So, to clue you in....I've been in grad school for 6 YEARS! Yes, and 4 years for my bachelor's before that. In the last 10 years i've also bought a house, got married, and had a little fat baby. I'm in the last year of my dissertation funding and no where near actually finishing writing. In August my $$ from the university runs out and I'm pretty sure I won't be graduated yet. With the current economy and the fact that I live in a college town full of educated people who won't leave, the job market SUCKS! So I have started looking for jobs NOW even though I don't really want a job until the summer. I've applied for 5 jobs--two I didn't get, one I haven't heard back from, and one called me today for an interview and even wanted me to come in TODAY! I'm on the phone with the lady, it's 10:00 and i"m still in my pj's with no sign of time for a shower and it's my day home with Mimi. She said "would today be too short of notice?" and I was like "yeah, today won't work...." I don't want to disclose that I have a small child to them..yet. I know what you're thinking--they can't discriminate against me for that--but they can and will and then will claim it is because of something else if they didn't hire me.
Now my dilema---one, I didn't want to start working until summer started, seeing how I"m still teaching and trying to get going on my writing. BUT---with the economy if they are hiring now, I'm afraid if I don't jump on it, I'll be SOL and wondering how I'll pay my mortgage in August.
two---Mimi's daycare only has a partime opening now--so I would have to put her at another daycare for the other three days a week until summer/fall when a fulltime spot opens up--which I don't want to do.
three---this consulting firm has a reputation for abusing their employees (by over working them), and having a high turn around with employees. I've met the women who runs the local branch of it--she seems like she could be a difficult person to work for. I'm hesitant to work for them, but they also pay well and would look great on my resume. If I know the women is a no-nonsense person going in and I just stay out of her way i'll be okay right? Plus---I am going to be very upfront about my availability. The job ad they posted said they wanted a FULLTIME person. When I forwarded my resume to them I was very specific in telling them, "I can only work 20-25 hours a week for now with eventually going fulltime." I will be very clear with them and say, this is what I can do, if this is not what you are looking for DON'T hire me. I don't want to disappoint you later when you expect more and I dont' have more to give.
four--My advisor thinks he's going to pull some magical funding out of his ass to keep me on--with the state of Florida's and the Universities' budget I don't see this happening. He applied for several grants to start a water quality teaching program through new 4 year colleges and wants to hire me to coordinate the program--and pay me--but we'll see if he gets his funding. In the meantime I had to email him and alert him of my interview because they will surely call him as a reference. He will no doubt give me shit about it when I see him. He just needs to understand that supporting my family has to come first. My husband and daughter come before my career.
On a positive note---check out how much fat baby LOVES the swings at the park around the corner!
-Jen
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