I got a response from Alma Mater Law School. The head of the search committee told me that the committee will be making a decision on interviews by the end of the week.
I am so nervous. I really want this job.
Oh, I did get another rejection letter from University in Very Big State. Here's another thing that bothers me. Why do rejection letters start out with "Your qualifications are impressive", but end with "We decided to choose another candidate."?
That "but" is what bothers me. It feels like a back-handed compliment.
If my qualifications were impressive, why wasn't it good enough? What was lacking? What do I need to do to make myself more desirable?
Some may say that I am not entitled to an explanation. Maybe so. But I look at it this way. If I am applying for similar positions, with the same skill set that I used for the position I was just denied, I would like to know what I can do to improve my chances.
Is that too much to ask?
About Me
- Seeking Solace
- I am a college professor who is fumbling through the chaos of academia, rheumatoid arthritis, working on my PhD and just being a 40 something woman. I used to be a lawyer, which made me a snarky little person. I have a wonderful Husband and a German Shepherd named Junior. They help keep me sane.
Paws to Consider
My Sister's Keeper
7 comments:
I'll be keeping everything crossed that you receive some good news from Alma Mater Law School very soon! :)
As far as the rejection letter goes, could you perhaps call or email someone from University in Very Big State to ask if they can give you any more feedback on your application? That's quite commonly done in the UK where rejection letters don't tend to go into detail.
It sometimes is a mystery as to who gets a job. There have been times that I was turned down, even though I exactly met some rather lengthly qualifications. In fact, the advertised background that they were looking for looked just like someone had summarized my vita! Then, I looked to see who got the job, and it was someone who didn't even meet all of the advertised requirements for the position. That can be VERY discouraging. That person only stayed two years, though, and so the college was once again advertising for a position. By that time, I had already found my current position.
So, good luck. Looking for a job really sucks.
I hope you get the interview!! I agree that is annoying about the 'ding' letters. They're so generic that you can't hope to glean anything from them. At least they actually send letters instead of stringing you along even longer. It would be nice if they could be more specific, though. Maybe there's some LEGAL issue that makes them keep it vague? Keep us posted on the Alma Mater!
I've served on three hiring committees, and the truth is that sometimes there ARE many wonderful, brilliant candidates for only one, two or three jobs. Also, there is that time between a person's offer and the start of the school year when anything goes. You probably already know that, but just remember that sometimes the people who are first offered the jobs have to back out for some reason or another. Good luck with the law school application!
hoping for you and alma mater law school! and yah, rejection letters all suck...
am hoping things turn out for you!
job searching is still a total mystery to me - even though i did it for almost 6 months straight i wound up landing my job through a connection and later wrote my own job description to get my position created. so even though i have a job i can't say i have been successful in the job market.
You might want to ask if there is a mechanism by which you can ask to see the notes about your file produced by the hiring committee.
I know that we were instructed to be pretty neutral about what we wrote on evaluation sheets, as an applicant could request to see them under certain circumstances.
I'd guess the HR department at the school in Big State would be able to help you out -- a quick phone call might be worth your while...
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