Super Stressed ...
So, I'm in the late stages of earning my PhD which basically means that I don't sleep and am a ball of nerves on most days.
It dawned on me that I really need to start looking for jobs for the first time in nearly 6 years. James and I really don't want to move right now, so I focused my search in Tennessee or, more specifically, at Vanderbilt. Before Christmas, I made a list of labs that I would be interested in... It took me nearly three weeks to finish my cover letter because (1) I've never written one for myself and (2) I don't like to write them because I feel like I'm bragging and I hate it.
I finally bit the bullet and finished it last week. I sent out my first letter on Friday at 11 AM. I was told by several people to not expect replies because most PIs get tons of letters and not everyone actually opens postdoc application emails. With that in mind, I went about my day, not really thinking anything of it. Friday at noon, I received an email from the PI I emailed earlier in the day and, lo and behold, he will have an opening at the exact time that I finish my PhD and is willing to consider me for it. Yay! He wants me in for an interview this Tuesday at 4 PM.
I'm excited and scared to death at the same time. I would love to work in this lab but its huge and has lots of funding so realistically, I'm on a long list of potential employees. But the fact that he replied back so quickly is a good sign, right?
I spent the weekend researching every paper this lab has published in the last five to ten years. I feel like I'm overthinking and overpreparing but I don't want to sound like an idiot during the interview :(
*sigh* I need sleep :(
It dawned on me that I really need to start looking for jobs for the first time in nearly 6 years. James and I really don't want to move right now, so I focused my search in Tennessee or, more specifically, at Vanderbilt. Before Christmas, I made a list of labs that I would be interested in... It took me nearly three weeks to finish my cover letter because (1) I've never written one for myself and (2) I don't like to write them because I feel like I'm bragging and I hate it.
I finally bit the bullet and finished it last week. I sent out my first letter on Friday at 11 AM. I was told by several people to not expect replies because most PIs get tons of letters and not everyone actually opens postdoc application emails. With that in mind, I went about my day, not really thinking anything of it. Friday at noon, I received an email from the PI I emailed earlier in the day and, lo and behold, he will have an opening at the exact time that I finish my PhD and is willing to consider me for it. Yay! He wants me in for an interview this Tuesday at 4 PM.
I'm excited and scared to death at the same time. I would love to work in this lab but its huge and has lots of funding so realistically, I'm on a long list of potential employees. But the fact that he replied back so quickly is a good sign, right?
I spent the weekend researching every paper this lab has published in the last five to ten years. I feel like I'm overthinking and overpreparing but I don't want to sound like an idiot during the interview :(
*sigh* I need sleep :(