Free of paint

I have been freed from the painting madness.
1) It's down to fiddly bits, like beams, which I can't reach even with the ladder.
2) I have two fellowship applications to write before Feb. 1st
3) I had to sign up for the Department of State Foreign Service Officer test which will be held in February
4) I should study a bit for that test
5) I should also do some dissertating

One of the joys of graduate school that people often forget is that during the last year of academia you are supposed to be applying for jobs and things. I want to take a break from academia, so looking for professor positions is right out. I'm also not really into the idea of the post-doc, since that is more research and what I really want to do is finally do an 9-5 job and at the end of the day - LEAVE. Even when digging you only spend so many hours in the field and then you get to return to the cabins and have a bit of a rest. You also get weekends off. Academics be wearing me down.

Anyway, the Foreign Service sounds quite promising... if I can pass all the various hoops one has to jump through. When I take various job quizzes... you can take the academic out of academia but you can't stop her from taking any damn quiz I come across... I score very high on public relations and service oriented jobs. Funny, since I don't see myself as a people person. But I have it on good authority (random internet quizzes and my best friend) that I am good with people. Nuts!!

So then taking the Foreign Service quiz about whether or not you should try for a post, I scored high. And then scored high in the career track "consular" which would involve helping people. I've done reading up on it and it is looking like a possible career move.

It would mean giving up archaeology as a career. That part sucks.

But there is no guarantee that I will make it through the selection process, nor pass the security background check. So let's not worry so much about that right now. Don't count chickens and all that. (Chickens? Hell, I don't have any eggs!)

I'll still be looking for archaeology posts. And if an academic post presents itself, where I think I am not only qualified, but the teaching/research ratio is good and publication requirements are minimal (heh, like that'll ever happen), then I'll apply for that too.

The end is in sight... which means I have to think about making a living. Ugh.