Disheartened

One of the frustrating things I have come to learn about being an astronomer is apparently the job hunt. As I talked about last year (er...in 2012...oh dear where has the time gone!), I think that applying for a job should just require peanut butter banana cookies, and whoever has the best cookies wins. But I guess it isn't that easy because ones person's tastes for peanut butter cookies may not be the same as another person's. Maybe one likes lots of peanut butter and although you offer quite a bit of peanut butter it is just not quite enough. Where was I going with this. All this talk of peanut butter is making me hungry.

Ah yes. It can be a little frustrating and disheartening I have found when N or J were/are applying for jobs and they don't get even an interview. It makes them doubt their abilities which they shouldn't. They are great astronomers. Of course that could just be my puppy bias but I say they are great. They may not be as "good" as some, but I say that sometimes it is a matter of circumstance. N getting her job certainly was.

I am writing about this because last week J got another rejection letter (first one for this year's set of applications) and it is making him doubt his ability to find a job with his particular skill set. The people who do what he does exactly either are not hiring or don't have the money to fund a post doc right now and those who are doing different things but for which J's skill set would certainly be an asset generally don't seem to give him a chance. So one can see how it can be very frustrating. It doesn't help when they see other people getting interview (sometimes several). It causes them to think "what makes this person so special". It is generally due to again circumstance or being in an entirely different field, but either way it can feed a rampant imposter or inferiority complex.

My expert puppy advice to all those out there looking for a job is to just put one paw forward, stay positive, and show them your cutest puppy face. Oh wait, that is advice for a puppy. Well the first two points still apply. And if they still don't give you a chance, let me know and I will send some peanut butter cookies...assuming I don't eat them all first!