Bright eyed and bushy tailed

The whole (this isn't the word I wanted but can't think of another) glamour of the PhD thing wore pretty thin after a couple of months of unemployment. It doesn't come up that much in casual conversation but the "what do you do?" question does.

So although this blog isn't about how to survive a PhD, it is about surviving the next step (and let's face it, I'm finished now so most of my blogs aren't going to be about surviving PhD anymore but rather about surviving WITH a PhD). I have spoken about my feelings for interviews before, so imagine my stress levels when I flew down to Cape Town for two interviews on a Monday afternoon a couple of weeks back. I was worried about my performance in the one interview because I was feeling a bit deaf in one ear and didn't feel like I was really sparkly enough. I also heard myself saying something along the lines of wanting to save the world and cringed (hopefully only in my head but my expressions sometimes do things without asking). 

The other interview was exactly the reason not to like interviews. I would hardly call myself arrogant so did not see any reason for someone to be almost antagonistic about the whole PhD thing. It is a difficult thing when you are applying for something that doesn't require a PhD to get the balance between confident/capable (so therefore you should hire me because really I am fantastic) and not drawing attention to how over qualified you are. Let's make this one thing clear though, PhD's are not just for people trying to avoid the real world... This is an example of how the questions went: 

Question: "How good is you knowledge about marine science."

Answer (feeling: "yay I can do this one"): I feel confident about my knowledge in marine science. 

Response: "People with real knowledge know they still have so much to learn"... ???????

Of course it wasn't all his being antagonistic that made that interview awful, I also completely choked when he asked me to explain, in Afrikaans, how to catch invasive crabs.

Being back in Cape Town helped me get over the stress because I was quickly distracted with catching up with my friends once the interviews were done. And what helped even more was when, 1.5 weeks later (after three rejection letters, that didn't get to interview stage, in the meantime) I finally got an email that said yes!!!!

The best thing is that it is an organisation that does just the sorts of things that make me excited to be working for them. I hadn't heard of it before (and neither had a lot of people I've spoken to) so I'll be telling you all about it soon. It is only a short term contract but I couldn't be happier. The NGO is called IOI-SA (the South African branch of international oceans institute) and I am really excited to get some experience with an NGO and governance issues. I hope it is a step in a great direction.

And I promise my excitement isn't just because I will be working at one of the most beautiful places in Cape Town (Kirstenbosch) and it's only 4.2 km from home.

P.S. Things would have been very different for me if I hadn't had such a supportive family looking after me while I job hunted. I don't mean just by feeding me, they also believed in me and didn't let me give up on pursuing a job I could feel passionate about. I loved my month in Ramsgate and my time in Johannesburg and in Walvis Bay. Even though I was frustrated that I wasn't out saving the world (in some small way), spending time with my family is a treasured luxury. Thanks universe.

What is your weakness? Interviews?

Shumba

I have a confession… I hadn’t really planned on telling people about this because if nothing came of it I wanted to avoid the sympathetic head tilts. I do really hate the head tilts – unless it is Shumba that is giving them to me, because he is just so pretty he can get away with almost anything. Of course anyone who has spent time with me (particularly when wine is involved) will know that I am very bad at keeping my own (I really can keep your secrets don’t worry) secrets anyway.

Meet Marmalade - he pretends he wants
you to stroke him, but really he wants to
dig his claws into you - not the sort you
want to interview you. 

OK, now I am worried this is too much of a build-up, REALLY, it wasn’t a big deal, I just had an interview on Monday, which is kind of a big deal because as you know I am currently looking for a job. I have only actually had 5 interviews before this (EVER) and none of them had gone well, so I have mostly gotten myself into the frame of mind that I am bad at interviews. That and my general self-confidence took a real knock with the whole PhD thing.

The first was for an internal position I knew that I could do better than anyone else, and that didn’t go well because I expected them to know that too. I also found out how much I was going to get paid and decided it wasn’t really worth my time and asked them not to consider me for the position (I am not a snob, I have at various times worked hard for very little money – but I knew what kind of time commitment this job required and I couldn’t justify it). I did get the runner up prize, a different position with fewer hours and an hourly rate that actually suited me better.

Benji 

The second interview was for a youth-leadership program (within a political party), but I don’t have that “RA RA” personality that I think they were looking for – I really am more of a “do-er” than a “let’s discuss in an opinionated way what needs to be done” sort. Anyway, having recently watched the SONA I am glad to distance myself from the political sorts. The third was a telephone interview for a position that would have been really interesting. I worked really hard on that one – read papers, did research and was quite excited about it. It didn’t work out, but if I think about it, it wasn’t really for me and I know I am not that good on the phone.

The fourth was awful and I was actually choking up on the phone to my mom before it because I didn’t want to work there, but I didn’t feel like I had the option to be choosy. It was a horrible interview. I try to forget about it. The fifth was my dream job. I say that, running the risk of potential future employers seeing this. Eeekkk. And because it turns out that potential future employers have looked at my blog, I will refrain from saying it remains in my top 3 places of work. Alas, I didn’t hear anything. I was heartbroken.

Marmalade again

Which brings me to this interview: I was nervous, of course, I did the required research, of course, and I think it went OK. It was a Skype interview which was a first for me and a little awkward because I could see the funny facial expressions I pull and they had their camera kind of pointing at the empty wall so I was talking to invisible people for at least some of the time. It is an exciting opportunity that I won’t tell you about too much because I haven’t had any feedback yet (and now you know that you can give me wine and I will tell you, so I will hold out and let you buy the wine). If nothing else comes out of it, I am glad that I had this interview. It made the whole interview experience less terrifying for me because there were such nice people on the other side of the camera (when I could see them). I didn’t feel like they were trying to trick me or catch me out. They had read my CV (and – blush – some of my blog) and were really nice.

Jill 

So, this rather long preamble is to say that when people tell you that just the experience of having an interview is a good thing, it is really true. It turns out that when I was terrible at an interview – it wasn’t that I am terrible, it was that it wasn’t a good fit. (Although being almost in tears before an interview because you don’t want to work there should have been enough of a sign that it wasn’t a good fit). Whether or not I get this job, I know that I genuinely have good qualifications, varied experiences and worth and if you are reading about how to survive a PhD, then you probably do too (or you are friends with me, and then you definitely do). And the right fit might just come along (OH how I hate it when people say that to me!)

PS They said I would hear on Wednesday, but obviously I haven’t heard, is there a consensus on whether or not it is rude to send a polite email asking? It has (within South Africa) geographical implications for me after all. 

Overly honest CV's

The always appropriate PhD Comics...  He has just handed in.... 

I was looking for the "overly honest methods" article that I read once upon a time, but there are pages of "overly honest scientific methods" articles if you Google and I can't justify reading through them all now... no really, I can't!!! I frequently joke that I should be able to put "neat handwriting" on my CV, because, seriously, it's important - you want me to capture your data. This made me think there are probably pages of "overly honest CV" articles too - I wasn't disappointed, the internet is magical. Again, I really don't have time to actually read the articles, but if you find yourself WAB-ing, please send me the best one you find! (Yes, people keep asking me what I am doing with all my free time, and it turns out, I still don't have any - but I have had two gorgeous weekends off in a row and it has been heavenly despite still being too tired to really do anything!)

Obviously, I have been thinking about my CV a lot recently while I stare into the blinding barrenness of my future. (I thought I had actually written a blog about the CV writing tips I had from one of my departmental icons, but I can't find it so, I guess not?) When I previously handed in my PhD I sent my CV out to many places, and mostly didn't hear anything back (although I have a soft spot for BirdLife International for sending me the nicest rejection letter I have ever had). Occasionally, a company is nice enough to send you an acknowledgement of receipt and rejection, but mostly it feels a little like standing on Table Mountain and throwing paper airplanes of hope into the the void (this is an image from an advert for a product I can't remember that always makes me feel like that's just littering - it might actually be a music video but either way, what are the chances they picked up all the little pieces of paper?)



I have had three interviews, (two real ones and one telephonic - as a phone-phobe that was a nightmare) two of which I didn't hear anything further from. I think that is particularly rude since they have actually met you or spoken to you and given you hope and the added stress of preparing for an interview. Do they not realise that there are people out there (I presume it isn't just me) that will stress about an answer they stumbled for more than a year after the interview, and will wonder how they could have answered "how do you handle conflict" better. (That is one of my least favourite questions, because I honestly try avoid conflict and suspect I am a bit of a push over... although "what are your weaknesses/strengths" is another pothole for me, even though I know that they will ask it every time!!!) 

The thing is, that when they ask me what are my weaknesses, I want to answer that I hate talking to strangers on the phone, that I am terrible at lying, and not even lying, but not answering with anything less than the whole, unabridged truth. (I am not good at secrets, I can keep them, but I am not sure that any good comes of not just being completely honest about things). That I want a job that will allow me to actually have a life (but I will end up working harder than I need to because I have inherited my mom's need to give her whole heart to everything she does.) That I really don't take being moaned at well (I found this out when the minions were whining - but as a plus I didn't cry until after they left) and that I am just not sure I like having to moan at people (I have found this out with the minions too, they are adults - shouldn't they just do their job properly?).



So, just before I go do some unpaid over time, I was wondering how you answer those stock-standard interview questions. What are your weaknesses, strengths and how do you deal with conflict (etc etc)... Please feel free to leave comments :)  

Rather don't ask

The way I see it, there are two "don't go there" questions (maybe three if you include: "what year are you in"). The first: "when are you going to finish?" - As if you weren't feeling inadequate and pressured enough, people think it is okay to remind you that you are way over deadline and still don't have a job  (I am sure that this doesn't go through their heads when they ask the question, but it is what goes through my head when I am asked and is in the back of my head all the time anyway.) This leads me to the second question: "what are you going to do when you finish?" And, I suspect, that the only reason this is such an emotionally charged question is that, mostly, we have no idea. 

I desperately hope it will something more than getting a job at Pick 'n Pay (in the hope of a staff discount) but the trouble is, I really don't know. I have ideas of what I want to do and vague notions of what I am qualified to do and I have memories of why I started on this path in the first place, but it is not all that realistic to go knock on Captain Planet's door and say: "I am ready to save the world now - do you offer medical aid?" 

What ends up happening is you end up sending all your hopes out in the form of a CV for positions you are probably over-qualified for, but are not sure you have the skills  for (despite a lengthy EDUCATION). I have already gone through thinking that I have finished my PhD once, so I have had some experience in looking for work which, has mostly resulted in deafening silent, some rejection straight off or after a telephone interview and in another instant after a panel interview (incidentally, for my DREAM, wow-that-would-be-awesome job.) 

I decided I could do with some help on my CV. Coincidentally, one of my favourite UCT academics was discussing how dozens of CVs are sent in for each advertised post, and the tiny details are all that separates the candidates (he compared it to the milli seconds that separate the Olympic runner that wins, gets a gold, and everyone knows there name to the one that comes second). So, I roped him in to coming to talk to our post grad group about how to optimise our CVs. It was a really useful meeting and I thought I would pass some of his tips on... (I will spare you the story of how one of his PhDs did NOT get a UCT Post doc despite 15 publications - no one wants to hear that!) 

Obviously, the judging of CVs is a very subjective thing and everyone has different preferences, this is what Charlie suggested... 

• Use a big heading that includes your name.
• People differ in opinion on whether to include a photo or not, if you do, use a head and shoulders shot that clearly shows your face. 
• Limit the number of pages - consider the fact that the people looking through the CVs will have a lot to read through. 
• Include your date of birth, ID, nationality. 
• Include your academic record (marks too, particularly if your marks show either a consistent or upward trend). The level of the job for which you are applying will determine how far back you go. 
• Every time you include some thing, consider whether it is going to impress or not. 
• In early stages of career include the presentations and conferences you have attended and the drop off the less important ones as you go on, to eventually only included the key note presentations (ahhh imagine!!!)
• Unusual work or experience gets noticed and remembered, which is important when you are just a piece of paper amongst dozens. 
• So do things that show initiative.
• If you write a personal statement, you give the people reading your CV an insight into you that is not just factual. It is the bit that will show your personality and give you space to explain why, for example, you are applying for a job you are, on paper, over-qualified for or why you have not specialised in one particular field. 
• Something to keep in mind always is that the community is probably smaller than you realise, so your reputation is everything... 

Obviously there are many sites on line that can help you design a CV. UCT (and therefore I am guessing most other institutions) also has a career advice center that can help you with perfecting the flimsy document that is all that represents you in the job world. If it all feels a little overwhelming, I am trying to keep in mind that I am standing on the precipice of a whole new adventure... Good luck with yours and please, wish my luck with mine. :)  

OR....