Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Job Search: One down

The first set of decisions has come down the pipe and I ended up turning down a tenure-track position yesterday. I didn't expect to be in a position to do such a thing... the hyper-competitive job market, desire to move to a more permanent position, etc, etc. However, in the end the job offer wasn't something I could take and feel that I would be successful and happy.

In thinking about diversity and women dropping out during the postdoc stage, I thought mostly of not being able to compete given time spent at home rather than in the lab or of voluntarily dropping out because of the high work demands.

This negotiation posed another barrier. I kept thinking that this would be a fine offer if I was single. I wouldn't have to worry about my husband getting a job (not in academia... but still a job in his field) - the every popular two-body problem. Also, a lower salary wouldn't be as much of an issue without kids -- no daycare expenses, smaller house, no college savings plans, etc. And not having personnel support early on would be okay because I could work later hours to make up for it until a grant came in. But alas, I am not single without kids.

I have the apparently lofty goal of having a spouse, kids, AND a career. I've currently got all of them and I'd like to keep it that way.  We'll see if that ends up being possible or if I transition to program management, science policy or something else. During an interview, one of the students said that a professor once told him - "Spouse, kids, or career. Pick TWO." I just don't want to believe that that is the reality.  It doesn't need to be. I have some great mentors that have all three, so I know it can be done!

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