job finding woes
RedZee
member
Sorry this is long, I just really need to vent about this. I'm feeling SO badly about myself right now.
I am getting so fed up with looking for a job! I have been on the market since September 2010 but only started a super serious job search in September 2011. I have a PhD looking at brain and language research and I'm trying to find a job in the NY area.
I have not found many people looking for postdocs in the NY area in my field. I've had two job offers since I started looking, 1 local with wackos and 1 six hours away. BOTH had their funding cut and ended up not hiring anyone (the National Institutes of Health cut a lot of funding). I can't really leave this area for a postdoc because they pay about $40k/year and only last 2 or 3 years. DH has tenure at his school and earns much more than that. His salary can support our family, $40k/year cannot (although I'm sure in other parts of the US it does, but losing tenure for a temporary job is still pretty dumb).
The faculty positions I've applied for are either looking for someone with a postdoc (which I don't have) or who is a certified speech pathologist. Since my degree is research and not clinical, I don't have either.
So, since I'm not even getting interviews and I'm having trouble on the post-doc front, I thought about going back to school to take the classes I need to become a speech pathologist. I contacted the closest state school and the grad advisor was kind of a b*tch in her e-mails. I checked my application status the other day and my transcripts (from 3 different schools) apparently never arrived (I think whoever received them screwed up). I contacted her about it and she sent me a nasty e-mail about my prerequisites and told me to contact someone who she never mentioned before to discuss it. This process is absurd. Obviously I have the background I would need from prereqs if I already have a PhD in the subject! A non-state school will cost 3x as much as the state school and I really didn't want to have to pay that much and go to more school!!
Last week I had an interview for a post-doc in a slightly different field than the one I'm in. It is a great opportunity and the only downfall is that the research is slightly different, but in the long term it would be good. I thought the interviews went well and they told me that even if this doesn't work out they wanted to talk to me about other opportunities there. They also wanted me to speak with 2 other people who were away. I haven't heard from them yet so I feel pretty sure I didn't get it.
So on top of the aggravation with the school and not hearing about the interview, I got TWO rejection letters this week. I'm feeling so frustrated and crappy about myself. I am trying to think of other fields I could go into, but I don't know how to make my curriculum vitae (academic resume) into a real resume and it's just overwhelming. I love being home with DD, but I want to work at least part time because I want us to be able to afford certain things and I really love my field and I think I'll be totally bored once DD is at school (and I don't want to spend my day cleaning the house and making dinner).
Re: job finding woes
Wow, that is frustrating! I feel for you.
I would push the state school issue even though that lady is a b*tch. That sounds like the best route for you to go and it would be ideal as a mom to work in a school setting with their hours/days off/etc. (I would think).
Just some brainstorming - what about any jobs that could be related to what you studied at local colleges/universities? Is there anything you could make work with your experience? Could you possibly do any sort of tutoring? (I hear that pays well).
As for the job interview that went well (I'm guessing they aren't one of the rejection letters) I would follow up. As someone who has hired in the past, persistence pays off. Tenfold. You can do it in a polite manner, especially now with the ability to just email.
As for your transcripts, I would have your schools send you an official copy (Do Not Open! -- I'm sure you know that already though
And walk them down to that b*tches office and dump them IN her HAND. Then tell her where to shove them 
Good luck - I remember when you went for your thesis thingy when you were about to give birth!! I can't imagine how frustrating this must all be.
All of this.
I am sorry that you are having such a tough time finding a job.
I had trouble when I went back to school after graduating with my bachelor's degree with an advisor. I called someone on the Board of Governors for the school and that helped turn some attitudes around and get me the answers I needed. It was probably a little heavy-handed but I was 22 years old and was going to have to pay for these courses out of my own pocket and decided right then I was not putting up with crappy customer service.
Good luck with the search - I hope just the right job comes your way really soon.
Thanks for the support and for reading all that text!
I haven't heard back from the state school and will nag her in the middle of next week. Good idea about the transcripts! The tricky part is also that I have a job offer there IF the grant is approved for funding and I won't know until July or August.
I have been looking into tutoring and just applied for a transcription company and am doing training. It pays crap but can be done at home. I love research, but there are so many things about it that piss me off that I should probably really figure out what else I can do that I would like to do on any level. I've had a hard time finding anyone to offer that guidance though.
For the job interview...academia is weird. The culture is that it is REALLY frowned upon to follow up about an application (giving license to universities to take as long as they want to make decisions and always leave you at their mercy). I'm trying to be patient. Maybe it will still happen.
If anyone knows any career counselors that maybe take health insurance or any tips on resume building or whatever, please let me know.For Career Counseling check with your University's Alumni Association...
I went to UNC and when you are a member of the Alumni Association you get one free session of career counseling and additional ones at half price. Our Alumni Association costs $40 or $45 a year. They also offer a lot of other career help tools. I did a session with the counselor over the phone and it really helped me. Not that I was looking for a new job at that moment but was worried that mine was going away.