Blogging is very light these days because I’m spending _all_ my time reading job applications. And while these applications do raise lots of issues and topics that would make for interesting blog discussions, norms of confidentiality prevent me from discussing any of them at all. They even, I suspect, prevent me from launching into vituperative criticisms of papers I’m reading qua writing sample even when those papers are otherwise available (e.g. on website or in journals.) So instead I’ll write about music. In particular, these have been my three favourite job search related songs the iPod has thrown at me so far today.

“I Want the One I Can’t Have” (The Smiths). This song was already a little disturbing as a narrative of sexual frustration – it’s really much much more disturbing if you think of it as a narrative of non-sexual frustration. But still an excellent song.

“Berlin Chair” (You Am I). Not only the best rock song of the 90s, it has surprisingly many lines that are relevant to job searches. Confidentiality prevents me saying which lines, or why, but it was fun noting some connections. If I find out Tim Rogers wrote this while reading through a pile of job applications my brain might explode.

“Liquor Store” (Palomar). Sadly not directly relevant to the search, but a good song nonetheless. If there’s a job that (a) makes you want to drink while (b) being incompatible with drinking as much as this one, I don’t think I’ve found it yet. Hopefully there’ll be some stories to be gleaned from the experience I can tell when this is all done.

By the way, I know this all comes off as whiny and self-serving, and many people have it much worse than me at this time of year, even with respect to this kind of activity. To everyone out there looking for a job, or for someone to hire, best wishes for the season, and I hope your searches end well.