Not Selected
May 25, 2011 § 9 Comments
After about an hour of talking on the phone, texting, and e-mailing everyone, it’s now your turn my wonderful, supportive, incredible readers.
...sigh...
I wasn’t accepted My application was not selected for the job I had applied for back in April.
I’m disappointed. And so very sad.
It’s taking a great deal of effort to feel confident now, and to change my phrasing from “I wasn’t accepted” to “my application wasn’t selected.” Both my husband and my father have assured me that it wasn’t a personal attack. So, following the deeply solicited advice from two of the most important men in my life, I am trying to change the way I look at this rejection.
It’s difficult not to see it as a personal attack, especially after I made a point to meet with the director in charge of hiring. I thought I had made a good impression on her, but as the weeks dragged on from April 11th to now, I began to doubt that impression.
I didn’t even get a real interview. I wish I had. Because I have amazing ideas for that job that I didn’t have the opportunity to share with her when we met the first time.
As I said, I’m disappointed and so very sad.
What will August look like now?
I can’t even think about it.
But thank you to all of you who offered me support and encouragement while I prepared to apply for this job, and especially while I waited and waited and waited to hear back. I really drew a great deal of comfort and confidence from you all.
A.Hab.'s View 
Oh my friend, I’m so sorry. But, speaking as someone who often gets the same news, and doesn’t even make the interview cut, do not take this to heart. I know it is hard not to feel like this is a personal attack on you, but it is really not. So often in academia, there is a political reason. Or they don’t really know what they are looking for. I know that doesn’t help, but just know that something better will come along. It is NOT YOU, it’s THEM!
Ugh, I know how it feels, and I’m sorry you didn’t get the job. š¦ University politics are weird and it’s entirely possible that they already know who they wanted to hire, but they are obliged to opening up the job search. I just went through something similar, and I know it wasn’t about me, but it still stung. I say take an afternoon off and do something nice for yourself!
This is so true. For all we know, ahab was competing with an internal candidate that was a shoe-in. Academic politics are terribly weird. When I was applying for jobs in Athens, departments were putting up jobs left and right even though the administration had instituted a hiring freeze for the whole university. I applied for probably 30 jobs at Georgia but never did get a call back from any of them. It could have been my application, but I think part of it was that departments were putting up jobs they had no budget to fill for some sort of administrative purpose, like proving to the administration that they were short staffed. The only interview I ever got at UGA was for a position in the English department as the assistant to the undergraduate coordinator. As a recent recipient of the MTPC and a graduate of the UGA English dept who as an undergrad was the president of the undergrad society and who worked closely in that capacity with the undergrad coordinator (who was also my advisor, wrote my grad app letters, helped me to craft my writing sample for grad school..yadda ya) , I assumed I was shoe-in. But they ended up giving it to one of their newly minted MAs who incidentally attended my high school. Now I work in another capacity on campus and see her all the time and am thankful it didn’t work out! So you never know what forces are at play that are keeping you from a position.
Aw ahab!! I am so sorry and I definitely know how it feels. It is hard for me not to come off as the wiseass grandpa when it comes to things like this. I feel like I have been job hunting for 3 years straight (walking uphill in the snow both ways) and in fact just started putting stuff together for yet another job hunt today. I am of the opinion that people who are hiring are largely selecting candidates based off of who they think will “fit” the position sometimes in a corporate culture sort of way. Even if they say it is about credentials, it usually comes down to feel. I am confident that you would have been great for that job but for some reason it seems that the people who read your application didn’t think you would fit their “culture,” and the fact that they didn’t even give you the chance to interview probably indicates that you’d be better off somewhere else anyway! Think of it as a dodged bullet. The job hunt is grueling but the funny thing is that it is unpredictable as well. At my current job I just haphazardly put in an application, never figuring they would get in touch. I blundered so bad during my phone interview that I assumed they would not call back! When they did I was amazed. I never thought I would get that job in a billion years. So sometimes things you feel cut out for just don’t materialize and other things that are completely out of left field do work out. I know how you feel, having so much pressure to find employment before August, because I am in the same boat myself. I actually today had myself a little cry on the couch thinking about all the financial things we have to sort out before 8/1 (and you and I both know why that date is so significant to us). Maybe we can be job application buddies? I remember around june and july of last year, when I had been unemployed for about 4 months. At the time CP was bringing in about 200 bucks a week and had no post-graduation prospects. I was so down on myself and spent all day just feeling pitiful. It was difficult. I eventually found something, but it was after putting in about 60 applications and trying for around six months. This is not to say that you must look for that long but it is to say that processes like this can drag on forever. So don’t get discouraged! If you stay productive eventually it will all work out. I know that is easy for me to say since I am not you, but I believe that you two will be able to survive and thrive!!
Feeling for and with you. Academics suck and I think more than many other corporate jobs. I was reading a jobs newspaper today and for every real job listed–meaning something fulltime with benefits, there were three training programs listed, two part-time sales or commission only jobs and one bad credit ad. The most frequently listed job was truck driving–those big monsters trucks which my son did or bus driving, he now drives a school bus during the winter when his Valet Parking business shuts down. He is a bright boy, but quickly figured out he needed his own business as like his Mom and Dad he isn’t the corporate type.
Everyone I talk to is being trained to “Work smarter” and that means do two or three jobs where you used to get paid for the work of one. I taught (ADD JUNK–meaning pay as little as possible) at Smith College and Columbia University Schools of Social Work and twenty years ago a department secretary did my copying and getting free books and scheduling office hours. Now all faculty is expected to “work smarter” and do without such help.
Just ranting, to say, it is the sad state of profit over people, unregulated corporate market. I am a social worker, not a socialist, but do think something needs serious regulation.
I didn’t get the job I craved the most twenty years ago, but got the one it turned out was best for me. So keep on looking, and by no means see it as a slap against you.
I’m so sorry to hear this, Amanda! But I too would suggest–it’s not a personal attack. All of your readers know what an amazing teacherbloggerperson you are! We love you, my dear!
Kathy
Aww, I’m so sorry to hear this. I like what you revised in your post, though, that your application, not you personally, was not accepted. It’s a good mindest to have, because even though these kind of things feel like personal rejections, they aren’t.
I hope that your day perks up a little bit! I wish we could all give you a big hug to make it a little better š¦
I know that this is a big blow for you. I’m sorry. But I back up what your dad and Robert shared with you 1,000%: Feel sad about an opportunity that did not happen, but happy for the ones able to take its place š
So sorry Ahab- and nothing makes one feel sadder than that truly awful screen shot! Hang in there….