So, in my field, all the jobs are given out once a year. You apply in fall, are interviewed en masse by everyone with a casual or better interest at a central meeting this week, and are then invited to visit those you haven't offended in late january and february. I leave tomorrow for mass (in my case, 9) interviews. This means meeting roughly 30 strangers, which is tough for me. Virtual pats on back appreciated.

Good Luck. Just be your normal charming self.

BLUE YR MY BOY!! ER.....GIRL!!

Good luck!

good luck!

I have to not offend people!

Or as advisor #3 says, be yourself, only with tact. And better shoes.

I should mention that if I am unsuccessful, I have to move into my sisters spare room (hi, Athens kids!) and go back to either bartending or temping.

you're gonna be great. take a few minutes to chill between interviews if you can. it's tough being on all day but you can do it.

and yes, get a new pair of shoes...hell, i'd buy a new outfit but that's me. it's all psychological at this point cuz we all know you got the brains.

Go Shelly Go!!!!

Thanks all. Will report back on Tuesday.

I'm late on this, but lots of good luck and postive karma being sent your way!

Athens isn't such a bad 2nd option, but good luck nonetheless.

You'll be fine. Take mints with you.

If you smoke, do it in the bathroom or the car, and have some of that girly lotion that smells good.

Smile and bat your eyelashes. Affect a southern belle's drawl.

O.k., scratch that last bit.

Break a leg kiddo.

All wise advice. Much appreciated. Feeling better already; I will forgoe the exploding head in honor of it. And no offense meant to athens as a locale, but with my debt I would prefer a real job (UGA not hiring in my subfield this year, or I would have given it a go).

Places I could end up living if all goes well include such oft-maligned outposts as Carbondale, Edmonton and Raleigh, all of which seem fine to me.

Rock on. Get some.

PARTY TIME!!!!!!!!!

Watch the scene in "Don't be a menace to South Central while drinking your juicein the Hood" where Ashtrey goes to get a job at the bank. Emulate his moves and you'll be fine.

aka -- Good Luck.

Good thoughts and positive vibes headed your way.

Best of Luck!! I am sure that by now you have totally kicked ass!

Shelley, best of luck, hon!! I know you'll do a fantastic job wowing them with your intelligence. You're gonna be great -- I have a positive feeling.

[hijack]Sadly, I have never had the pleasure of viewing the masterpiece of which you write. But, I have wanted to since forever. Further, my embarassment at this deepened when, while teaching in Romania, I learned my seventh-grade students (some of them, anyway) had seen this from a download on one of the file-sharing domain. Out-done by children of the communists*, indeed. My shame is immeasurable.[/hijack]

*In so much as the seventh-graders were born in late '88 and early '89, during the wane of the Ceausescu era. They are thoroughly western, thru-and-thru, though -- except for the whole already in thongs by age twelve thing. That hasn't gotten much past Italy or Luxembourg or wherever, yet (so, western, yes, but not entirely, nor thoroughly).

go get em!

I survived! I'm posting in a Starbucks, of all the weenie things to do, and because I can be a little self absorbed I'm not going to get to any of the other threads 'til I get home, but I still have very special feelings for you all.

- I was only rude to one interviewer, and that only a little, and he was in the wrong first. Macho bullshit. I challenged him to a game of horse.

-I only slipped and cracked my knuckles in one interview, and they have already asked me to fly out for the in-depth in Feb. I relied upon the mints as suggested by Phil and think they were a good thing, as I drank coffee like a fiend.

-One of the coolest jobs in one of the coolest locations seemed to like me a lot!

-Two of these schools are clearly too good for me. Nice to know where I stand, at least. One other school is probably not too good for me in general, but they seemed really really really bored by my work, just not their thing At All.

-one more (in Alaska!) wants to phone-interview me. The lady next to me in Starbucks when I got this email points out that that means ten interviews, which means I'm sure to get a job, as it's a round number and Chinese people think round numbers are lucky. I will take what I can get, even from strange but friendly Chinese women in coffeeshops.

Next freakout scheduled for before the first flyout. Many thanks for your patience with my cry for help!

Great news! Keep us posted!

Way to go, minteater!

Alright alright...