Taking stock.
I know people are supposed to examine their lives closely at the first of the year and come up with plans for improvement. We’re supposed to fight back the hangover with spicy eggs and make a list of ways to make our lives better in the following 12 months. Then we are supposed to give it a good three or four days of attention and promptly go back to being fat, drunk, and stupid.
That’s the natural order of things and that is good.
But I’m not one for doing things in their properly designated times. Recent employment upheavals have caused me to take stock and reevaluate priorities and patterns. So, I did my New Year’s thing this morning, while watching the New York Marathon, the only sporting event that I watch religiously.
Actually, I could have probably told you last week that I’m squandering my youth and good looks in front of computer screen, but it’s important to really think about it, self-flagellate, make a plan of action, and then publicly self-flagellate on the blog. That’s the natural order of things and that is good.
Yeah, so the conclusion is less computer time, less work, more exercise, more socializing. Snore. I just need to make stricter lines between work time and everything else, so I don’t feel like I’m working all the time.
I’m also a career crossroads. Of course, it would be profoundly stupid to blog about these decisions at this moment, so I’ll hold myself back. I will tell what has been crossed off the list. One. Making a Porno. Two. Somehow combining my interest in politics with the vast retail opportunities at Pottery Barn. "Yes, maam. This chair does come in cranberry and sage. While you are perusing your options, let me tell you a bit about the electoral college system." Three. Traveling 60 miles to adjunct one class for $2,000 for the sheer joy of teaching.
My cousin is graduating from law school next year. His first year out of school, he’ll make $160,000 per year plus bonuses. Random, depressing piece of information.
Four. Not going to law school no matter how good the money is.
After an hour or two watching other people run, eating mini-Snickers bars, and taking stock, I spent the afternoon in front of the computer forcing myself to revise an article. I think I’ve done enough to flip off the computer and read to Jonah. We’re on Chapter Two of the first Harry Potter.
Apt. 11d 
Well, anyone who’s making $160K out of school is going to be working 80 hour weeks, if that makes you feel any better.
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“Somehow combining my interest in politics with the vast retail opportunities at Pottery Barn. “Yes, maam. This chair does come in cranberry and sage. While you are perusing your options, let me tell you a bit about the electoral college system.””
We ordered a pizza this evening, and the pizza delivery guy was asking if I was going to vote.
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Starting a Wizard Rock band?
My plan B (if I leave university work) is to go and be a SAS programmer. It would be taking away the parts of my job that I really hate and those I really enjoy and leaving a nice comfortable “blah”.
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I spent the weekend decidedly not taking stock. I was in my jammies until like 1:00 today, mostly because everyone else hogged the bathroom until then. I did some work I was contracted for, but I did it in my jammies, which was kinda nice.
But, I have a post brewing about “productivity” that I’ve been thinking about for a long time. Mostly I think it’s kind of damaging. It sounds like we’re leading semi-parallel lives at the moment.
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My wife is a lawyer, and we are pretty clearly going to discourage our kids from going that direction. Unless you get into a top-14 school and graduate high in the class, or a top-3 school and graduate, you can pretty much count on standing outside the window with your nose pressed against the glass looking at the $160000/year jobs. And as New Kid noted, you will work hideous hours, and spend a lot of psychic energy hustling for work and worrying that you’re not getting enough of it.
If you are not in the Big Law world, there is a life possible – niche practice in wills and divorces, or immigration, or criminal defense, etc. But lots of folks end up feeling scammed. Look carefully at the employment statistics! for any non-top-14 school. My wife thinks they exist a lot because people like being law professors, not so much to serve the students. Big debt.
You have shown a high level of interest in special education policy and advocacy. My guess is that there ought to be fun work in that for you, in a foundation, or for the NJ legislature or state department of education – or even by reorienting your university job search towards ed schools.
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Good advice, dave s. Here’s another option, incorporating both law and dave’s suggestion–how about going to law school and then litigating special education cases, or (maybe without a law degree) working for or creating a sped parent advocacy group?
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In law, another option is to go to a small town. From my dad’s experience, you’ll do mostly probate and transactions, but you do get a huge variety of work if you get the right reputation. You’ll also risk starvation before you can get a reputation, but there are no perfect plans.
I’ve always been funded by soft money, so I always keep an eye open. Given my wishes, I won’t shift until 2010 at the soonest. But, I think I hit the ceiling for working at a university without a Ph.D. and, having taken as long as I have, even if I finished my Ph.D. in the next week, I doubt I’d get much consideration for the jobs I’d want. Too many 25 years-olds with better focus and a much greater willingness to relocate.
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Hey, did Laura ask us for advice on her next job? If so, I’m counting on casting my vote for her for president.
Good luck, Laura (both of you!).
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