Interview #1

The thesis writing is going slowly. My supervisor has succeeded in making me panic, but without actually motivating me to speed up my pace. I came back to Cambridge a couple of weeks ago, intending to finish the last remaining experiment (the lack of which is burning a big hole in my chapter draft) quickly and legging it back to Manchester. The day I got back though, my plans were scuppered by an email inviting me to interview for a job I'd applied for a couple of weeks before.

Having one week to prepare the presentation, practice it over and over, read up on the project and the three attached subprojects, read up the background of the three interviewers, AND most importantly, go shopping to get clothes fit for an interview and not just for the bonfire, was cutting it a bit fine. Kudos to my wonderful supervisor and the others in the lab for coming along to my practice talks and making detailed notes and giving advice. Especially to my supervisor, who came in especially on Saturday morning (and his wife, our resident post-doc, who OK-ed it) to sit through practice run no. 2, having practically slaughtered presentation take 1.

Anyway, to the interview, which was at Rothamsted research station (30 mins train journey north of London, near Luton - yet I still had to go south to London from Cambridge and back north again, that's the rail network for you). Arrive 1.35, wait a bit, give a presentation that was meant to be 20 mins long but for some reason finished at 2.10, so unless I started at a funny time, I must have been going at a ridiculously fast pace. Interview with three P.I.s (all well-known in their fields, thus have long and scaringly impressive biographies). Tour with another P.I., who was meant to ask me about my knowledge on viruses, but somehow didn't? (good sign or not, not sure, maybe my presentation was sufficient to convince him I'm a semi-decent virologist?). Chat with a post-doc, then another P.I., then pleaded a bathroom stop, then another post-doc. Then two students. Then it was 6.20...?!

Anyway, after being passed round and round like the provential parcel, I was knackered. I don't know if I got the job, but I definitely gave it my best shot. Unfortunately, regardless of whether I get the job or not, I still have to finish writing my thesis. For which I need to submit the abstract. Now. So, back to humdum panic.

PS I should find out by the end of the week if I got the job or not. Then I worry about whether I want to live near Luton or not. I'll keep you posted.