Not everything is better on-line

As I've mentioned, I have been applying for a bunch of jobs this week. All except for one asked for the materials to be submitted on-line. Which in theory should be so much easier and quicker than printing out all of one's materials, finding an envelope and then heading to the post office to mail it off. But they so ARE NOT EASIER!!

Here's my reasons why...

1. If they want you to apply through their on-line system there is never a person involved, I don't know who to address the cover letter to, who to contact to make sure they got it (some of them don't even bother with the form email to let you know your application was received), or who to contact if their damn system won't let me upload my materials.

2. Each one makes it sound like all you have to do is upload your CV/resume and cover letter and you'll be done, but in actuality MANY of them have have you also basically fill in all of the information on your CV electronically. Um.. if you're going to have me fill in my work history and education information, why bother having me upload my CV?

3. Some systems don't allow attachments, so that means I have to take out all of the formatting from my CV (which I specifically put in for ease of reading) before I can paste it into their stupid little box which doesn't even let me see what it will look like when they get it because it's really just a 4" X 2" rectangle showing a paragraph at a time.

4. They all say that due to the number of applications they receive they regret to inform me that they can't contact me if I don't get the job. So I spend all this time uploading materials, writing very specific cover letters, filling out their stupid forms that ask for all of the same info I have in my CV and then they can't even send me a friggen form email to say sorry you're not getting the job. what the hell??!!

Of course, if some of these places start calling me for interviews I will be a lot less bitter about the application process.

Whoa two good days in a row.!

Yesterday was yet another good day. I spent the day finishing up some analyses from the day before and working on the paper that data is going into. I made really good progress, and the data rock! So I am excited about getting this paper out. It's just my mentor and I, with me as first author and she is currently working on a paper with each of her grad students but wants my paper at the end of next week. I am sure it will move quickly once she gets her hands on it and I'll be well on my way to meeting my goal of 3 first authored submissions this summer.

I also applied for another job yesterday - non-academic research institute. I really hope they call, it sounds like a really great fit. I'm going to send out two more applications today, both of these are academically related research positions. I'm amazed at how many relevant jobs I'm finding right now, but underwhelmed by the lack of contact from any of them after I send in my materials.

Let's hope things turn around soon. I'm trying to be patient and remind myself that they don't necessarily begin contacting people as soon as they get responses to their ads. They need to wait and see who applies. Right? Right???? :)

So my plan for today is

1. Submit two job applications.
2. Work on dissertation manuscript (#2 first authored summer submission).
3. Get cards for mom and grandmother.
4. Have some fun later, maybe take the dogs for a walk and spend some time with my sisters.

Today was a good day...

I applied for 2 new jobs. One academic (basically a post-doc) and one non-academic.

I inquired about adjunct positions for next year at my current institution.

I also had a really great morning, I did a bunch of follow up analyses on a paper I'm working on with my current mentor and the results were fantastic. And I had a meeting with her about another project that I've been running pilot subjects for and that was fantastic as well. I finally convinced her to drop a condition which will make it much more streamlined and more controllable.

I might be wrong

I checked the NIH deadlines today and realize that I might have been a bit paranoid. It looks like my mentor won't know about the grant until later this month or early next month. I do have reasons to be a little paranoid but I wish I were better at keeping those feelings in check.

I applied for another job today and there are two others I'll probably apply for as well. I feel a little more control when I'm getting applications out, even if I'm not hearing anything back.

I'm pretty sure I'm not wanted...

So I was thinking today that I'm pretty sure my mentor should have heard about one of the grants that she listed me on. If she didn't get it, I don't see why she wouldn't tell me that we struck out again.

But.. I'm starting to wonder if she did get it and is hoping another job will come through for me so she doesn't have to give it to me.
1. Because we have a weird relationship and I'm not sure she's 100% happy with me even though I try to do exactly what she wants and
2. Her lab is already so tight on space, if I were to leave it would make things easier with the new post doc and grad students coming in.

I guess the other option is that she heard but the funding score is borderline so she doesn't want to get my hopes up until she knows for sure whether it will be funded or not. I hate feeling not wanted and yes, this could be paranoia... but you know how sometimes you just know something isn't quite right. That's how I feel right now.

Inspired

I gave the speech at my undergrad alma mater on Thursday and it's really helped to inspire me to get back to work. All of the faculty at my alma mater were so welcoming and proud of my accomplishments. Even parents of current undergrads were coming up and congratulating me and telling me how proud I should be.

I've been so consumed with the job search and freaking out about not having a job in the fall that I haven't been able to write or do any of the stuff the things that are actually going to help me get a job.

But, since my speech I am feeling better about myself, more optimistic and I actually did two hours of writing today! I probably have another 3-4 hours of editing to go on my first dissertation manuscript before I can send the new draft off to my advisor (who is my co-author). Hopefully, I can keep up the momentum so I can get some more papers out and get things rolling in the right direction.

Who Needs an Office??

I really miss working outside of the office.

In graduate school I shared an office so I was only in there between classes to check email, when setting up experiments or when holding office hours. Thus, I got used to working at home or out at coffee shops. I analyzed and wrote all of my dissertation at a local coffee shop. It was great to just grab my lab top and my headphones, get a super sized latte and crank out chapters for hours on end.

My post-doc mentor wants me in the office all the time. On one hand, I get it. The studies I do here are way more intense than in grad school and I am literally in the lab for every single participant. Also, this is a training post doc for me so it has been really helpful to be in the lab and have a graduate student or my mentor to turn to whenever I had a question about the new techniques and research I'm learning.

However, I feel really confined by the fact that I have to go to the office every day. I'm not getting nearly as much writing down as I would like and I feel resentful. I had so much freedom as a grad student, when I wasn't on campus nobody was looking for me. Now, whenever I want to work from home (like today as it's easier to get to my undergrad from home than from post doc institution) I worry my mentor is going to get mad. It's almost like I have to call in to let them know I won't be around.

I've tried appealing to my mentor by saying I write better when I'm not in the office I share with two other people but they just don't buy it. Apparently, they always write in the office and have always written in their office even if it meant sticking around after everyone else when home so they don't get it that I'd be way more productive if I could take 1 day a week as my writing day. Instead they think I should just learn to write while I'm at the office. It's so frustrating. It's impossible with the constant stream of RAs and other personnel streaming through my office. Not to mention the other two people who talk and play their music (granted, they try to be considerate, but they're in the office > 40 hours a week too so they have a right to want to have it be conducive to their work habits).

I have shifted my work schedule so I get to the office 2 hours before anyone else does so that I can get some writing done but how I long for the days of working in the coffee shop for hours on end without interruption.