A great conference

Preparing for the AEA conference this weekend was a very stressful, and anxious time. Waiting and wondering which of the 84 schools and organizations to which I applied would call me back and ask for an interview was nerve racking. I had to live with my cell attached at the hip, which I found decidedly uncomfortable as it perpetually reminded me when no one had called that day.

Thankfully, seven organizations -- 5 schools and 2 branches of the USDA's Economics Research Service -- did ask for an interview this weekend, and though the preparations were brutal, the actual interviews were ... fun! As I neared the end, I told Joy that I wished I had more, just so I could have more fun. Each interviewer seemed genuinely interested in me and the work I do, giving good feedback in some cases of things I can try to improve my paper, informing me as much about them as I did them about me. I can honestly say that, from my side at least, each interview went well.

As much as I would enjoy telling some of the funnier stories from the interview process, I think it might be more politic to wait until I have a job in hand. Now is another period of waiting to see what the search committees decide, during which time I can thankfully get some more work done on my dissertation. I came away from each interview with some more reasons why I would enjoy working there, and I think we would be happy wherever we end up.

(While wandering around to get the lay of the land and figure out how to get to each of the hotels where I would be interviewing, I went down a wrong street and came across ... a Hattery! So now I can sport a new brown derby. I wore it to the exhibits where people were selling books and subscriptions, and though it got some very positive feedback there, I decided to stick with the advice of the Cornell professors and not try to stand out Toooo much by wearing it to the interviews.)