Getting back on the horse that threw me

I recently had a phone interview that I over-prepared for, and I felt that I did pretty well on, but it was cut ridiculously short, most likely because it was lunchtime in the committee's timezone, and they were running far behind schedule. For some reason, I felt so stung by this that over the past several days, I've seriously questioned whether I want to continue putting myself out there as search committee bait. I'm not sure why I had such a strong reaction to this... maybe because I was more excited about this position than most of them.

Having so little control on the outcome of one's labor is one of the more difficult aspects of job-hunting. This is not news to anyone, but the reminders that you are not the one holding the cards are everywhere. Maybe this is more difficult for my personality than most, but I find that extreme denial is required for persistence(denial of all the rejections thus far, denial of all the time wasted on applications that went nowhere, etc. etc.) It is a demoralizing process, and multiple years on the market, (which seems to be the norm in my field since the recession), can lead to severe magnification of any existing insecurities.

So what now? I have been finding ways to gently persuade myself to get back on the horse. Over the past few days, I've been cutting myself some slack on my schedule after the massive disappointment of this one interview. And now is precisely when I have to remind myself that I do have a plan. I have set a limit to how long I plan to continue to apply for positions, and I will stick to that, rather than make decisions from inside the "disappointment bubble," which, let's face it, is not a place of much rational thinking.

3 comments:

Frances Aranda, PhD, MPH, MS said...

Alice you are a great writer! You mentioned your blog in AL and I remembered you had a link in your profile so I decided to check it out. You should really consider writing a book. I would definitely buy your book. Are you a member in Kerry Ann's NCFDD community? You mentioned her in your blog. I love her. I think she's an amazing person.

Frances

Seeking Solace said...

Good for you! I am sure something great will come your way!!!!

AliceAcademic said...

Frances - Hi there! Glad you stopped by here and thanks for your kind words. I've read Kerry Ann's book, and love her too! I have been thinking about joining the NCFDD community, but I wish she had lower rates for unemployed.

Seeking Solace - Thank you for the encouragement. I've been thinking about you... hope you are feeling better.