Yea, verily, Lorraine is made of fail

[lunabee34]

1. Ahahhahahhahaa. You know how I'm almost done with my Remix fic? I just today realized that it's co-written. This is so funny except in the way that it's completely not. At all. I still intend to post the fic on my journal after Remix authors are revealed because dude I did not just spend all this time writing for naught, but as for the actual ficathon, I have to start. completely. over. Which I probably could handle as a minor yet very disappointing annoyance in failing to READ for chrissakes except that

2. I got an very snarky email from my former director in response to my request for help preparing for job interviews that reads in part:

Isn't it a bit premature to be worrying about interviews? Search processes have to be conducted first. Also you would be great in any interview. Just be yourself. I can't think of any other advice to offer.

Wow, Dr. __. Thanks. A lot. I love so much that not only did you suggest that I'm wasting my time applying for these jobs to begin with, I adore that you are refusing to help me prepare for the interviews (THAT I WILL GET, DAMMIT!). I've never interviewed for an academic job and I would appreciate a little heads up on what to expect and what kinds of answers committees like to hear; a little mock-interviewing might be nice. But I'm so glad that my winning personality will preclude any kind of preparedness. In conclusion, thanks so much for making me throw up with the worry that you have also written me poor reccommendation letters. 'k thanx, Lorraine

So, in light of all that, let's make Lorraine feel better, shall we? I noticed on musesfool's journal when I was poking around trying to refresh myself on the Remix rules that she made a poll that asked her flist to choose a favorite of her fics and explain why they liked it. We could do that. That would be good.

*sigh*

Comments

[kyuuketsukirui.livejournal.com]

Aaaaaaaaargh! That is so annoying about your remix! At least you realised now while there's still plenty of time left until the deadline.

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

That is what I'm telling myself. Plenty of time. LOL

I just wish I felt as strongly about any of the remaining stories as I do the one I chose in error.

Oh, well. This will teach me patience or something.

[executrix.livejournal.com]

You DID see your crack_van rec today, n'est-ce pas? However, my favorite is still the five-things with the safe word. Awesome mcawesomeness.

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

No! *delighted squeal*

I did not see that. Oh how lovely and wonderful. Thanks so much for pointing that out to me.

And I'm so glad you like that Simon story. Even though it didn't happen quite this way, I always think of that story as the one I wrote for you. :)

[kaleecat]

well at least you got a snarky response. I get exactly nothing when I try to contact my director about the drowning dissertation of death.

I'll type up what I remember from my academic job interviews for you tomorrow--if it makes you feel any better, back in the day I asked when it was my turn & no one (advisor etc) seemed real interested in helping at all. Of course since i'm not working & spectacularly failing at the job search right now...yeah, I'm big with the bitter & unhappy. sorry.

Anyway, I'll kick my notes off to you tomorrow.

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

I am so so sorry. Believe me I know how completely frustrating this is and I hate that you aren't getting any support. At least the other two members of my committee are made of shiny win. I can't imagine what I would do if I didn't have anyone willing to mentor me.

I appreciate your offer so so so much. I really think your notes would be very helpful to me. Thank you so much, sweetie.

[lyr]

1) Ack! I'm sorry, hon; that sucks. It's a good thing you started writing ahead of time.

2) That utterly blows, too. I know academia can be difficult right now, but I know for a fact that you can get adjunct work without a doctorate, because Gwyd did. So I asked Gwyd, who has done a number of academic job interviews now, and he has this to impart about types of questions they ask: about your teaching experience in detail, any successful teaching stories you can relate, about how you've advised students and built personal rapport with them, about the different types of students and populations you've taught (for community college, at least here, they were looking for experience with diversity), about your teaching and customer service (Gwyd really hates the 'customer service' part, because he says it makes education sound like a business) philosophy, and even about what you've read lately.

As for my favorite of your stories, damn. I have a terrible time picking one. There are so many excellent stories to choose from. Right now, I think it's "Five Times Vala Mal Doran Told Rather Less Than the Whole Truth", but that's at least partly because it's still very fresh in my mind. It was such an awesome character exploration, too. You really proved yourself Keen Lorraine on that one!

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

1. Me too. I might be moaning to you later in email. LOL

2. Dude, I know! All the jobs that I've applied for list an MA as the minimum requirement for the job; it's not like I'm applying to Harvard and overstepping my limitations or something. Thank you so much for asking Gwyd questions for me. That really, really helps. (It also helps that I got an email from one of the other committee members this morning and not only was the letter he attached really, really awesome and flattering, he's mailed out every single one I asked for and also happens to be good friends with the chair at one of the colleges to which I am applying. So bits of yay keep trickling in.)

I'm so glad you like that Vala story. I had a lot of fun writing that one. It's always such a risk writing backstory--you have to introduce so many OCs--and I'm very pleased at the positive response that story got.

*hugs*

[ana-grrl.livejournal.com]

Websites that might be more helpful than your former director:

http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/careerprep/jobsearch/interviewing.html

http://ccrma-www.stanford.edu/~unjung/guide/academic_job.html

http://www.otal.umd.edu/~sies/jobquess.html

(I think these are all good, but the third one is really detailed re: what kind of questions might get asked).

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

You? Totally made of win.

Thank you so much, Ana. This really, really helps me. I am so grateful for you guys; you keep me sane and informed and generally rather more pleased with life than I otherwise would be.

*hugs*