During five days in March, I'll fly three different airlines and have two job interviews. The phone interview moved me to Round Two -- a face-to-face interview, just two days after another interview.
The interview I had last week went really well. Now, we wait. They are due to make a decision the week before these other two interviews happen. So, if an offer is going to come my way, I need them to drag their feet by a week or two!
Here's the breakdown:
Position #1: At a more prestigious university, potentially the greatest pay (but realistically, comparable to Position #2's salary), cost of living virtualy the same, comfortable winters (little to no snow), sweltering summers. The position oversees an team within a department, focused on my area of expertise. I know many people there. Everyone I met was friendly. Larger city, lovely area with lots of trees and water. This department definitely "courted" me, with a nice hotel, nice meals, and tours of the city.
Position #2: Small college in a small town. Great pay (comparable to #1), but higher cost of living. Desert envisonment, but with frigid winters (sometimes -18) and comfortable summers. The position oversees an entire division, with my area of expertise being only one component. This one has The Title, and is in administration. So far, the people I've dealt with have bordered on rude, and indifferent, at best. They've done some things that didn't make sense -- like scheduling me for a 12:00 lunch and a 1:00 flight out. However, they are arranging for a real estate agent to show me around town. I'm staying at the Holiday Inn Express.
Position #3: Small college in a small town, but a little larger than #2's site. Beautiful area, in the mountains. High cost of living, offering the lowest pay of the three. It would be a $10,000-$20,000 improvement over my current salary (while the others are $30,000 over my current salary) -- without figuring the cost of living difference. That would make their best offer amount to a $10,000 improvement. Can I move so far away for that? The climate is cold and snowy in the winters (but not -18!) and comfortable in the summer. The position would be to pretty much tell them what they should be doing. They've been floundering with this program for three years and now recognize the need for an expert to direct them. I'm staying at the Doubletree Hotel.
Best case scenario is that I get three offers. Worst case is that I get none. I wasn't looking to move, so that's okay. I don't have to take any of them, but would like to! I guess we wait until March and see what's what. Dang, I hate waiting!
In the meantime, I play the guessing game and decide how I would rank all the options. Then, how I would sell it to my kids. And how I'd tell my ex that we're going far away.....not that he hasn't done that himself before, but that's another issue.
TTYL!
Blogget
Monday, February 19, 2007
Thursday, February 08, 2007
It's a Grand Slam!
And application number three has now weighed wanted to set up a phone interview for Monday -- which is when I'm on the first interview in Lousiana. So, we're setting up an alternate time. This one is in Colorado, but a prettier area than the other one. The town is a little bigger, so there are better medical options, too. The pay is less, though.
But I'm ahead of myself. No one has made an offer. I'm completely suited for each position, but I don't know the competition, either. So, we'll see.....
I still have the swollen cheek, but not as bad. Hurts like fire, though. I have a "procedure" for it, the day after my interview in Louisiana. Yippee! (is the sarcasm coming through?) What timing this all had!
More later.....
:o) Blogget
But I'm ahead of myself. No one has made an offer. I'm completely suited for each position, but I don't know the competition, either. So, we'll see.....
I still have the swollen cheek, but not as bad. Hurts like fire, though. I have a "procedure" for it, the day after my interview in Louisiana. Yippee! (is the sarcasm coming through?) What timing this all had!
More later.....
:o) Blogget
Friday, February 02, 2007
The Second Pitch
So, I make a habit of checking my junk email before deleting the folder. It's a pain, but it keeps dreadful things from happening....like missing an important email. Like I would have today.
"Dear Blogget, our search committee would like to set up an interview with you...."
Yesterday, I was on about Louisiana. Today, I'm on about Colorado. Alamosa, Colorado. A smaller college there would like to see me about a job.
I sent out three applications. One went to Louisiana and two to Colorado. Now, I need to hear from the third college and I'll have a grand slam!
I've been to Colorado a lot, but not to Alamosa. I looked up some information about them today. Currently, it is a balmy -18°F there. The average high in winter is 14°F. July and August are the only frost-free months. No more First Freeze contests on the evening news! The summers sound fantastic, though. Average is 65°F. Gotta love that!
But can I tolerate an average temperature of 14°? I suppose I'll find out how much I like it soon enough!
Stay Warm!
--- Blogget
Thursday, February 01, 2007
When is it time to go?
I'm sooooo not getting anything of consequence done today. Well, work-related, that is.
Louisiana has come knocking. They're the ones who approached me about the job at the conference. I've been back and forth with them today, making travel arrangements. They are paying airfare, car rental, hotel, and meals for me to go visit them for a day-long interview. I'm going shopping for interview outfits, to make me look the part of She Who Knows What She's Talking About. I mean, I *do* know what I'm talking about....I just have to make sure I look not only like an Expert, but also like the Expert They Want!
I just have to lose this chipmunk cheek in a few days. No, I don't mean hitting the gym! I've managed to come down with stones in my salivary gland. OUCH! Hydrocodone pills and lemon drops are my friends lately. Such bad timing. Go away, go away, go away....
So, I've found a nice realtor to show me around Baton Rouge for a day. The housing market looks doable for us. I just don't know anything about the city. What's where? What areas are family-friendly? And I'll say this flat-out, even though it isn't politically correct.... what areas of the city are *white* family-friendly?
I mean, let's be honest here. Some parts of a city that size are not receptive to those in the fairer spectrum of skin color. I need to know which schools are safest for my kids, who are about as fair-skinned and naive as they come. This move would be a MAJOR change for us. All things must be positive. If my kids end up threatened, not accepted because they are the wrong color, this will be a huge mistake for them.
Don't get me wrong here. I know some of you out there are saying, "Yeah, Blogget, we read between the lines here. You want a white neighborhood. You racist." Not so. I'm anything but a racist. I don't care what "race" the neighborhood is. My criteria are:
I want a safe neighborhood.
I want a house that isn't going to need a lot of upkeep (in other words, no money pits!).
I want schools that challenge my kids academically and prepare them for college, but also give them the extracurricular outlets they need.
I need to get to know Baton Rouge and how my family would fit into it. I might not be offered the job, but I like to be prepared. If you know anything about Baton Rouge, drop me a line!
And speaking of safe neighborhoods....my current one is becoming less so. I was out of town recently and my mother drove my car. I have two remotes for locking/unlocking. On cold mornings, I start the car with one key and depfrost the windows, but I lock it with the other key. No sense leaving a running, unlocked car in the driveway.
My mother doesn't think this way.
She left it unlocked and went back in the house for a moment. In that time, three things disappeared from my car. My sunglasses clip, the auxillary device cord, and -- this one hurts -- my motion-sensitive C3PO. He hollers things like "We're doomed!" when you accelerate and such. Nine different phrases. Absolutely hysterical. The theives ripped him off the dashboard Velcro and made off with my little 3PO, too. My mother feels awful. I'm lucky to have a car at all, I suppose.
They left behind my Minnie Mouse antenna ball, fluffy stuffed tiger, and bright green mirror nice. BF says that means it was a techie-dork guy who doesn't have a girlfriend.
This morning, I found a lottery ticket carefully folded and placed on our trailer in the driveway. Someone wants us to know they were there. Creepy.
Maybe it *is* time to move....
Louisiana has come knocking. They're the ones who approached me about the job at the conference. I've been back and forth with them today, making travel arrangements. They are paying airfare, car rental, hotel, and meals for me to go visit them for a day-long interview. I'm going shopping for interview outfits, to make me look the part of She Who Knows What She's Talking About. I mean, I *do* know what I'm talking about....I just have to make sure I look not only like an Expert, but also like the Expert They Want!
I just have to lose this chipmunk cheek in a few days. No, I don't mean hitting the gym! I've managed to come down with stones in my salivary gland. OUCH! Hydrocodone pills and lemon drops are my friends lately. Such bad timing. Go away, go away, go away....
So, I've found a nice realtor to show me around Baton Rouge for a day. The housing market looks doable for us. I just don't know anything about the city. What's where? What areas are family-friendly? And I'll say this flat-out, even though it isn't politically correct.... what areas of the city are *white* family-friendly?
I mean, let's be honest here. Some parts of a city that size are not receptive to those in the fairer spectrum of skin color. I need to know which schools are safest for my kids, who are about as fair-skinned and naive as they come. This move would be a MAJOR change for us. All things must be positive. If my kids end up threatened, not accepted because they are the wrong color, this will be a huge mistake for them.
Don't get me wrong here. I know some of you out there are saying, "Yeah, Blogget, we read between the lines here. You want a white neighborhood. You racist." Not so. I'm anything but a racist. I don't care what "race" the neighborhood is. My criteria are:
I want a safe neighborhood.
I want a house that isn't going to need a lot of upkeep (in other words, no money pits!).
I want schools that challenge my kids academically and prepare them for college, but also give them the extracurricular outlets they need.
I need to get to know Baton Rouge and how my family would fit into it. I might not be offered the job, but I like to be prepared. If you know anything about Baton Rouge, drop me a line!
And speaking of safe neighborhoods....my current one is becoming less so. I was out of town recently and my mother drove my car. I have two remotes for locking/unlocking. On cold mornings, I start the car with one key and depfrost the windows, but I lock it with the other key. No sense leaving a running, unlocked car in the driveway.
My mother doesn't think this way.
She left it unlocked and went back in the house for a moment. In that time, three things disappeared from my car. My sunglasses clip, the auxillary device cord, and -- this one hurts -- my motion-sensitive C3PO. He hollers things like "We're doomed!" when you accelerate and such. Nine different phrases. Absolutely hysterical. The theives ripped him off the dashboard Velcro and made off with my little 3PO, too. My mother feels awful. I'm lucky to have a car at all, I suppose.
They left behind my Minnie Mouse antenna ball, fluffy stuffed tiger, and bright green mirror nice. BF says that means it was a techie-dork guy who doesn't have a girlfriend.
This morning, I found a lottery ticket carefully folded and placed on our trailer in the driveway. Someone wants us to know they were there. Creepy.
Maybe it *is* time to move....
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