It all started when my boss asked me to write my own nomination letter for a fellowship. Now, this is a recommendation letter… and I always felt self addressed recommendation letters are rather conceited to say the least.
I finished the science part, and apparently over the years I developed skills to generate project ideas on the spot… which is always good when you never go to a meeting prepared, but doesn’t help you when your boss asks you about your qualifications.
“well… uh. I have a PhD, we could put that in..”
“It’s postdoc application. everyone applying has a PhD”
“Uh, I don’t know then… what do you want me to say. I am great, wonderful, and you feel blessed and thank your lucky star everyday for having me in your group?”
“well, you’ll have to figure it out. As for the project idea. I like it, but it has to talk more to the general public, about patient care and treatment… in breast cancer”
“but seriously. when we’re working in the lab, we are not thinking about cancer as cancer. I don’t exactly imagine actual people lining up at our doorstep in order to get the finished elixir that’s going to cure them… ha ha. I mean at the end of the day, we want to do science, in a sound logical way, to answer questions that could in the long run be related to cancer…”
“yeah, but you have to put in all the stuff that people like to hear, for them to give you money…”
“Really? Saying this, I would personally feel like a contestant in the Miss America Pageant : oh, ya. Now? Ha ha ha. My talents are eyeliner and shopping, and I would like to cure cancer, end world hunger and of course bring peace to the human race.”
“well, it doesn’t help to be cynical..”
and it doesn’t help. And two days later, I am still staring at my computer, waiting for the letter to materialize.
5 comments:
i wish you would use your powers for the good. come back. stop being such a cynic about it. but you're right it feels like whoring yourself out to let them hear what they like. finish the letter already
even if writing a 'spin' to sell, i imagine your creative expression will make it worthwhile-- but I can empathize
with needing the right inspiration. my piano teacher (you see how the Khachaturian blog fueled a wave of remembrances!) wrote me a recommendation letter when I was 16; she said, Keep this and read it when you have a bad moment. It's the only one I've kept, although it has nothing to do with medicine or science! :)
Gus,
write what you think you are...then add some spices adding what you hoped to be...
easy?
finished it, and the trick was to pretend I am someone else. I think I have multiple personalities :)
(my alter ego recommended my ego with a touch of condescension, the snob!)
oh my god!!!!!!
mc here on my blog! and quite the blogger himself!
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