area as a result. We thought that your scholarly interests might be a good fit and so are inviting you to apply. For more information on X, Y, Q, and 3.14~ facets of our fancy new thing, which we have summarized here, go check out our web site and please consider applying. Anywhoo, toodles and kthanxbai.
The Search Committee.
Wait ---- they do this type of thing? And in a world where roughly 47,392 applicants crawl out of the woodwork for any type of job, they would actually recruit for a position? How did they even find me? Look, they called me doctor! Me! And thought my work or the title of my dissertation or something of mine they have heard or seen or met fit well enough with their stuff to send me off a letter! Me! I guess that means I really am a real Ph.D! I'm really in this thing! Just when I was so pissy and bitter and sure that I was never going to get a job or make it anywhere in this fucked up profession and that all this shit had been for nothing how I was just a big fraud and a botch who had only managed to get through the gates because someone blinked, I get a message from the ether: please apply.
Huh. That's right; I'm a doctor and I did make it through all that shit. Well this just made my day.*
*(It doesn't take much to make my day, does it? It would really make my day if I applied for the job and my application actually made it through the process. I know that this doesn't actually improve my chances. But the "Dr." part was real nice.)
7 comments:
Wow! That's amazing! That must feel great. Congratulations, Dr.
Dr Cog, that is just wonderful! You ARE going to do it, right? Right?
I've chaired a search committee for a job with a very particular description, and I solicited people's applications. It's just good business--search committees want the widest array of applications from which to choose. Congratulations--maybe this means that you have a particular combination of cutting-edge qualifications that will make you stand out among other applicants.
Historiann.com
This is a well run search committee. They have done their homework, and know what they are looking for. And they appear to think that you might be it. If they don't say, I'd assume that either one of them saw you give a paper at a conference, or maybe consulted your advisor, or some such.
Congratulations!
That's fancy. And cool.
that is very cool, you seriously rock. dr.
Ann is right; they want you to apply because as Susan said, they think you would be a good match.
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