Monday, January 29
Monday, January 29, 2007 | 
Posted by
Anonymous
I recently got an internal grant to start a research project that could be the beginning of so many things. It's fabulous, fabulous news, but there's one small (yet significant) part of preparation for that research that I am unable to do myself.
Of course, knowing that I'm clueless about such things, I budgeted money to hire an expert (or at least someone with working knowledge) in that area, so I've got money to spend. But now I'm feeling a little like Julia Roberts on Rodeo Drive - I can't find anyone willing to work on the project.
I come from a place where people jump at the chance to make some extra cash. Here, it seems, no one needs it. So now I'm stuck, with money to spend and tenure to lose.
Where's Richard Gere, or at least a talented gerbil, when you need him?
Of course, knowing that I'm clueless about such things, I budgeted money to hire an expert (or at least someone with working knowledge) in that area, so I've got money to spend. But now I'm feeling a little like Julia Roberts on Rodeo Drive - I can't find anyone willing to work on the project.
I come from a place where people jump at the chance to make some extra cash. Here, it seems, no one needs it. So now I'm stuck, with money to spend and tenure to lose.
Where's Richard Gere, or at least a talented gerbil, when you need him?
4 comments:
Good help in academia, and sometimes any help, can be very hard to find.
Hmm.. this is tough, I hate it. Congrats on the grant though!
Have you been thinking outside the box? For example, are there nearby schools where funding may be tighter and thus need for extra cash higher? How about students from your own PhD program (where you got your degree, that is), might they be able to help? Can you look for someone in another department?
Those are just some ideas. Eventually, you could also try online, but that's trickier.
Good luck!
PS. Love that you referenced Pretty Woman.:-)
I'll do it. Ha ha. :)
So, after some digging (and conversing with "experts" too busy to help), I've discovered that the problem is with the job description.
Apparently my last "expert" (and I use the term loosely, one reason I'm not going back for seconds), who wrote the job description since I have no clue what talents are needed other than ones that I don't have, made it sound like you need to have a skill-set that only a select few have to be qualified for the job. Turns out, you don't need to be that qualified. The last guy was probably just trying to make himself look more important than he ever was.
So yes, good help is hard to find (which I'm sure is something my chair is saying to herself in reflecting on the decision to hire me), but hopefully with a revamped job description I'll be able to find someone (other than Salmon, but thanks for the offer) to help me out.
Post a Comment