Thursday, June 14, 2007

my new job

Yes, I too will have a new job soon. The paperwork has gone through to the point that Leigh told me yesterday to expect something to sign soon and Lorraine (HOD secretary) showed me my new office in the hernia (aka the pod, or the black hole of calcutta). I will be sharing a rather small office with another junior lecturer. It has one small window (about a meter wide) in the corner of the room, facing east. The rest of the room is brick walled. When the lights are off and the shade is down, you can't see a thing. Still, better than some of the offices with no windows at all, or windows facing onto a brick wall about a meter away.

How much will I be earning? Umm, not sure, I think I'll be on academic A ranking. How long is the contract? Umm, possibly three years, will know when I get the contract.
What is the job? Umm, I've been told that for the next six months (probably) I'll be supporting lecturer A on Mon and Tues, Training grad students on the use of expensive lab equipment and otherwise monitoring and repairing said equipment on Wed. and supporting lecturer B on Thurs and Fri. By supporting lecturer, I think it will mean taking over lecturing certain subjects/sessions, running practicals, marking students work, tracking down information for curriculum design (which is what the lecturers are going to be doing while I do their lectures). Of course, not all of these at once or even all of these at all if thats not what they want - they only get me for 2x 8hr days a week each.
The grad student stuff is the part I'm most cheerful about, since I've been doing it for free while I did my PhD and now I'll be damn well paid and appreciated for it. It also means that I might be involved in some of the projects to the point that my name will end up on papers (without me having to write the papers :)
After the end of this year, I'll more likely be helping lecturer A for more of my time in semester 1, but the equipment supervision will most likely continue for the whole contract. I may also take over lecturing some other subjects (I forsee epidemiology) at certain points as we are really, really short staffed at present. Anyone want a job? BTW qualified & suitable physiologists will almost certainly be offered positions if they poke their noses in and enquire (we need about 6).

4 comments:

Chris Fellows said...

What qualifications are required? And how can people not down the corridor metaphorically poke their noses in? If you send me details and a contact I will put them up on the relevant noticeboard here for you. (Our cramped and primitive conditions force us to live cheek by jowl with physiologists- diptheria and typhoid are rife, ick)

Chris Fellows said...

And, of course, *Congratulations* on the new job! Lecture like a lecturing thing...

Dave said...

Congratulations on your window *and* on being paid!

Jenny said...

thank-you both. I am now thinking about all those things I smugly put on hold as "can't think about this till I have a real job" items. Like house buying.