So what is an adjunct professor?

A few of my friends have asked me about this. What does it mean to be an adjunct professor? People with at least a masters can be adjuncts. There are perks and pitfalls of being an adjunct, from what I know. I thought I’d briefly explain those issues, from the employee’s point of view.

• You have no contract beyond the semester. What’s good about it is that you can leave if something better comes up after you fulfill your duties (or if you just plain don’t like it). What’s bad is that the school isn’t obligated to keep you.
• No benefits. I’m lucky that I’m in MA, so I can get state insurance, but many others aren’t so lucky.
• Pay can be low. Mine is decent, but it isn’t outstanding. Well, it’s outstanding, in my opinion, compared to what I’ve received in the past and what I had set my threshold at, but I imagine if you have more of a work background, it isn’t great.
• No desk/office. I’m going to end up sharing a desk and starting a home office to do some of my work. I prefer working from home, but it would be nice to have the option.
• No research. This can be simultaneously a blessing and a curse. For many professors, they have to churn out research (“publish or perish”) in order to gain tenure. I don’t have pressure, but I also can’t have a lab or have money to start one. I’m thinking about inquiring to do some volunteer work in a lab around the area to keep my skills sharp and network.
• You are there to teach. I like that a lot, because some people do become profs not because of love of teaching but because they want to do research and the teaching is essentially a burden for them.

So there you have it. Right now, the job is a decent fit for me. It feels good to breathe  little and slow down on the job hunting. I felt a little bad canceling some interviews and wondered about the possibility of what they would’ve brought. However, without an offer on the table from them, I don’t think it’s wise to take the risk.

 

I’m hired but searchin’ still

I’m somewhat out of the woods in unemployment land. I was hired officially today as an adjunct professor (I may even get to be addressed as professor) at a community college. I look forward to it. Even though I’ve been rather negative about the whole job search thing and stuff in my life, I was hesitant to share this news. It happened very fast. I decided to call the place, instead of waiting. I had always heard that one waits to hear back, but since the ad specifically listed that they were hiring fast (I start Tuesday), I decided it wasn’t in my best interest to wait. I now wonder how much better I would’ve been calling instead of emailing. Oh well.

The interview took over 2 hours. In terms of interviews, this was not the longest (longest being 7 hours or so, including lunch), but it was an interview. I never know how to read interviews sometimes. I think I landed the job not only because of my initiative to call but also that I can both teach physics and relate to the students; we come from similar backgrounds, even if I’ve managed to do all right for myself.

The job is pretty good; 2 lecture sections and 1 lab of intro physics is all I teach. I’m a little nervous about filling time, really leading a lecture, and so on, but I think I can handle it. The school is very supportive, too, which is good.

The downfall is that being adjunct doesn’t pay well. Well, that’s half true. This position pays decently for the amount of time I’m going to work (or so I estimated), and it would leave me with time to get a part-time job. However, it’s scoring that part-time job. I may be able to get some tutoring through the school, but it is unclear how much right now. I’m hoping for about 10+ hours, but we shall see. I’ve been applying for more tutoring jobs from Craig’s List, as well as other misc. jobs around. Hopefully I get something else soon. I’m not picky about pay or anything, I just need something to supplement my income.

This weekend is going to be spent preparing to teach. I’m excited and scared simultaneously. Wish me luck!

 

More tales from the unemployed

I wrote yesterday in a paper journal that it’s hard to remain optimistic when your future is so uncertain. I also decided, after this weekend, that it’s almost impossible when you are obsessing. I took time away from Craig’s List and the other job search places I’ve used to take a break. I didn’t job search for half a day Saturday, and I needed it more than I realized. I saw a movie and hung out with my significant other.

Yesterday, I called my undergraduate career development office; I chose them, seeing as how they’re more local than my graduate one. The person unfortunately wasn’t too helpful; while he did re-affirm what I’m doing is correct (custom cover letters, not being picky, good interview answers, etc.), his best solutions is keep up the work and wait it out. Essentially, “it’s not you, it’s the economy.” In principle, that is a relief. In practice, when you have bills to pay and no one to support you, you want something better. I almost hoped that he would say, “Aleksie, you are certainly qualified and will get a job if you do x, y, and z.” I wanted a viable solution that was guaranteed.

I have been getting interviews, but I honestly don’t meet their exact criteria. I learn quickly, though, and I can learn almost anything I put my mind to; I taught my 4′10 self in one afternoon how to shoot a basketball from the foul line for 7th grade gym. I was tired of not getting it at all, so I took time to teach myself. I take pride in my work and can enjoy most tasks for a job. Even if I’m not the real life version of their ad, I think I definitely have qualities going for me.

Weathering the unemployment market seems to be the only solution. But man, it’s hard out there.

 

Tales from the unemployed

I haven’t been on here writing, because life is rather depressing right now. Company B, after over 4 weeks, did manage to interview me on the phone. Unfortunately, the interview was not what I had hoped. Friends had warned me that Company B probably did not have a job, hence the delay in interviewing. However, I chose to be optimistic. Optimism broke my heart. Company B had someone call me quite late, because the interviewer didn’t even realize that I was scheduled to be interviewed. As a result, the interview felt quite rushed and off. I did my best, of course. Other than that, the interviewer outright said that Company B is going through some restructuring where they aren’t sure where people best fit. The interviewer thought that another office may have something for me to telecommute.

After I had hung up the phone, I realized that I didn’t get the email address from the interviewer (I always send a thank you note). I call up the HR rep, who was typically wonderful, only to discover he no longer worked there. Within 24 hours, I discovered a “thanks, no positions but we’ll keep you in mind” email after trying a different HR rep (the secretary sent my call to her, only got voicemail). Not only was this the most ideal position for me, but also I had stupidly hoped that because the HR rep kept me on hold for so long that I would get hired.

I’ve obviously been applying to every job for which I’m qualified. I have about a year’s worth of administrative experience. I did calling for the fundraising at my undergraduate school every year I was there. Unfortunately, at least my experience in 2006-2007, people don’t like hiring physics folk for admin work. I had people outright tell me that I’d bored and I’d quit soon. My snazzy thought in my brain says “I’m bored being unemployed, because I don’t have the money to anything. I wouldn’t quit, because I have nowhere to go.” I haven’t had those experiences yet, but I do wonder if my resume is getting overlooked because of that. Of course, I want a physics job. I went to school for 6 years in it and have done a fair amount of research. However, I’m not stupid enough to hold out for a mythical job. Obama allegedly has given money to science, but I have yet to see an increase of job postings in this sector. Part of me thinks that the jobs will go to PhDs, anyway.

The other hard part about getting an admin job (or any job for that matter) is most hiring folks are looking for specific skills. Very specific skills. I submitted my resume yesterday to a job that I was perfectly qualified for, save for one type of software that I am almost 100% sure I could learn in a few hours (gift processing). I’m great with learning software. Unfortunately, the person is holding out for someone who knows the software from day one, and they don’t want someone who knows many types of software and could definitely learn this software fast. I don’t feel comfortable lying about it, because I think lying could backfire easily.

I’ve been putting my resume out there for temp agencies. Unfortunately, the temp agency I had used originally in 2006-2007 hasn’t been helpful yet. I don’t know if it’s a sign of the times or a sign that I haven’t made a connection. I think I benefitted from that temp agency, because the recruiter I used was empathetic towards me and knew I did a good job. I assumed my track record with them would be adequate to prove I’m a good worker.

Today I went to two different temp agencies. I think it went well with both, but the thing with temp agencies is that I can never tell. The workers there, with a few exceptions, are very nice people. They said that I have a great resume, both experience-wise and aesthetically (the aesthetic comment is a new one for me). However, I’ve had people not find work for me who seemed to like me.

I’ve also attempted to network more. I’ve contacted everyone I know, from college friends to old profs to old dance teachers. In general, people genuinely like me and will go to bat for me. However, no one in my network is in a powerful position or knows powerful people. I tried using Twitter today, per the suggestion of a friend, to see if that would work. I only received a spam reply. If you are in the Boston-area and have a legal job for me, contact me please.

So that’s my status in life. This why I haven’t been updating. I am too busy worrying and job applying simultaneously to really dance or participate in my favorite discussions.

 

Life occasionally throws a curve ball

I’ve been debating about writing this in my blog, since I try to keep it light and alittle apersonal (perhaps, trying to keep it more professional). However, I am a person at the end of the day. My father died last week, which is why there have been no updates. I simply wasn’t in the mood to write or make progress on my life goals. My father and I didn’t have the best relationship, and the grieving process has been difficult in many respects, much different than when my mother died.

For obvious reasons, my father’s death put my life on hold for last week. This week, I finally contacted the temp agency I had used the last time I had lived in Boston. Although the contact I had originally used is no longer there, I have a very good record there. If you’ve never used a temp agency, the way the company and individual workers make money is if you make money. Evidently, some folks are unreliable and won’t show up to work or do their jobs, so having a good record is important. The temp agency is sending me on an interview tomorrow with a company I had originally worked at in 2006-2007, before grad school. Company B is thisclose to scheduling round II interview with me. There will most likely be a round III interview, if I do well with round II, but the HR person said that those interviews are usually scheduled within days of round II and decisions are made quickly.

With that, I’m in principle looking to move out of Providence soon, like Oct 1 soon. This weekend I’m heading to my hometown to see my brother and settle some matters, but I’m lucky enough to have a friend who’ll start the hunt for me.

 

No work=no inspiration?

During my time of unemployment, I’ve been simultaneously working on my thesis, getting a job, and trying to get back into dance. I’ve been moderately successful on the thesis, questionably successful on the job stuff (I made my goal to apply to at least 2 jobs per day, unless there is a holiday) since that’s really up to others, and I’ve been failing miserably on the dance stuff.

The latter is a bit frustrating. I know some people who have been unemployed for misc. reasons (laid off, mostly) and have flourished in the unemployment life for a bit. They dance and seem to to make the best of a bad situation. That’s not me, unfortunately. I’ve tried working on some combos (making my own), and I’ve been okay with it. Not great but not terrible. However, I don’t feel like dancing. I am a big believer in giving oneself a break when needed; however, I feel like I’ve been on a hiatus from dance for a while. I don’t think I’ve practiced much since the end of July, writing my thesis got in the way of attending classes, and I haven’t had time for any other fun dance stuff.

I don’t feel inspired to dance. I think I’m depressed about the uncertainty of getting a job. I hear horror stories left and right about people who have been unemployed for massive amounts of time. I know people who have been unemployed for at least a year. While I don’t know how hard they’ve job searched or how expansive they’ve made their searching grounds, I assume that these people did a fair job and still, aren’t getting hired. I worry about money; I am so lucky to have friends willing to help me through this, but I still have bills to pay and need to be on my own.

How do you find inspiration in a bad situation? How do you manage to let creativity in, instead of all the worries from life?

 

The update is that there are no updates

I’ve been working steadily on my thesis, since I haven’t been able to schedule an interview with company B. Perhaps it’s some kind of karmic revenge; I had announced that company B was interested in a second interview with me and now I can’t schedule it. The HR person has been good, but the person with whom the interview is quite busy and hasn’t gotten back to him. I imagine the holiday weekend hasn’t helped.

I haven’t found too much in the job search lately, but again, I suspect that it may have something to do with the holiday. I’m more optimistic about the job search here; at least things are appearing in the Boston-area whereas nothing showed up in Chicago.

The other way I’ve been keeping busy is acquainting myself with Providence. Since I don’t drive, I walk everywhere. Providence is quite charming. I miss Chicago a lot (I have a dream/nightmare about leaving Chicago), but Providence isn’t too shabby. Not home but nice.

 

I have arrived

On Saturday, I arrived in Providence, RI. My move was epic fail. On Friday, I spent most of the day trying to talk to my movers. On Saturday, they didn’t show and worse, sent a cancellation at 12 noon. I told them that I was leaving at 12 noon to catch my flight. Luckily, my SO’s parents are awesome and repacking and sending my stuff. I did a decent job packing for moving which is different from packing for shipping. I feel like a jerk leaving my stuff, but- I didn’t have a lot of choices. I’m still upset about my movers. I find it truly unprofessional to cancel so last minute (allegedly, a truck was broken) and then to not even call to apologize or inform me of the situation.

As I said that day, some day I will laugh about it. Today is unfortunately not that day. I slept for about 12 hours once I moved to Providence (I am staying with friends), and I spent Sunday preparing for my cats. Monday I went into Boston to interview and see my SO. The interview was relatively short (35 min; I am accustomed to at least an hour long interview). I think it went okay. Right now, I’m trying to organize another interview, as well as work on my thesis. Jobs being posted have ceased a little, which is a little distressing, but I hope that they’ll pick up as the month continues.

I miss Chicago. I feel sureal being back; I can’t really describe it, but I haven’t mentally clicked that the New England area is my home again. I guess I may be in denial, since I had visited at least once a year during my stint in Chicago. Oh well. I think it’ll be an adventure. I just need a job to fund it!

 

Possibly my last post from Chicago

The sun has finally showed up today, which is nice. I haven’t seen much of the Chicago area in the past few weeks (school and neighborhood). I’m going to miss it. I’m a sentimental fool at times, but I did like living here. I did make some friends. I think, unfortunately, to continue the theme from Fight Club (a small handful of my friends and I have been obsessing over it; it’s amazing if you haven’t seen it), I came to Chicago at a very strange time in my life.

Moving this time has been one of the more stressful moves. I’ve never hired movers before, let alone cat movers. The communication has been fair to poor, and that leaves me anxious.

I look forward to leaving Chicago right now, because my life feels like it’s stagnant. I have an interview Monday and hopefully another interview this week coming up (I received a call back interview from a job I had interviewed before). I like Chicago a lot, and I ambivalent about moving back to the East coast; however, there are simply not jobs here. I did try getting a job here for quite a while, and it just isn’t happening. I’m not convinced that it is me but the economy. Five people in the class before me don’t have jobs; that’s 5 out of 7, and one of them had a job coming into grad school. Some of them haven’t had a job for about a year. It’s scary times out there. As much as  I hate a thousand mile move, I can’t wait around on a job that probably doesn’t exists. The odds don’t appear to be in my favor.

Even though I’d close to being done with packing, there is still more to do. I guess the next time I write, I’ll be in Providence, RI.

 

Don’t like your dance studio?

I have been looking at what search terms bring people here. One of the searches is “don’t like my dance studio.” I’m not sure what the person who was searching for it hopes to find, but I suspect maybe advice on what to do.

My first question is why s/he doesn’t like the dance studio. Is it the environment (catty students)? The teacher (incompetent, ineffective, just don’t jive)? The classes (switching times, offerings)? The physical space (too small, cold, far from home)? Once you know why you don’t like something, a solution is easier to find.

If you don’t like the students, how much do they affect you? I’ve been non-dance situations where I don’t like the people but I have to take a class. I’m polite and civil, but I’m not best friends with them. I learned to make the best out of it that way, because I like other things about the class.

If it’s the teacher you don’t like, I would be more inclined to leave the studio, depending on the situation. Students come and go all the time, teachers often stay at a studio for awhile (or forever). Figure out what you don’t like, though. If she lacks skill or you can’t learn from her for whatever reason, I’d leave. If she isn’t the warmest person, I’d reconsider. I’ve had good teachers who I don’t love and I’m not close to, but I’ve learned a lot from. If the teacher is just plain mean or abusive (insults students), I’d definitely leave without a second though. A former dance teacher of mine once said “I’m not paying money to be insulted and feel bad about myself.” I think that is excellent advice. You do want a teacher who’ll correct you, but there is a difference between correcting you and making you feel awful.

If you’ve talked to me in the last few weeks, flakiness annoys the heck out of me. I can empathize with people who have issues with unreliability, especially with classes. In that case, I’d suggest talking to the teacher/director about that matter in a polite way. Ask why it is and is there any way to ensure that the classes always run. If what you’re after isn’t being offered, you have two options. Find a new teacher or see if your current one is game for starting a new topic. I know both of my teachers were always interested in suggestions; I think some of mine have even helped start classes. Sometimes, teachers don’t know if their students want to learn new stuff. I know Sonya has honored requests, if there are a lot, for class time changes.

If you don’t like the physical space, I’d step back and figure how bad it really is. If it’s cold, you can always layer on clothes. Working in a small space may or may not be an issue; in Middle Eastern dance, there isn’t always a lot of traveling or moving about the stage. The stage sometimes is only 4 feet by 4 feet! Sometimes people carpool if the class is far; you save gas and you have a friend along for the ride.

The last thing, before you call it quits at a studio, is figure out if it isn’t them but you. I’ve been there about getting discouraged by my lack of progress at times. I know sometimes people feel like the teacher is “jus jellus”, but perhaps you really aren’t ready for the next level or to perform. If you have a good teacher (knows his/her stuff, is honest and helpful, etc.), you should trust and respect their opinion.

Ultimately, you have to weigh out the pros and cons and figure out what’s most important to you. Your money and time are important, so why waste it if you are unhappy somewhere? Shira’s site has an amazing directory of teachers; it is the largest one on the internet. If you want more of a recommendation for a new teacher, ask around on Bhuz, tribe, Livejournal, or the many other communities; people are always willing to recommend others. Good luck!