John Hawks has some advice to those on job-hunting expeditions:
If you’re in the job-hunting boat, and starting to feel unappreciated — like, when are they going to call? Why not you? Is there something wrong with your work? Etc., then read this post from New Kid on the Hallway and remember it’s not about you.
New Kid’s a medieval historian, but the story is much the same: job ads are mostly written by lawyers, job searches rarely go in predictable directions, and search committees rarely know exactly what they are looking for. If you think the ad fits you exactly, that still doesn’t mean that they’ll see it the same way.
Coming to think of it, even if you get an offer from somewhere, it might be worthwhile to remember all these factors which determine who gets the jobs and who does not. But, it is more crucial for those who feel underappreciated than to those who are getting offers, I think.
Tags: job hunting
