This lady got herself a job!

An interesting job with room to grow within the company!  Hurray!!!

The job market for PhD’s transitioning out of academia is tough in general but particularly cut throat in the Pacific Northwest.  Until today, I experienced 1 of 3 scenarios in my job search:

1. I’m exceedingly overqualified for the job I’m applying for.  People either won’t even consider me, for a variety of reasons.  A) They’re afraid I’ll leave as soon as a better job comes along, thus wasting the time they spend training me.  B) They think there’s something wrong with me, because I left academia. C) They don’t want someone with more education/experience than they have working under them. D) They don’t want someone with a “fancy” degree coming in and trying to change things.  Not that I’d do that, but people’s minds can be hard to change.

2. I’m a little under qualified.  I lack 1 or 2 of the “Required Skills” but am otherwise a good candidate.  These people won’t look at me either, although they at least don’t think there’s anything wrong with me.  I’m reaching for the stars.  They just don’t want to be my comet.  Not when there are plenty of more experienced people that are also looking for jobs.

3. I’m perfectly qualified.  I meet every criterion on their list, but someone with 10 years of experience applied for the same job, so they beat me out.  These are the most heart breaking, because there’s nothing I can do about it.  The interviewers like me, and I make the short list, but I lose out to people with tons of experience that are also in need of a job. 

In the last 36 hours, I met 3 fantastic women that changed all that.  First, the woman at Office Team that recommended me for this job.  Then, the HR woman at the company I was hired at who thought I was good enough to pass on to her boss.  Finally, the boss lady at a small company in PDX who supports professional development and is excited to have me on board!  Can’t wait until Monday morning!!!

Posted by Dr. Sweatpants

Message received. Loud and Clear.

I think I’ve finally, FINALLY learned the lesson that the universe has been trying to teach me: DON’T DATE CONFUSED MEN IN THEIR TWENTIES.  I also reconfirmed an old lesson that I sometimes doubt: TRUST YOUR GUT. 

If a confused twenty-something male doesn’t know what he wants out of life, then he definitely won’t know what he wants out of you.  If you happen to be an unconfused woman that has a handle on life, you will terrify these men.  I’ve been through it several times now, and I get it.  They’re instinctively drawn to you, but they don’t know what to do with you.  When or if they ever figure it out, it will most likely be too late, because you will be so sick of their bullshit and antics that you can barely stand to look at them.

If a confused twenty-something male treats you well, seeks out your company, and generally seems to enjoy your presence in his life, but then suddenly does a 180 and wants to end your relationship, there’s probably something going on that you don’t know about.  A little voice in the back of your head will indicate this to you.  You’ll brush it off and overthink the situation for a day or two, but that little voice won’t go away.  Listen to that little voice.  Thus far, my little voice has never been wrong.  Not once. 

For someone that generally learns quickly, these lessons have taken a while to sink in, but I think I finally understand: demand everything, settle for nothing, and listen to that little voice when it says “This isn’t going to end well.  Don’t even bother.”


Posted by Dr. Sweatpants