Networking for People Who Hate Networking October 12, 2011
Posted by Jeremy Roper in Books, Networking.add a comment
A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a post with a link to this book. I wish I could find the blog post that pointed me there and give credit. If my memory does me right, though, I have a sneaking suspicion that it was somewhere on Penelope Trunk’s blog. Anyhow, Devora Zack presents some ideas that were fascinating to me. I think I’ve mentioned before that I am not the greatest when it comes to networking. When I saw a networking book targeted at “introverts, the overwhelmed, and the underconnected,” I got excited. (more…)
Unexpected Connections October 11, 2011
Posted by Jeremy Roper in Connections, Job Search.add a comment
After too much time with some kind of flu or food poisoning (maybe an unfortunate coincidence of both), I emerge once more with a rebuilt immune system. If anyone happened to miss me, I’m sorry; blame the carrot cake.
A long time ago, I interviewed for a position at a university far, far away.
The Fair Way October 2, 2011
Posted by Jeremy Roper in Connections, Job Search, Networking.add a comment
My laptop crashed this week. I restarted it; it shut down and then the motherboard seemed to get power in some sense–the power light was on and some of the other lights would turn on, but the hard drive wasn’t spinning up and there were a few other symptoms indicating a mystery hardware problem (I was fortunately able to recover the hard drive and all my data). Since it was three years old, well-worn, and well beyond warranty (although I did expect another solid six months of life before it bit the dust), I was just as well to find a sweet deal on something new rather than bothering with paying for repair. I now have a new Samsung Series 7, which I am perfectly happy with aside from not having a job to really pay for for a new computer. But, if you’re going to work on cover letters and resumes and do any kind of job searching these days, you need a computer. What was really just the worst was the timing.
I also went to a career fair this week. The laptop died at 8:45 PM Tuesday. The career fair began at 10 AM on Wednesday. I had been getting myself excited about it, psyching myself up for the next day, printing resumes and reference info, and then came the crash. I desperately tried to diagnose, then repair, the problem—to no avail. It sounds nerdy I guess, but for the past few years, my computer has been an integral part of my life. And it was gone in a second. Two hours later my focus turned to calming myself and finding a way to get to sleep. I slept, and got enough sleep for the next day. I arrived at the career fair shortly after it began. I signed in as an alumnus and entered through their carefully-monitored gateway. (more…)
The Worst Way to Make the Best Contacts September 26, 2011
Posted by Jeremy Roper in Job Search, Networking, Skills.5 comments
I feel like I need to give a disclaimer of sorts. When the idea for this blog came to me, part of it included not writing about school all the time. After all, part of what brought me to this point is moving away from my school world. Still, I start organizing my thoughts on what to write and stories from school come to mind. But I think that at least some of them are relevant, so you get them.
Early on in the data collection phase of my thesis research, I decided I wanted to go to a conference. In part, I wanted to get into the world of all the people whose research I was reading. Really, the best way to go to a conference is to present results of your research. Also, if I was presenting, I could get department/college/grad studies funding (between all three, everything was covered and I actually made about $50). And relatively, it’s not that difficult to put together a poster and spend a few hours explaining it. So what’s the point? (more…)
When Connections Fail September 24, 2011
Posted by Jeremy Roper in Connections, Grad School, Networking, Skills.2 comments
I got four of my first five jobs through connections. Most of them were great jobs, and the one that I didn’t get through a connection actually flat out sucked. By the time I graduated from college (the first time), my parents had moved away from where I grew up, my friends had all moved away, and I had either lost contact with my connections or they were worthless considering the position I was in. So I went to grad school, trying to build on what I did have from school.
Graduate school is, of course, about taking more classes, working too hard, and writing a thesis/dissertation you want to burn by the time you finish. And meeting people in your field–networking on the academic/professional level, assuming that these connections and your professors are going to work in your favor when finding a job. In fact, our graduate handbook says, “Some [students] continue to publish or to work in collaboration with faculty, and assistance [from professors] may be provided in helping to obtain initial job placements and to otherwise aid in career advancement.” In a lot of schools, this is simply an understanding. Your first position out of your grad program is highly influenced, if not set up, by your mentor. I don’t write this to fault my professors; they made more sacrifices for me than I could have hoped for. They also tell me they offer the best recommendations they can work up, and I believe them. But when it comes to actually getting the position (further study or otherwise), it was a hands-off process.
I’ve been using my professional society connections now to work on jobs. Between newsletters and specialized listings, I figured my well-known, well-respected connections would come into play and I could finally move forward with a job in my field (cognition and neuropsychology). Between those and digging through listings at countless universities I’ve applied to over a dozen research positions. Most write me back and tell me that I didn’t have exactly the qualifications they want (translation: well beyond what their listing stated). Never mind that I can pick up whatever they need within a few weeks–it’s difficult for a resume to communicate that. And it takes what I consider an inordinately long amount of time to learn that I was passed over; the process (from application to interview and offer/non-offer/still waiting) for the few interviews I’ve had has been even longer. (more…)
