"Be everything to everyone."

28 January 2010

By Matthew Salois

"Be everything to everyone."  This was the interview advice recently given to me by my mentor. 

In short, on a given panel interview for a lectureship there will be someone interested in your potential to do research, your ability to obtain external funds, your strengths as a teacher, and your openness and desire to engage in important administrative and outreach activities.

There could be three, four, or seven members on the interview -- all with a distinct agenda and all listening for you to mention that key word or phrase they are looking for so he or she can check the box that they stand for (be it the teaching box, the research box, or the whatever box).

You can stand strong in five out of six important areas, but if you fail to check even just one box on the all inclusive list, then chances are another  candidate will and you will be out of a job.  The point to the advice is that you can be stellar in everything you do but have one deficiency.  That is all that matters, for someone on the interview panel will pick up on this and be vocal against you as a candidate.

I started thinking about this advice and really how quite unreasonable it is; though perhaps it does approximate reality.  Still, as researchers competing in a competitive job market (either for another contract or the coveted lectureship) we are expected to be all things to all people at all times.  I find this daunting to say the least.

But the advice reminded me of something I was told in pre-marital counseling (my church required this of all couples before the wedding day): that as a husband I should be all things at all times to my wife.  Playing just one role (provider, leader, friend, partner, etc.) will inevitably leave a gap in our relationship opening the doorway to apathy (or worse, resentment).

I found this to be a tall order.  But I learned that although I cannot be all things in reality, I can always be mindful of trying my hardest to be all things; and there is a subtle difference.  Of course this requires effort and careful thought.  But as the pre-marital sessions pointed out, if you love your spouse, you will do all that you can to make her happy.

So, while I may feel overwhelmed in my search for the next job and the need to be everything to everyone, I know that all I need to do is my best.  Because if I truly love this career and the job that I do, then I will strive to make my career a happy one.