Sunday, June 19, 2016

One of the Great Job Misery Posts of All Time. 3 Years Ago on CM.

Flava:

So, I've been at "Lost Hope in the Desert Community College," the worst community college in America for 3 years as a part-timer. I never had luck getting a tenure track job anywhere, and I've bounced around for the past 10 years - since the PhD - doing one year posts and the such.

But I hunkered down for the past three years and taught 2-3 classes every semester at one place. I went to optional meetings, I acted on committees. I got to know the few full timers (80% of our classes are taught by folks like me.) I've been a good soldier. But I didn't expect special treatment.

I had forgotten I applied to this job, actually. One is always open on the regular stream, and in September I dutifully do my paperwork. I've never gotten an interview before, and 3 people have been hired in past years, none with PhDs, all from the BIG local university. (That's not me.)

Anyway, yesterday my phone rings at home and here's the conversation:

"Is this Pettermell?"

"Uh, what?"

"Is there a Mr. Peppermen there?"


The rest:


4 comments:

  1. Something very similar happened to me 15 years ago in the San Francisco Bay area. They also insisted that I show up 45 minutes before the scheduled time just because. I went ahead and scheduled the appointment. Fast forward to a week later. Fifteen minutes before the appointment time they called my house to ask where I was and why hadn't I shown up early? I told them that because of their inflexibility I felt it was my duty to mess with them, I wasn't coming. I suggested that in the future they might want to extend more professional courtesy because what goes around comes around. That was the last I heard from them. Worked out great because I had a full-time position at that point.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Since you are "Anonymous", I keep hearing Chevy Chase on the phone as such...

      Chevy: Hello? Anomalous?
      Anonymous: Who?
      Chevy: Analmouse?
      Anonymous: This is Anonymous. With whom do you wish to speak?
      Chevy: Candygram.
      Anonymous: You're that clever landshark, aren't you!
      Chevy: I'm only human resources. You have to fill out some paperwork before you meet with the search committee.

      Delete
  2. Smiled and nearly pissed my pants reading this. Just thank you to whomever.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I hope Pfeffernusse got the job -- and then, soon after, got a much better job offer, and shook the dust of LHDCC off his feet.

    ReplyDelete

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