Thursday, April 26, 2012

Job indecision will be the death of me

I used to think I was so good at making decisions, but I think I'm locking up at the time when I can least afford such antics. Yes, was offered a postdoc offer nearby and it pays well. Awesome right?

You'd think so, but I keep going back-and-forth and forth-and-back about it. Pay and benefits will make life easier, but picking up a whole new field is scaring me a little, especially because I want to return to my current field afterwards. I want a quick, down-and-dirty postdoc, but can't guarantee I won't spend the first year learning. I think I'm being overly dramatic on that last point (I know my way around a bench and have never had problems picking new things up), but it is still a concern for me.

And now, a new wrinkle decided to pop up. The latest is an unsolicited offer of collaboration/thinly veiled job offer. While at a meeting, I was approached by someone who had looked up my research and thought we could work together on a project. Very cool, I thought.

Then it was mentioned that they were in charge of a program project that was looking to hire someone with just my skills. They were also submitting a grant that should be scored within the month. Would I be interested in working at their institution? Not as a postdoc, but something greater? Maybe research assistant professor or assistant professor? Umm.... YES!

Why? Because it's 1) still in my field, but significantly expands my knowledge base. 2) It's a good institution. 3) My wife already likes the idea, even though it involves a move. 4) They have a reputation of fostering young investigators. 5) My wife likes the idea. 6) I'm excited at the work.

Here's the problem, and the source of my uncertainty - 1) the grant ain't funded yet. 2) It's not clear what level I'd be hired. I lobbied for a Research Assistant Faculty position over assistant prof because I think I need to learn a bit more, but nothing was obviously formalized. 3) I have met my fair share of bullshit artists, and I always wonder if something that sounds too good to be true is indeed just that - too good to be true. Promises only mean something if there is substance to what was promised. 4) I don't want to jerk around my original offer - it's just not fair to them or the other people looking at their job.

So now, I'm lost. Struggling to reconcile the known postdoc offer with the offer of something better. I suppose this is a good problem to have.

But it's also a problem that is keeping me up at nights and giving me ulcers....

9 comments:

  1. Even good things can cause anxiety, so of course this is stressing you out! Hope that the second one clarifies itself soon so you can make a decision. Would it be possible to let the people involved with the second one know that you have an offer on the table and have to make a decision? Just to...you know...push things along?

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    1. Sorry for the slow response - I needed a little time to attempt to decompress with my family. I didn't totally achieve the meditative/relaxation state I was striving for, but I came in to work today with a renewed sense of purpose. So I suppose it worked....

      In the short term, I have a strategy, but it involves playing the field a lot more that I would normally feel comfortable with. Essentially, I will say yes to #1 and wait on #2 (or even #3). It's safest thing for me and my family to do.

      #2 already knows I have an offer and knows many more details than I revealed here. What started out as a conversation turned quickly into mentoring and eventually included a discussion of "what they could do for me" because they could see that I "have a great future and a great potential for incredible science." Makes me blush a bit to recount it, but man was I grateful to hear it...

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    2. Good--I'm glad you've settled on a strategy. And I am glad that you are getting positive feedback along the way, too!

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  2. I was unemployed for 3 months, got quite discouraged, and then got two good offers in the same week (and a interview invite for a third equally good opportunity came soon after). I was indecisive but eventually weighed the pros and cons in light of my goals, and couldn't be happier with my decision now. And I did have to do the awkward dance a bit while making a decision, it's a part of the game. So definitely think carefully, but don't forget to take the time to celebrate too! And I agree with the previous comment - can you let the second place know that you already have an offer on the table to get them to make a decision quicker?

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    1. It does seem that it takes having a job offer to get another offer. Not sure how the cosmos knows such things, but good news begets more good news, I suppose. :)

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  3. here is the sad fact both institutions of Job #1 and #2 would eff u over if they needed to. I too disliked the whole "gaming" of academia but hey we decided to get in the game. So you know what? I sucked it up, got a job offer I knew I would never take, and renegotiated for a better title at the job I kept. It's BS, wrong and not fair, but it is how higher ed works. Focus on the institutions, which will employ you, not the individuals, who are colleagues. So you know what, take #1 and if #2 comes up, take it too. Grant review is grant review so I doubt you'll be able to get #2 to go any faster. They can't hire until they are funded (this is for soft money position, right?)

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    1. This is the same point my very, very patient mentor was/is trying to stress to me. Although I feel smarmy playing the field, I think it is a necessary evil and honestly the healthiest thing for my family. I just have to keep it professional and on a business, keeping personal feelings and emotions out of it.

      To be fair, I'm not planning to start for another 4-5 months, so I could go to job #2 and leave plenty of time for #1 to start another search. As for #2, it would be soft money no matter what was offered.

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    2. What FeMOMhist said. Having been on the market every damn year for 5 years, play the game. There's so little loyalty on the employer's part anymore, that you being loyal isn't going to pay. Just don't be a jerk when you leave a job (you can't control if they react poorly.)

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    3. The game sucks. But unfortunately I have to work within the system that is given to me. My kids need to eat, and I want to do science.

      I've always tried not to be a jerk when I've left jobs (for whatever reason). In this case, I think that it will be clear that any alternative that I accept will be clear improvement - either in position or project or institution.

      I can't control how they react, but I always strive for the higher ground.

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