My field of study, let’s call it Bashirology, is a very common field. Virtually every major university has a department, one way or another. There’s a bit of variation in the focus of the subfields, but I would be more or less at home in the vast majority of Bashirology departments. Then there’s the applied version of the department. Maybe slightly less common, but many universities also have some group along those lines. In theory my research can be framed to fit in with the applied department. Looking at jobs in applied departments is a possibility for this fall. It would certainly increase the number of jobs to apply for, and thus my odds1.
Thing is, as much as I believe the applications are important, that’s not really what I want to do. I fear I’d find myself intellectually isolated, cut off from all the interesting ideas that first drew me to Bashirology. The few people I know who were trained in Bashirology departments but end up in the applied department don’t sound enthusiastic about the change in scenery. “It’s…different” is the most common description, and that certainly fits with my interdisciplinary experiences2.
Though perhaps when I see the paucity of jobs in Bashirology departments I will reconsider and widen my search. Maybe I would enjoy such a position more than I realize3.
1. I hear those jobs are less competitive. I have no idea if that is true.
2. Much more on this later.
3. Maybe not.
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