Musings About Third-Choice U

While I understand that in this job market, "beggars can't be choosers" (the beggar being me), I find myself hoping that Third-Choice U doesn't offer me this job.

Why?

Two of the younger women in the department took me out for quite a nice dinner after I arrived.

But I was taken from the airport directly to the restaurant, without being given the option of checking in at the hotel first. (And, oh, how I needed to wash the airplane off of me!)

And during dinner, the women raved about how family-friendly the department was. But being single, I hadn't asked about this issue. (I didn't realize until I was on my way home what assumptions the department had made about me.)

I received some good feedback about my teaching demo and some interesting conversation after my research demo.

But I'm still irritated by fact that I had to give a demo on Islam in the U.S.

And while I understand that their students are cramming for exams, I really would have liked to interact with some of their majors. (There had been a sign-up sheet, but none of the majors had signed up.)

I had the opportunity to interact with four or five members of the department, but I didn't have the opportunity to interact with the other 10-12, including the two who specialize in the Good Book. (When I interviewed for SLAC, I had a half-hour with every member of the department.)

And, I have to confess that the ones that I did interact with were good and kind and helpful people. But they didn't strike me as very interesting people.

Over all, the visit went smoothly. And I suppose that I could learn to like being at Third-Choice U.

But I don't want a job that I could learn to love. I want a job that I know that I'll love.

But the ball isn't currently in my court. So, I'll just continue musing and wait and see what they decide.