A co-worker of Dr. S's- let's call him Jack, as in And The Beanstalk, is clearly living in an alternate universe.
Jack's spouse Cinderella, who is in a related field, got cold-called by Quite Good Famous State School to offer a faculty job. It is at one of the best departments in Related Field; it is in their home state, near family (they have a small child and would like to move back). They also invited Jack to interview him for a made-up-just-for-you faculty job as a 'preferred candidate', which is code for 'we'll give you a job if you're not a total jerk, just to get your spouse'.
Cinderella took the job. Jack turned them down and did not even interview.
Why? Because Jack only wants a fancy snooty job at Fancy Snooty Private College Nearby. Before you ask, no, Jack does not have five first-author Nature publications, nor is he likely to get any in the next year before they move, and yes, that's the only way to get a job at Fancy Snooty. I believe the phrase you're looking for is "not in a million years". And yes! Taking a junior faculty position at Quite Good would make an excellent stepping-stone to Fancy Snooty! The man's a moron.
Dr. S's slightly more charitable interpretation was that Jack had too much of a traditional-provider-man-beat-chest mindset to take a job on his spouse's coattails. Yes, but someone handed him a faculty job on a silver platter and he'll only take it on a GOLDEN one. AAAAAAAGH!
That is crazy talk.
ReplyDeleteBut I bet your husband is right on the interpretation. Too bad.
Holy crap, what an idiot.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what Cinderella must be thinking of all this!
I'd have to agree with your husband's interpretation, though you're right that he is obviously a moron for turning down a sure thing. You can take comfort in knowing he will never amount to anything with that attitude, at least.
ReplyDeleteI actually like them both- pity for his wife that he's taking this attitude though. I like them a great deal better than Other Co-Worker; I sent his wife a lasagne when they had a baby, but DIDN'T put on the note that said "Your-Husband's-A-Jerk-Lasagne. Heat at 350 and serve." (She had a C-section and he didn't take any time off. Yeah.)
DeleteOuch. I'm afraid your husband is right though.
ReplyDeleteSo what will they do? She moves and he stays?
They're both going and he'll take a second postdoc (incidentally, thus disqualifying him from a good many fellowships officially, and from even more unofficially).
DeleteThat is seriously, seriously dumb. But I know a LOT of people like that in my current snooty-u. The arrogance is appalling.
DeleteOH! MY! GOD! I'm glad that at least he's not holding up her career, but it is utter madness. Or, perhaps there's more to the story than it appears, like perhaps there's something magically undesirable about the position. I know, there's not, just trying to think of something. For what it's worth, I've known some male-female academic couples where the lady partner refused to take a silver platter position because she felt it was unearned. Madness, utter madness, but I'm not sure what I'd do in that situation.
ReplyDelete