tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post5536204496495183670..comments2024-03-25T02:33:41.590-05:00Comments on FemaleScienceProfessor: I'm Not HereFemale Science Professorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15288567883197987690noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-25431584798625080932011-08-08T03:56:05.212-05:002011-08-08T03:56:05.212-05:00OK, I was interviewing for a postdoc position in t...OK, I was interviewing for a postdoc position in the town where my father lives. The postdoc was not tied to a particular grant, so was a great opportunity to get two years of research under my belt before I went for a TT position.<br /><br />A woman had gone missing in the town a few weeks before, and my father actually called the department in the afternoon to check on me. He swears he was just going to ask the secretary about when my schedule ended, but she quickly put him on hold and transfered the call to the faculty member's office where I was. Luckily, that prof was a _great_ guy and was more touched by the concern of my father than making a judgement on me. He told me years later that he didn't mention it to anyone else.<br /><br />My father did make up for it later that day. He lived in the same neighborhood as the dean (new to the school) and had run into him while taking a walk. He invited him over for dinner, and the dean and I had a great conversation over barbecue. Not only did I get the job, but the dean told the dept. if they wanted to make my position a TT position in 2 years, he would make the resources available. I went on to be one of the most productive faculty members (publications and grants) in that department until I left years later.<br /><br />This was my first introduction to "who you know" being as important as "what you know".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-19453952095323663802011-08-08T03:42:21.014-05:002011-08-08T03:42:21.014-05:00I was a TT assistant prof on the search committee....I was a TT assistant prof on the search committee. We were interviewing a senior person in the field. He was unable to talk about research with any of the female faculty on his schedule. No matter how much I tried, he simply couldn't do it. He kept steering the conversation to beer, of all things (he's a bit of a connoisseur).<br /><br />In the faculty meeting to discuss the candidate, another senior (male) faculty member who advocated for him said that the candidate was just shy around women, and after a few years, he would be less so. I argued that female students didn't have a "few years" to waste to be able to talk to their professor. He lost the vote, but it was still close.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-47167362229553038722011-07-19T05:49:43.034-05:002011-07-19T05:49:43.034-05:00On my first post-college job interview, an employe...On my first post-college job interview, an employee stopped in to ask the interviewer a quick question. When she left the room, he actually called her an "uppity b*tch," then went on to tell me that she would be my supervisor. I didn't take the job.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-15559553552475228282011-07-18T12:23:37.852-05:002011-07-18T12:23:37.852-05:002. In 2004, I was interviewing again for a postdoc...2. In 2004, I was interviewing again for a postdoc position. The PI (female, childless) met me for dinner the evening of my arrival in town. The first words out of her mouth as we shaked hands were literally: "Hi! Nice to meet you! How was your trip? Good. Do you have children?". I tried to deflect the answer to this illegal (and sensitive to me, since I felt persecuted during my pregnancy and afterwards) question by saying "isn't it sooo hard to raise children these days?" Meaning that either yes, I have and it is hard to raise them; or no, I don't have any because is hard to raise them. She understood the latter and proceeded to tell me with an expression of utter disgust on her face: "Ugh, I don't even know how can THOSE pregnant women work on the microscope with their huge bellies" I was speechless and I decided there and then I'll not work for this lady (to be polite lol). Her graduate students next day asked me persistently whether I had children, as they walked me from building to building. And they didn't accept my vague answer, they pressed the matter "i know, i know, but do YOU have children?" I had to confess I did. I guess the PI was on a strict mission not to hire anyone who had children. Since I decided that I'd rather be jobless than work for her anyway, I had a wonderful relaxed interview and talk and starting from other faculty witnessing the talk, I was eventually offered a TT position at the same instution (different department) for the next academic year. When I arrived for my TT, the intial PI apologized for not offering me a position. I wouldn't have taken it anyway, why work for someone who would fire me as soon as she found out that I did have a child. <br /><br />3. During my TT interview at my current institution, where I found out they only had two women in the history of the department, and one of them left under unfriendly circumstances. That is only relevant to explain the mentality of some older faculty. One of them asked me during the interview: "so how do you think you can fit in a department with only male colleagues?Are you a sensitive person?". Later, as I arrived for my comeback interview, I requested to meet with a faculty member that I thought I could collaborate with when I start my position. I walked in the door and he greets me: "what are YOU doing here?? did you come here with your husband??"<br />I swear I'm not lying,as unbelievable as this reaction was.<br /><br />I have to mention that nobody has ever waited for me at airports for any of the interviews. I had to rent cars or take the limo. For one of the interviews, I used the limo to come in and my flight was too early for the limo to take me back to the airport and nobody offered to take me. I emailed a student association and offered to pay for someone to take me to the airport 1h away (found someone this way). I didn't think much of it, but I see others here complain about it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-22102204457122251142011-07-18T12:23:21.861-05:002011-07-18T12:23:21.861-05:00Very interesting collection of tales.:) I have a f...Very interesting collection of tales.:) I have a few of my own.<br /><br />1. In 2003, I was interviewing for a postdoc position at a very highly ranked school. During lunch, the whole group, under the PIs leadership, only talked about dogs. I don't know what is it about people who have dogs, they cannot stop talking about them. I was silent for the entire lunch, since I am really really reaaaalyyyyy not interested in dogs and know nothing about dogs. I just couldn't bring myself to say anything on the topic, and they did not change the topic at all the whole time. I did not say one word. I didn't get the job and I felt it was on the account of being preceived as too shy/not nice/fitting in etc (I was told that the professor doesn't like shy people). I am not shy, I just don't have anything to say about dogs. <br /><br />At a subsequent interview at a different institution, the story repeated almost identically. Professor incessantly talking about dogs. This time, having learned my lesson, I did talk about dogs enthusiastically, mimicking interest and pretending I cannot wait to be able to have a dog (if that's a requirement to have a job, I'll really get one LOL). I was offered the job and I turned it down. Not because of the dogs, but someone in the lab wispered in my ear (don't come here!!!) and the secretary told me "do you REALLY wanna come here?". Not good signs:))Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-59412354854377641162011-07-12T16:18:03.391-05:002011-07-12T16:18:03.391-05:00My favorites from a variety of interviews:
1. I g...My favorites from a variety of interviews: <br />1. I go to dinner with a group of four faculty members. One sits down, looks around, says "X isn't coming?" The chair says no. The person gets up, leaves, and does not come back. After that, the remaining four start to argue about whether "X" should have been invited, what the consequences would have been, etc. Apparently X got really drunk at the last dinner and so was not invited this time. The fight gets heated enough that another person leaves. Down to me and two, including the chair. Neither says anything to me for the rest of dinner, spending the time talking to each other about "X" and the two that left. <br />2. At another place, I go to dinner with two faculty members, one of which is very quiet and shy. The other one orders three saki bombs and starts asking me questions like: "Will your husband let you move?" "Does your husband know you are interviewing here?" (note that I flew in for the three-day interview) and my favorite: "Is your husband okay with you teaching a bunch of young guys?" After dinner, the guy tries to hug me and rub my back in the parking lot as I wait for the other faculty member to unlock his car and take me to the hotel. On the way to the hotel, the shy faculty member explains that I should worry about the other guy as he really isn't around all that much, now that he has tenure.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-51329663447375595422011-07-11T16:25:34.849-05:002011-07-11T16:25:34.849-05:00My absolute favourite: a colleague was interviewin...My absolute favourite: a colleague was interviewing at Famous U in a group that the chair and high mucky mucks of the department did not appreciate. The chair was to take the candidate to dinner one evening but had forgotten that the candidate was there to interview. After asking him about his area of work the chair said "Oh, you should apply here, I think we have a position in your field, but you are probably better off somewhere else". Needless to say, my colleague did not end up there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-23679978522200489842011-07-11T09:25:08.000-05:002011-07-11T09:25:08.000-05:00this post is full of win.this post is full of win.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-89870560087816312372011-07-10T08:51:55.353-05:002011-07-10T08:51:55.353-05:00What a fantastic collection of stories - it's ...What a fantastic collection of stories - it's good to hear that I'm not alone. (And equally good to hear that it gets worse - like almost being arrested in the midst of your interview seminar!)<br /><br />My own tale of woe goes like this: I'm applying for a centrally-funded postdoctoral fellowship. The point is supposed to be that, because your salary isn't coming out of anyone's research grant, you're free to explore your own research interests during the fellowship, with a view to setting yourself up to apply for more permanent jobs.<br /><br />After my talk, panel member 1 remarks that it was all very interesting, but hadn't I considered using technique X - on which she happens to be a noted expert. I politely explain why it's not relevant to my work.<br /><br />Panel member 2 chimes in, wondering whether it wasn't altogether more sensible to do Y instead. Again, it's unrelated to my research but central to his.<br /><br />The same thing happens with the third panel member. This isn't about my fit with the department's interests or research: it's only about the interview panel, and each member is only interested their own research. But by now, I've worked out what's going on: they're all trying to use the central funding to provide them with a free postdoc!<br /><br />Needless to say, I wasn't offered the position, nor would I have accepted it if I had been. To add insult to injury I was never officially told I hadn't got the job, just left hanging.<br /><br />The happy ending is that I quickly found a tt position elsewhere.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-5873836523385031442011-07-10T05:17:51.061-05:002011-07-10T05:17:51.061-05:00For what it is worth, my husband has been asked at...For what it is worth, my husband has been asked at every interview if he is married and what his spouse does for a living. He has been offered about 50% of the jobs he interviewed for. None of the offers, even the one he accepted, made any accommodations for me.<br /><br />On my first TT interview, I was about 6 months pregnant - visible, but not huge. Talk about your life plans being out there in the open! The (female) chair of the department and search committee spent our whole time together telling me about day care at the university, what the public school system was like, which neighborhoods were the best. I tried to shift gears and talk about teaching and research, to no avail. Some of the other faculty made points to recognize my "condition" - did I need a drink of water, would it be too far to walk down the hall to another office, did I need a rest... Although all other candidates were, I was not asked to go out to dinner after my interview (a colleague later told me).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-67643609771316632312011-07-08T17:51:06.677-05:002011-07-08T17:51:06.677-05:00I love that near-arrest story! (Anonymous 7/05/201...I love that near-arrest story! (Anonymous 7/05/2011 03:46:00 PM)<br /><br />On my interview schedule was "Dinner with faculty." All day faculty said to me "see you at dinner." Interview was going well, but there was an odd thing on my schedule: prepare for your talk 3-4 pm (department meeting). I found out later the faculty voted for another candidate during that meeting. After my talk, my host said, "oh sorry, no one else can make dinner after all." I could tell he felt really bad that everyone else bailed. We had a great time at a fast-food joint. Neither of us wanted some fancy meal and I relaxed because I figured I was out of the running. <br /><br />He's now my boss.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-13662666757954301712011-07-08T09:13:55.043-05:002011-07-08T09:13:55.043-05:00I had a telephone interview with a professor (who ...I had a telephone interview with a professor (who was female). My qualifications were an excellent fit to the job description, the phone interview went extremely well, and in closing she said that she would like me to come in for an interview in person and meet her group, and that her secretary would be in contact with me. The next day, the secretary told me that the position had already been filled--which seems to me like I had been merely fulfilling the criteria of "I interviewed x number of candidates to justify my pre-determined choice."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-51777727186349506672011-07-08T08:48:51.475-05:002011-07-08T08:48:51.475-05:00I once applied for a job at Biotech Company X. The...I once applied for a job at Biotech Company X. They declined my application and returned my CV, which had obviously been crumpled up into a ball and smoothed out so that the flattened paper would fit in an envelope. Fast forward years later after getting my PhD, I applied again to Biotech Company X. This time I got an interview. I started to give a talk on my previous work in a language that was not my native tongue, and apparently it was so bad, that the Section Head who was interviewing me left during my talk, leaving me to his subordinates. He did eventually come back, but then it seemed like he was just going through the motions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-73711620886984389492011-07-05T15:46:38.165-05:002011-07-05T15:46:38.165-05:00Still a grad student... but we had a faculty searc...Still a grad student... but we had a faculty search a couple years ago. In the middle of a candidate's department talk, a policeman barged in the door and motioned to her to come over to him. She looked surprised and he said something rude (loudly) and escorted her out of the auditorium. Our host prof bounded out the door behind them and a couple minutes later he returned with the candidate and she continued her talk from where she left off without missing a beat. Her amazing poise might have been part of why she was offered the position; she turned it down. I never found out who was supposed to be arrested instead...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-74997227815665449052011-07-05T14:09:45.052-05:002011-07-05T14:09:45.052-05:00During the Q&A after my job talk, I answered a...During the Q&A after my job talk, I answered a question (about climate) generally as it applied to my research (in ecology). Although my answer was correct as it pertained to my work, it was, admittedly, imprecise. One of the senior faculty (a climatologist) immediately chimed in "if you make that statement again, I'll take you outside and beat you". I wish I could say I had a good comeback, but I think I just stood there with my mouth open.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-62750798468170032302011-07-05T13:53:11.767-05:002011-07-05T13:53:11.767-05:00I'm a male professor. I once interviewed at a...I'm a male professor. I once interviewed at a school where nearly everybody asked me if I was married. My answer was no. They'd always look disappointed, and then carry on with what they really wanted to say, which was "well this is a great place to raise kids!" It was in a tiny town, and I'm sure it was a great place to raise kids, but it would have been an awful place to meet a spouse.Ronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-89617934506428294242011-07-05T12:30:23.816-05:002011-07-05T12:30:23.816-05:00After returning from a post-doc abroad to my home ...After returning from a post-doc abroad to my home country, I interviewed for a position in a relatively peripheral university. As part of my interview day I met with the Dean of the Faculty of Science. He spent most of the interview trying to convince me that this was a really poor quality university and I don't really want a position there. He went on to say that the state of science in the country in general isn't that great, and I was better off looking for a position somewhere like Singapore, where there was much more investment in science. I was not offered the position (although people in the specific department I applied for seemed enthusiastic about my presentation). Eventually, I was offered a position in one of the top universities in the country (and proud of it).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-14184267137026202162011-07-05T12:13:05.386-05:002011-07-05T12:13:05.386-05:00I have great stories from my TT interviews this ye...I have great stories from my TT interviews this year. At one institution (where I was offered the job), the most hilarious part of the visit was my meeting with the dean: she had two Labs (dogs) in her office, one ten years old, the other eight months old, and the whole time we were there, the puppy was bouncing off the walls -- attacking the older dog and dragging her around the room by her collar, trying to gnaw my shoe... The dean kept talking about benefits, leave, tenure, blah, blah, blah, while the dogs were snarling at each other. At one point the puppy started eating what looked like a poisonous tropical plant in the corner, and the dean noticed that I was staring at the dog, and she said, "Oh, yes, that's a poisonous plant... but he always chews on it and he hasn't died yet!" and kept talking about tenure review, at which point the puppy came over and vomited at our feet. The dean kept talking about tenure while she grabbed a box of tissues and started mopping up puppy vomit. It was absurd.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-68482816001173813252011-07-05T09:45:00.068-05:002011-07-05T09:45:00.068-05:00"The other faculty member wasn't much bet..."The other faculty member wasn't much better. Although he wasn't hostile, he didn't give me the text for my teaching demo until an hour before I was supposed to teach. I had asked for it two weeks in advance, and he sent me a passage." <br /><br /><br />I was never given the textbook for one of my teaching demos - I took matters into my own hands and called the publisher and asked for the book for the interview or at least an online version. The publisher was very nice about it and gave me everything I needed - especially because he might have to work with me in the future if I got the job.<br /><br />At another interview - I was told to do a research talk. I then met with the dean after the research talk and his first question was "Is that how you normally teach?" Ummm....no because that was a RESEARCH talk. So I then backtracked and explained a great lesson I just had. I was offered the job.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-79111972258965271762011-07-04T08:47:56.236-05:002011-07-04T08:47:56.236-05:00Of the >10 faculty interviews I've been on,...Of the >10 faculty interviews I've been on, two stand out because of the behavior of my hosts. <br /><br />At one of the interviews, they nearly killed me several times. By the end of the interview, it was a joke: How will we try to kill Candidate today? We've already tried to lose her in nearby national park, we've run over wildlife in said park, the grad student almost got in a car accident while driving her, there's been a power outage affecting a large part of the state... I even got into act when I accidentally stuck my finger in the power outlet while unplugging my laptop! My hosts realized that they had screwed up and apologized (but also admitted that I'd gotten to see what it was really like to live in the area).<br /><br />At the other interview, my hosts just made excuses to cover their poor planning. The lowlights of that interview:<br />1. The teaching demo. I wasn't given the topic until 2 days before I was leaving for the interview, and it was so far from my specialty that I had not seen it since I took the intro class for the major (if then). They rationalized that since the prof for the class (a specialist in the selected topic) had given me his powerpoint presentation on the topic, it was ok.<br />2. The department and search committee chair missed most of my research talk for another meeting because it was "important." Inside my head a voice screamed, "And I'm not?"<br />3. The airport pickup. When the chair wasn't waiting for me outside security, I went to baggage claim to wait there. 30 minutes later, the chair called my cell phone and was glad to hear that I was already there so that he wouldn't have to park.Louisenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-60059510919956795132011-07-04T00:18:54.428-05:002011-07-04T00:18:54.428-05:00I'm a graduate student in applied physics at a...I'm a graduate student in applied physics at an Ivy league. In applying for postdocs, I had 6 interviews and got 5 offers. For every position I interviewed for, every potential colleague was male, and I would become the only female in the group. Maybe times are a-changing but despite these statistics, not a single untoward thing happened. In fact, as a single female I stood out among the many males in my field that are married to women with careers and toddlers they help raise. I guess I just wanted to share my experience as a counterpoint to the stories so far.<br /><br />Outside of the interviews however... on one plane ride home, when I mentioned my interview at Caltech, the older gentleman next to me said "Oh, I didn't realize they were practicing affirmative action now." :PapphysPhDnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-1693051675387715882011-07-03T07:10:33.760-05:002011-07-03T07:10:33.760-05:00At one TT interview, my first meeting began like t...At one TT interview, my first meeting began like this: "I guess they put me on your schedule because I'm on the search committee but I don't have anything to talk to you about because I'm not in your field." We are in the same field but work on different model organisms.<br /><br />At another R1 institution, I met with the dean after receiving an offer. He rescheduled me twice due to conflicts in his schedule, so an extra trip was scheduled for me to finally meet him. I walk in, he looks over my CV while I'm sitting in front of him and says, "Well, your work sounds interesting. Maybe in the future we'll be hiring in this field and you can apply. How did you get on my schedule?"<br />I said, "I did interview. 3 months ago. And was offered the job. This is part of my second visit."<br />"Really? I would have had to sign that offer letter."<br />"You did. Here it is."<br />How was he not briefed?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-73683575922387658862011-07-02T22:22:50.695-05:002011-07-02T22:22:50.695-05:00As I was standing at the front of the room prepari...As I was standing at the front of the room preparing my talk, one of the older MSPs walked up and said quite loudly, "So are you Dr X's wife or girlfriend?" Given that my spouse and I have different last names and had both applied but only I had the interview, I was shocked. I stared at him for a few seconds trying to decide what to say (or if I should be sarcastic) and went with the truth. But what a way to start the talk (that interview only went downhill from there).<br /><br />At a different interview at a top-5 university, I was told proudly by multiple FSPs that they got to see their children "for 15 minutes in the morning and about 30 min at night." The rest of their time was spent working and the nanny raised the kid(s). Maybe some people are happy with this choice (they were) but I was glad not to receive an offer from them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-32482870628433625652011-07-02T12:52:01.562-05:002011-07-02T12:52:01.562-05:00An interview story from (sort of) the other side: ...An interview story from (sort of) the other side: I'm a MS student at a teaching-oriented public university. Our department has done two job searches recently. As part of the process, students are invited to meet with the applicant, and also invited to join the lunch group (usually three or four professors and as many students).<br /><br />We're a VERY informal department in a field that's traditionally informal, it was Friday, and the department chair happened to be wearing shorts, a Hawaiian shirt and sandals. The candidate, a likable but very formal woman, had struck us all as terribly uncomfortable with our collective informality. On the walk to lunch, the group strung out, and the candidate was able to take me aside, indicate our chair, and whisper, "Does he always dress like this?"<br /><br />I'm not sure what came over me, but I couldn't resist. I answered quite truthfully, "No, sometimes he kicks off his sandals to lecture."Karennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-58080195344990481862011-07-02T11:13:18.555-05:002011-07-02T11:13:18.555-05:00How about a place where the chair asked the female...How about a place where the chair asked the female candidate to kiss him in the mouth since he was practicing for a play?<br /><br />The weirdest part is that some of the old boys smile at that and say "isn't the chair such a cad"?<br /><br />I wonder if they would say the same if it had been their wife/mother/daughter the one who had been asked for the kiss.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com