5. Waiting for interviews

I sent in almost all of my applications in early October 2005 and didn't receive interview offers until Mid-December. This is a very difficult two months. On the one hand you need to be getting all your data together and collecting your stuff into a good job talk, but on the other hand it seems hard to focus on that when you don't actually know that you'll have any interviews to give the talk! All I can say is that you've got to tought it out and keep having fun doing the science.

I got my first interview offer during the ASCB meeting last year (literally; I received a phone call during the meeting from the chair of the search committee). It felt great to get that call and it was followed soon after by several more calls and emails from other schools. Those few weeks were pretty exhilerating.