
Though I find it interesting that they're now looking for two positions instead of just one, both advertised as "entry-level" and both still requiring a PhD rather than the typical (in my field) or ABD & nearly done with dissertation.

Maybe if you know someone at that place, you could give them a ring or shoot an email too them to see what the situation is.
Yes. This. I hate the thought of you driving 15 hours a week. Honestly, that's the difference between a 60 hr a week job and a 75 hrs a week. OY! Like there's not enough work to do in a new prof job.
One of my students just started a job and was mad that his job was a 60 hour a week job while he trains. I just smiled and said "welcome to the world of 60 hour plus work weeks."

For a local job, they actually did a phone interview with me, and they did not require me to do the AMS (in my case math ;) ) interviews. I in the end got short-listed, and got a PostDoc offer... so I think it still worked...
I am totally have a case of "grass is always greener". I now have a new Dept Chair. Much more difficult to work with... Love the new higher up admin
(president). It has great potential, but potential won't lower the course load or up the salary and benefits... Love that I get to pick what I want to teach, hate that scheduling is a bear and that no one but the president and maybe 1 colleague understand what the heck I do for research.
A few other jobs are open in the state. One isn't posted yet and I am not sure it will be in my expertise area (State U), the other two are in my secondary areas (I did my exams in that area and have used those tools in my dissertation, but I never really thought about it as a strong specialty area). Anyway, of the latter two one requires a move (but I applied there a few years ago and made it to alternate with a PostDoc offer), the other is a 60 min commute each way, minimum. But both are at least 15K raises + double benefits with a course load reduction of 2-3/year. The one that isn't posted yet is at a State U, much closer, but salary and benefits would not be that much a jump. All three would bring me closer to possible collaborators. One has a major in my area of interest, the other two I have existing contacts. The closer State U actually has a working group that has invited me to join in on an NSF proposal.
I feel like I only have a window of the next few years to make any job changes. After that I am essentially too out of touch with research with my high course load to make any changes. I am up for promotion (no TT here), so that is a small bump, but another offer could really make that a bigger bump. I will be going to the national meeting where interviews are conducted since I am on a fellowship. I just defended, have not published from that defense yet, and feel like I'd be a much better candidate NEXT year. The State U *might* have some positions next year, but you know how state funding for education is so up in the air...
WWYD? Thoughts?
I might make the necessary inquiries to see what kind of person they are hiring.
Hi all: I have not been around this thread in forever. I saw you on the "new posts" at the bottom. I got tenure. Yup, I did it. I can't believe it. I am half a semester into my first year as a tenured professor, and it feels great.
yay! Excellent.
Also. I'm with namaste mom. If you think you want another place, I'd consider it as well.
I'm soldiering along, pre tenure in a teaching heavy (only?) university. I'm daily thankful that I have a job. But not at all thrilled it is THIS job. But ...my family seems to be thriving, and I'm happy enough. I just have to put up with a lot of b.s. Some of it the old folks being really out of touch with best practices in education (I hear every day about content content content. don't we live in a content free world thanks to google?) and I get a whole bunch of b.s. from my chair. A lot of it is because I'm the pretenure female geologist. The pretenure male geologist doesn't get the same b.s. But hey. I'm daily thankful that I have a job. my family seems to be thriving, and I'm happy enough.
Carita - I would apply for the positions. It sounds like it is fairly common for people to apply for jobs the year they go up for tenure (or promotion, in your case), both to act as a buffer in case tenure doesn't work out or to help boost their salary if it does. You have even more reasons, given the potential increase in pay, reduction in load, proximity to colleagues, etc.
rcr - CONGRATS!
I'm going up for tenure this year. I've been here for 6 years now, but since the first year wasn't a tenure-track position I could technically wait until next year if I wanted to. My chair and dean both strongly encouraged me to go up this year. Hopefully I haven't shot myself in the foot. I am ridiculously busy and wish we had the "we think you should go up for tenure this year" conversation back in August instead of at the end of September.
rcr - Congrats!!
kaybee - good luck. I was happy to have tenure over with. I hope it will be smooth sailing for you. I was mostly glad for the pay raise and the sabbatical :)
Woohooo!
I already know what specialty folks are hiring. At least one of them looks like a good fit. I think I may apply there... I believe that applications are due over break, so I just have to get through this semester... *sigh* Fall semester is always the hardest!
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