…this friend’s story will make you feel much better. Received Thursday:
I just gave a job talk at [deleted] yesterday and have more interviews there today. So far the highlight (or low light) is that, before my talk (I was VERY nervous) I was wearing heels & a suit, which is unusual, and walking down stairs with the admin for the department and my heel got caught and I literally fell and rolled head over heels down the stairs leaving my heels 6 stairs up and my bag (and self) at the bottom (with all the contents out). I am totally developing bruises all over.
Then my talk went alright, except that I turned off the projector in the middle by accident with a button on my laser pointer.I need to get a job soon so that people can assume that I bumble because I’m a professor not because I’m an idiot.
Actually, that’s one of the best things about becoming an academic: all the idiotic things you do (and I have a long list) suddenly become charming. Absent-mindedness replaces stupidity.
My old boss, Jeff Sachs, would forget his luggage in taxis all over the world, several times a year. My observation: the more you do of this, the smarter people think you are. (For maximum effect, stop combing your hair and deliberately miss big spots when you are shaving.)
Ah, what a marvelous profession. I’ll bet money that this enhances my friend’s chances of a job offer.
What’s your nightmare job market story?
10 Responses
Oh this is cruel! I am dying to hear about the spectacular train wreck interview everyone keeps alluding to…
Actually, that’s one of the best things about becoming an academic: all the idiotic things you do (and I have a long list) suddenly become charming. Absent-mindedness replaces stupidity.
Ah, there’s hope for me yet. ;) Now if someone could just explain this to my wife. ;)
I agree with anon 10:50 – the story from your department is the most spectacular train wreck I’ve ever heard about an interview.
Hope we can count on the taxpayin strangers to continue their convivial nature…and find the absent-minded professors as charming as ever…
But it seems to me the tax-payers have changed their minds about Investment Bankers almost overnight…and elected representatives might not be far behind.
These unpredictable discontinuities in confidence and tolerance are like nervous laughter…I could be hearing some of it in this post, yes?
The worst story I’ve ever heard actually comes from your department, Chris. I don’t want to spread gossip in public, but it’s film worthy.
For those of us who don’t do twitter, these threads really made us laugh. Thanks.
Tell me about it. I know an Econ Nobel prize winner though that is an impeccable dresser, drives a Corvet and has a very pretty wife. We always wondered about him, how on earth did he pull that off.
Chris you need to get on twitter. Some Econ profs have beaten you to it. Just a thought.
Job talk at my current university, new suit, new shoes, a late taxi, and bloody heels. Walking in new shoes destroyed my feet, I ended up running/limping across a soccer pitch in a 1000 euro Boss suit. The grounds keeper asked me what was wrong, I told him I was late for an interview. So he gave me a lift to the building I was to be interviewed in, on the back of his tractor. I limped in, a few minutes late, did the job talk, and got the job. I’m still there!
The depertment head invited me to dinner to his house after the talk, his wife got drunk and hit on me.
Oh, my gosh, how horrible. At least it was an administrator and not the chair!
My experiences on the market this year have been pretty positive, except for the following exchange:
Professor: So how wedded to teaching [your field] are you?
Me: Well, I could handle not having a class exclusively on [the topic], but I could not handle teaching classes where I couldn’t use cases from my field.
Professor: That’s the right answer, because we already have someone who does [your field], but he’s over 60, and he had a heart attack the other night, so you’d just have to wait him out.