A few months in the job has improved a lot. They are being very nice and flexible and I really hope I’m able to go full time after the PhD. The job has potential! 4 years ago

OK so I started the job.

Day one was ok but a bit stressful. My boss kept asking me really detailed questions about my PhD, like ‘how do you use theorist x in your thesis?’. ‘How long is your PhD? 100,000 words? I wrote 100,000 words in the last six months. I could totally do a phd in 6 months. Just kidding!’ Great! Haha that’s so funny!! Hit me right where it hurts! That was VERY ANNOYING.

Days 2 and 3 were a bit better though and I think it’s going to be ok. I really can’t imagine that I’ll want to be there a year from now though. They are definitely being very non-commital about my role, but I like it b/c I won’t feel obligated about leaving at some point and I don’t feel guilty about not totally loving it. But that said, I’m not leaving yet and I do think I’ll learn a lot there!

Plus, some cash and a leg out of the office! 4 years ago

So despite my lack of a two-year career plan I got the job! It is actually perfect. They are being totally flexible and understand that I’m trying to finish the phD, but at the same time it’s giving a leg out of the university. Excellent! It may even turn full-time when I’m finished (depending on how it goes, etc). It helps soooooooooo much to have something on the horizen. Plus, the people seem nice!

I start tomorrow! 4 years ago

SO I had an interview yesterday for a part-time position and I was pretty happy about it. They want it to start out part-time and then possibly develop into a full-time position. This would be perfect for me!!!! BUT, there was one VITAL question that threw me off and I was totally unprepared for: ‘Where do you see yourself in two years’? !!!!!!!!!!!!

The problem is I DON’T KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Beyond sitting on my a** on a beach I really have no idea. I need to do some serious thinking about what will make me happy career-wise!!!!! I mumbled something about a post-doc which was both the WRONG answer to give in this interview and not even really true! I’m just so used to making things up at this point. This is not good! 4 years ago

OK I just met with the career advisor and although I can’t really say that I really liked her all that much, she did give me at least one good networking tip. She also gave some reassurance re my cv and its suitability for the Irish market.

What was disturbing was that she said, ‘people who aren’t from here sometimes have luck.’ The tone she used basically implied that b/c I’m not Irish I was less likely to be hired! WTF?!

Anyway it felt good to take at least one step in the right direction. 5 years ago

OK I have an appointment with the career advisor tomorrow morning and I am spending the afternoon researching possible opportunitites. This feels good! 5 years ago

OK I really need to get started with this as I have NOT met my goal to start the research. For some reason I see work as something soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo negative and restricting. I think I need to look at the positives more and stop being so afraid of what it is going to mean to actually get a job.

SO what are the positives?
1. MONEY – let’s face it you need it NOW!
2. Get DISTANCE from the PhD and realise there is life after it!!!
3. New learning experiences
4. Maybe travel?
5. Meet new people
6. Restart your career
7. Make a contribution to the world (hopefully!)
8. Take A STEP towards something bigger and even more fulfilling
9. Use the skills you’ve been developing doing your PhD
10. Make your parents and boyfriend happy!
11. Make yourself happy!

What are the negatives?
1. Time restrictions – this is the major one!
In terms of vacations and daily activities and FINISHING THE PHD. But you don’t have any money to take the vacations you want to take and you are so anxious about not having money or a job that you spend all your time being upset and depressed!. Thus this is not a valid reason!!

2. You actually have to make a decision!!!
This one is a bit trickier. Yes, you DO HAVE TO make a decision and any decision rules out other possibilities. But at some point you have to make one. You can’t linger in purgatory forever. I suppose the trick is to make an informed and thoughtful decision. Use resourses like your boyfriend, friends and mentors to consider all the possibilities and take a step in the right direction!! DO a lot of research, don’t be hasty and think about the bigger picture. [This is also the time to think about Hoeppie Gruenwald’s advice…’first with the head, then with the heart’ (but still use both!).]

3. It commits you to being in a certain place.
I think the key to this one is viewing it as temporary. I don’t want to live in Dublin for the rest of my life but getting a job here NOW does NOT mean that I am choosing to live here forever. This is VERY important to realise!!! It is a TEMPORARY activity and ultimately will give me more experience to get a better job somewhere else. (Where to move to and how to get my boyfriend to move there is another problem altogether….must deal with that later!!! Do not conflate the two!!!)

OK I think this really has helped! Am going to leave this for now and think about these issues. WIll return to this and take proactive steps shortly. 5 years ago

By the end of the week (Friday) I want to have a list of recruiting firms and have done at least 2 hours worth of internet research about potential jobs. 5 years ago

It is seriously time to get a job! Time to face why I’ve been avoiding this for so long…and think about all of the positives…esp how it will help with all of the money/debt stress I’m facing right now! Need too think hard about what kind of work would also make me even a little bit happy! 5 years ago